Art Levedev Studio Optimus Maximus

Art Levedev Studio Optimus Maximus
Even before Russian designer Artemy Lebedev released the 113-key Optimus Maximus in 2007, the type machine hailed the keyboard as the best ever. The Optimus certainly has a price worthy of such a claim. Hype aside, the Optimus may not really be "a million keyboards in one," but make no mistake; it is a one-in-a-million board.
Within each of the board's key is a 48-x48-pixel OLED, giving you seemly endless language and character set configuration via the excellent, downloadable Optimus Configurator app. I configured the Optimus, for example, to display and perform designated functions depending on if Firefox, Internet Explorer Word, etc. was active. An integrated Sd slot (512MB card includd) saves these layout configurations to memory, but even the default settings are "ooh" and "ah" worthy. Pressing CAPS LOCK, for example, display each key as capped. Pressing NUM LOCK similarly toggles the numeric keypad key between displaying numbers and navigation icons.
The possibilities go on. Any language your OS supports, Optimus can, too. Prefer a Dvorak layout? Done. Fancy a Half-Life or Photoshop layout? Presto. Want to embed a JPED of your daughter into the Spacebar? I did it in second. I also configured a looping AVI (10fps max) of her sister in the ENTER key. I embedded a Gmail icon in another key to launch my account, designed a logo in Paint that I displayed on another key, and monitored my PC's free memory and CPU performance on two other keys.
For all its functionality (and there's a lot), the Optimus is oddly a poor choice for typing. Slick and far too stiff, the board mechanical micro-keyswitches consistenly produced a stream of irritating typos-even day after consisten use-that had me cursing under my breath. Additionally, the board is huge (1.5 x 21.14 x 6.8 inches [HxWxD]), so prepare to sacrifice desk space.
Still, through I can't imagine spending more on a keyboard than my last PC, the Optimus Maximus is truly the supreme choice for tweakers.
by Blaine Flamig

Specs: 20,000 hours OLED glow life; 160-degree viewing angle; SD card slot; two USB 2.0 ports; USB and DC power connections required; one-year warranty

source: Computer Power User October 2008.