Optimus Maximus Keyboard review (Cherry ML)

[chyros]

To end the year, we're looking at a rather special keyboard; the Optimus Maximus keyboard. Hope you enjoy the video, and happy holidays!

[widdlekitty]

Ooh, yes! I'm glad you did this one. I remember thinking this was the coolest thing when I first saw it. Definitely long before my deep dive into the mech world. I had a coworker that had mention getting it and absolutely hating it. I wasn't surprised.

On a complete tangent, there's a control panel I've used professionally that borrows on this concept but did it in a very unique manner. Filmlight is a company that makes color correction software. The control panel that they bundle with the higher end systems have this functionality:



Rather than have heavy key movement, there's actually no display in each of the keys. Each key acts as a lens thats mounted over a video display and the top of the keycap is essentially a rare projection screen. Movement is light with what seems like a shallow travel distant. The whole thing is a closed/sealed system due to its complexity, so its hard to know exactly what kind of switches they're using.


Here's a brief promo thing showing it a bit more:

[no, the other guy]

At least Art. Lebedev was smart enough to never actually produce the successor, the Optimus Tactus.

[Findecanor]

The actual successor would have been the Optimus Popularis with a single LCD screen behind the keys. It has scissor switches, with the scissors and rubber domes being outside the screens.

I think Microsoft Research made a bunch of keyboards with similar switches that they had sent to colleges to get software for.
There have also been a couple gaming keyboards from Razer with only ten similar keys above a touch screen / touch pad: The first one was themed for the Star Wars-The Old Republic MMO that is no more, but they made one that was not branded anything but Razer.

[atarione]

I watched the review... I lol'd what a steaming pile.. I remember when this thing came out and thinking what an absurd pile of dung it seemed like..

[ThoughtArtist]

"it sucks ass" "This golden turd"

Oh what would we do without Cyro's hyperbolic ranting about boards that don't fit his personal ideal?

[Carcharocles]

"it sucks ass" "This golden turd"

Oh what would we do without Cyro's hyperbolic ranting about boards that don't fit his personal ideal?

It's a 1600 dollar keyboard that uses Cherry ML's, probably the most hated mechanical switch family in existence. The entirety of its cost is focused on how programmable it is and the LCD screens on the keycaps. It's not a personal ideal issue here, it's a practicality one--it put so much money on being pretty and hi-tech that actual customer experience was an afterthought.

[Leslieann]

It's kind of amazing this thing ever made it to market.