The Optimus Maximus Keyboard - did anyone here own one?

[Coreda]

There was a lot of buzz around this board back in the day, and it looked like a promising concept with each key having its own changeable LED display.

Did anyone here own one? Was it any good?

Edit: some images for those who've never seen it.

[Eugene45]

A link to the wiki : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Maximus_keyboard

and a Cnet review http://www.cnet.com/products/optimus-maximus/

[Tempest790]

Best keyboard name ever.

That said, I asked Optimus Prime for one for Christmas but didn't get it.  Got a yellow Camaro instead that keeps following me around.

[njbair]

I've got one. It's right next to my box copy of Half Life 3.

[Coreda]

and a Cnet review http://www.cnet.com/products/optimus-maximus/

Not a very positive review. Hmm.

There was also meant to be some e-ink display keys board to be released but nothing came of it. I like the idea of displays on keys but no one seems to have done it well so far.

I've got one. It's right next to my box copy of Half Life 3.

Half Life 3 confirmed!

[njbair]

There was also meant to be some e-ink display keys board to be released but nothing came of it. I like the idea of displays on keys but no one seems to have done it well so far.

Each display needs wires to handle data transmission. I can't think of a way to do it without compromising the mechanical function of the switch.

[Magna224]

Cherry ML aren't too well regarded.

[meiosis]

This was actually the keyboard that helped me discover mechanicals haha

[GL1TCH3D]

As long as I touch type I wouldn't use it =[

[Oobly]

Cherry ML aren't too well regarded.

Stock Cherry ML's are fine IF you don't hit them off-centre. But the Maximus has tighter key spacing than MX boards, so it happens often. If you do press on them near an edge, the friction increases dramatically and they can sometimes even stick. When lubed, however, they can be really nice to use, as it reduces the impact of off-centre hits to the degree that they feel the same as normal ones.

So, it's incredibly expensive, doesn't feel great to type on and has very limited actual real-world value in the OLED caps. Most of us here are too practical to ever consider buying something like that.

[XMIT]

chyrosran22 reviewed one of these not too long ago.

The key feel isn't great. The spacing is off. The keys are slightly larger than 19.05mm on center. The OLED screens stay put when you press a key down which is odd. The refresh rate on the screens is poor - 10 FPS - and the latency is pretty poor - about 0.5s. The F keys on the top row are grouped in pairs which is unusual. The host software is unmaintained, buggy, and leaks memory.

I've been wanting to get my hands on one of these since 2007-2008.

[chyros]

The Optimus Maximus project was one of the most fun ones to date xD . It REALLY lends itself to some fun playing around with.

The keyboard is horrible to use, though xD .

[jacethesaltsculptor]

Chyros's review of it, murdered that keyboard for me.

I remember it being a huge deal in the 2007-2009 period, somewhere in there, and tech news outlets all talking a big game about how this was going to change everything.

It was probably the first time I ever even read about a keyboard in any real way, and I even wanted one, though the 1000$ price tag was a very firmly high bar I couldn't get my head over.

To find out after all these years that in all actuality the keyboard itself wasn't that great to use I suppose makes me much happier I didn't spend my minimum wage years saving up for something that would have ultimately disappointed, because honestly the issues he points out would have been deal breakers for me, even back then when my fingers weren't more snobby.