Digital Trends

Optimus Maximus August 13th, 2008 | by Nick Mokey

The Premise

On paper, the concept for the Optimus Maximus looks like a guaranteed winner. By making each and every key a programmable display, you can switch instantly between different languages, preview every change that pressing shift or control makes, label keyboard shortcuts, and even set up application-specific buttons, like a switch-to-rocket-launcher button for Quake. In theory, anyway.

Maximus, Indeed

If you’ve only ever seen the Optimus Maximus in glossy press shots out of Lebedev’s studio, you’re likely missing one of its most striking facets: it’s an absolute beast. Forget the “keyboard” dimensions you may be expecting and think more in terms of a miniature Casio piano. It spans 21.1 inches, compared to about 17 inches for your more run-of-the-mill typing device. This thing can hide an entire Dell keyboard under it like Bigfoot on a Ford Festiva. 

That may not be much of an issue if you have a cushy corner desk or other roomy computer surface, but the space-challenged should definitely be aware that the Maximus’ footprint will definitely soak up some serious table space.

The Look

Photos don’t lie when it comes to the Maximus’ 48 x 48 pixel OLED displays. They really are quite sharp and brilliant in real life, but one major oversight prevents the keyboard from really looking like art in most conditions. The keys are shiny. Really shiny. The slightest hint of overhead fluorescent lights (typical office lighting) sets them ablaze in glare, making the keyboard look more like 115 little mirrors than an alphabet. What’s worse, they collect fingerprints almost as well as glass, so you’re really looking at 115 greasy, smudged little mirrors. And if that weren’t enough, they also produce a prism-like rainbow effect at extreme angles, similar to gasoline on water. In the end, you’re really only looking at the Maximus of press photos if you sit in the dark hovering over it, severely limiting the wow-factor unless you compute from a cave.

Set Up

Unlike your basic plug-n-play USB keyboard that lives up to its name with an almost-instant installation, the Optimus Maximus requires a few extras steps to use, even as a basic typing device. For starters, it requires specialized drivers and software from Art Lebedev, which come with the keyboard or in a mercifully small 2.7MB package that’s available online and quick to install. After that, you’ll need to hook up the included a 12-volt power supply and watch as each and every key flashes white in a sort of “boot sequence” that takes about 15 seconds. Fortunately, that’s pretty much it: Just hook up the included USB cable and wait for your computer to recognize it.

The back of the keyboard