# Optimus Maximus Keyboard has arrived **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 24, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630 "2008-04-24T01:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/1 "2008-04-24T01:20:40Z")
Yes, they do exist. You can order them now at [ThinkGeek](http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/9836/?cpg=71T) for the princely sum of $1,589.99. There’s a review over at [Endgadget](http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/22/optimus-maximus-at-long-last-we-bring-one-home-to-test/). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/2 "2008-04-24T01:40:16Z")
Hmm. If I sold my computer, I might be able to afford this keyboard. It’s definitely going on the list, though, right after the iPhone and the camera. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/3 "2008-04-24T02:13:45Z")
I like the idea, but the implementation seems a bit crap. (ie; at a glance it looks like I would want to soak my upper arms in ice-water after working on it for a day.) ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/4 "2008-04-24T03:54:35Z")
Each key includes a screen, and so can be illuminated with a custom label? Great - but who looks at keys? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/5 "2008-04-24T04:34:09Z")
Ah, you’re the type who’d buy the [Das Keyboard](http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/8396/). ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/6 "2008-04-24T08:42:02Z")
Well, that would be quite usefull around here. The keyboards have Thai characters, besides the western ones, each key has once roman and two Thai letters on it; some even have 4 characters crammed together. It would be cool if the keyboard characters could be changed when switching languages. Totally irrelevant for me anyway, since I can´t read or write Thai (yet) and no way I would spend that ammount of money on a bloody keyboard. But who knows, maybe in the future standard keyboard will look like this one. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/7 "2008-04-24T15:54:44Z")
That keyboard would definitely keep me from drinking Coke at my desk. Even if all of the keys are “removable for cleaning” I just would not want to risk spilling something on my $1600 toy. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/8 "2008-04-24T16:50:38Z")
[QUOTE=Terminus Est] Ah, you’re the type who’d buy the [Das Keyboard](http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/8396/). [/QUOTE] I prefer the [Happy Hacker](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/peripherals/input/happy-hacker-keyboard-professional-033097.php). It’s perfect, and it fits in my laptop bag. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/9 "2008-04-24T17:44:09Z")
If the price is too steep, you can always settle for [three keys](http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/88ee/) for only $134.99. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimus-maximus-keyboard-has-arrived/446630/10 "2008-04-24T23:24:17Z")
This is one of those things that’ll be totally awesome in 20 years when e-ink or oleds are cheap and plentiful and you can pick up one of these keyboards for $100. For now, I’ve heard that it’s not a comfortable keyboard to use, that it’s been plagued with driver problems, and if you look at the demo video, the keys update too slowly for anything but a useless demo.