It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?
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You've all probably seen this:
It was designed in motherfucking 2005. That's 12 years ago. It came out 2 years later for $1,500, and understandably flopped because that's a lot of money. I'd also like to point out that the company making this stuff is not even an electronics company, they're an "art studio" or something.
They made a second version a few years later, the Optimus Popularis, that uses a single screen with transparent keys (so it's slightly worse, but brings down the cost a lot), that's actually still for sale (for $1,500 ).
But a lot has changed in 12 years. Mainly, we now have touch screens every-fucking-where. And yet, this idea has not moved at all (aside from Apple's recent touchbar). Surely the price can be brought down now?
Am I the only one that actually likes the idea? Maybe not for every keyboard, but at least as a secondary "keypad" next to the keyboard, like their Optimus Aux?
Or heck, just a small touch screen. When smartphones and tablets became popular, I assumed that having them next to your keyboard as a secondary input method for your desktop computer would become the norm really soon. It seems to me that touch screens are better for some applications than keyboards and mice, and we all already have the hardware, so why are we not using them?
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@anonymous234 I think you answered your own question. The Optimus was available some time after the pictures made their rounds around the internet, and you can still buy one now, albeit one that is inferior to the original, and they even sell the extra keypad you think is a good idea. The question is, why would you? This is the kind of stuff that a geek would buy, except geeks don't look at their keyboards when they type. Instead, geeks buy mechanical keyboards with blank keycaps as status symbols. "Look ma, no eyes!"
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@anonymous234 said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
touch screens are better for some applications than keyboards and mice
Apple has that trackpad thing for desktops. I guess touchscreens are nice for laying out and arranging things in 2d space. That's about the only application i can think of though
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@blek said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
geeks buy mechanical keyboards with blank keycaps as status symbols. "Look ma, no eyes!"
I wouldn't. Mechanical, sure, but blank keycaps are just silly
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@sloosecannon said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
are just silly
But i like silly. I even enjoy ridiculous. That's why im here. not for the political/gender bullshit.
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@sloosecannon same here, but at the same time I'd rather lose a leg than call myself a geek. Or buy an Optimus keyboard.
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@blek said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@sloosecannon same here, but at the same time I'd rather lose a leg than call myself a geek. Or buy an Optimus keyboard.
I happily call myself a geek. It's a term of pride!
I'd also love to buy an Optimus keyboard, but not at that price. At a more reasonable price, though, I'd love to do it.
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@swayde said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@sloosecannon said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
are just silly
But i like silly. I even enjoy ridiculous. That's why im here. not for the political/gender bullshit.
what about the climate change bullshit?
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@anonymous234 said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
Am I the only one that actually likes the idea? Maybe not for every keyboard, but at least as a secondary "keypad" next to the keyboard
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I assumed that having them next to your keyboard as a secondary input method for your desktop computer would become the norm really soon.It is exciting in theory, but when you think about the everyday usage:
- you can not look at the screen and keyboard simultaneously
- if you know they keyboard shortcut for the action, you can use it without looking
- if you do not know the keyboard shortcut, its easier to click with the mouse on the program UI instead of looking at the keyboard, finding the button there, and clicking it
- for touch-specific input, like multi-touch, a trackpad without display is enough
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I just found out Microsoft did a concept keyboard too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojusRO38TdcAnd this one with a projector is super neat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhBH6KW2aT4
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@adynathos said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@anonymous234 said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
Am I the only one that actually likes the idea? Maybe not for every keyboard, but at least as a secondary "keypad" next to the keyboard
...
I assumed that having them next to your keyboard as a secondary input method for your desktop computer would become the norm really soon.It is exciting in theory, but when you think about the everyday usage:
- you can not look at the screen and keyboard simultaneously
- if you know they keyboard shortcut for the action, you can use it without looking
- if you do not know the keyboard shortcut, its easier to click with the mouse on the program UI instead of looking at the keyboard, finding the button there, and clicking it
- for touch-specific input, like multi-touch, a trackpad without display is enough
I solved a similar problem in world of warcraft by showing the button icons on the screen instead. The secondary keyboard is a logitech G13. 22 keys operated by fingers, 2 buttons operated by thumb which I map to shift and alt. These are bound through an ingame addon which shows buttons in the same layout, automatically shifting with the shift/alt modifiers. If I ever don't know where an ability is, I can look at the on-screen grid which exactly matches the G13. This is closer to my normal visual focus, and as a bonus my fingers aren't in the way.
Alternatively there is also the way everyone used to remember their WP5.1 shortcuts: Print them on a piece of paper and tape it next to the buttons.
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Useless products tend to go away.
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@swayde said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@sloosecannon said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
are just silly
But i like silly. I even enjoy ridiculous. That's why im here. not for the political/gender bullshit.
Oh, it is far more fun to have symbols on your keys but for a different layout, then let unsuspecting people try to use it. You can then watch their faces shift from a "Why this no worky" expression to a thorough "WTF" grin.
Of course, it does take a bit of a learning curve.
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@jbert meh, that's kind of evil.
https://imgur.com/NSGyb
This is the kind i like:
I can't seem to find the horrible on a reddit user created, using only shitty keycaps.
Also: https://www.xkcd.com/1806/
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@anonymous234 said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
I just found out Microsoft did a concept keyboard too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojusRO38TdcAnd this one with a projector is super neat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhBH6KW2aT4That MSAppliedSciences one is neat.
I expect the expanding availability/popularity of touch screens is removing much of the incentive for these though - at some point, having a secondary touch screen that programs could use for a control/interaction bay is cheaper and probably easier.
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@pleegwat said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
Alternatively there is also the way everyone used to remember their WP5.1 shortcuts: Print them on a piece of paper and tape it next to the buttons.
Big, expensive programs used to come with keyboard overlays for exactly that purpose. They usually fit around the function keys, and I remember some showing the different functions using colours (black = just the function key, green = function key with Shift, or whatever, and so on).
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@wharrgarbl said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
what about the climate change bullshit?
Keep your climate change bullshit in the garage, please.
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@sloosecannon My name has no repeating letters. So I used to switch caps around to spell
ALEXROCKS
where theQWERTYYUI
used to go.Silly or not, I had fewer people asking to check their email on my laptop.
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@boomzilla said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@wharrgarbl said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
what about the climate change bullshit?
Keep your climate change bullshit in the garage, please.
or better yet, keep bullshit of any description in the stables. because thats where bulls belong. in the stables, not in the house.
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@accalia But really, the whole premise of the forum is bullshit of a particular kind.
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@boomzilla said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@accalia But really, the whole premise of the forum is bullshit of a particular kind.
and that's fine, but not in the house. It's not you that has to keep the floors clean you know, it's me! and bullshit is impossible to get out of the rugs! so shoo! shoo! back outside with you till you take off those filthy filthy shoes! and don't you dare think of sitting on our nice new couch before you shower and change!
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@accalia said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
It's not you that has to keep the floors clean you know, it's me!
This is news to me.
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@captain said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
people asking to check their email on my laptop
That. I mean... ???
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@dcon said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@captain said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
people asking to check their email on my laptop
That. I mean... ???
His laptop is apparently orgasmic to use. Well, until the keycaps get changed around.
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@boomzilla said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@accalia said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
It's not you that has to keep the floors clean you know, it's me!
This is news to me.
when was the last time you picked up a broom to so much as sweep the floors?! HMM? and don't get me started on the laundry! If you're not gong to do the wash you could at least spend the time to separates your lights and your darks before throwing them in the hamper! And another thing!
...
umm...... who turned on my "Stepford wife" switch?
stop that.
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@accalia said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
umm...... who turned on my "Stepford wife" switch?
stop that.
Sorry.
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@accalia said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
when was the last time you picked up a broom to so much as sweep the floors?!
I don't like to publicize that sort of thing. Don't want to ruin my pristine reputation.
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@sloosecannon said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
I wouldn't. Mechanical, sure, but blank keycaps are just silly
You'd hate my keyboard then.
Anyway, I hate any kind of light from below, so I'll never understand people who use backlit keyboards. OTOH, I wonder why nobody made a keyboard with eInk displays on keys yet.
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@ender said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
people who use backlit keyboards.
Because if you're working in the dark, or in less-than-ideal-lighting conditions, backlit keyboards are a godsend...
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@sloosecannon said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@ender said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
people who use backlit keyboards.
Because if you're working in the dark, or in less-than-ideal-lighting conditions, backlit keyboards are a godsend...
you need to look at your keyboard to type?!
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@accalia said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@sloosecannon said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
@ender said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
people who use backlit keyboards.
Because if you're working in the dark, or in less-than-ideal-lighting conditions, backlit keyboards are a godsend...
you need to look at your keyboard to type?!
When I switch between my laptop and desktop all the time? Yup...
At least for special keys and stuff. ASDFGHJKL are all good though.
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@ender
I just wanted to order a second one of those, but apparently they've stopped producing them. :(
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@coldandtired It's also way too expensive. About $350 iirc. I'd better just go get my old IBM keyboard and plug that in. And seeing as how the PS/2 port refuses to die (especially on gaming MBs) I still have the option to use its native connection.
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@ender said in It's 2017, where the hell is my Optimus keyboard?:
Anyway, I hate any kind of light from below, so I'll never understand people who use backlit keyboards.
You don't want to look like this when coding?
Aww…