After many delays and technological setbacks, the much anticipated Optimus LED-key keyboard has an official launch date and price. This keyboard features tiny key mounted LED color LED displays so the keys display different functions depending on the application being used, of course, they also display letters.

Engadget has details regarding the production schedule.

The Optimus Maximus keyboard was originally slated to have 113 fully mapable and customizable keys, which got reduced to 103 keys and some reduction in functionality due to technical limitations. Then as if matters couldn’t get worse, they did.

It was supposed to have color LED keys which became black and white or monochrome keys which became color again after some who were interested started complaining. If they had used monochrome keys, it would have been released by now. Since switching back to color the release date slipped even more.

It has fully mappable and hot swappable key configurations so if you go from typing in a document to playing STALKER the keys adjust functions accordingly and display function icons related to the game. There are several shortcut keys on the side that you can use to launch applications, all labeled with appropriate icons.  We now have an official launch date and price for the Optimus Maximus 103-key keyboard.

This functionality and customizability do not come cheap or fast with a price of over $1,500 per keyboard and is supposedly both Mac and PC compatible, which lets it display Mac and Command function keys or the Windows key depending on the OS. Color me impressed. According to the time line on the site, it will begin shipping in late November at which time orders will be shipped out on a first come, first serve basis depending on when your order or preorder was placed.

I’m not about to spend $1,500 on a keyboard, I’d rather but that money towards a MacBook Pro and save up for when the new models come out. That’s nothing to say of its reliability and if you can’t wait to have topped displays on your keyboard then the Optimus Mini-3 will have to tide you over though $160 is a bit much to pay for three quick launch keys it is much easier to swallow its price tag than that of its bigger brother.

Let’s just wait until Logitech buys up the company and/or rights to the technology and brings it to the masses for $200 or less. At that point, I’ll buy it, I mean; I’m using a $250 keyboard right now.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, April 28th, 2007 at 9:06 am under Technology.

Read more entries by Jonathan Schlaffer.
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