ohh is nice keyboard!

[Pedro Amorim]

from the dudes that made the optimus keyboard. here they come. now with no keys!

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/

[Neo_God]

it looks like a Giant iPhone...

[notman]

I like it, but based on their history, it will be in concept for 5 years, then be $5000 by the time it's for sale.

[ChaosEidolon]

so...like...why do I want to watch a video on my keyboard if i have a 24 inch? ...just wondering

[hawken]

actually apple are working on the same thing... using some kinda tech that deforms the screens surface to give the user tactile response

[Tulkamir]

Looks neat. Love to hear some more on the one you mention too hawken. Sounds like it could be perdy cool.

[pliang]

I'll just use my own tv

[Rick Stirling]

Looks really nice.

I wasn't surprised to see the Apple thing - it seemed like a very logical expansion based on the iphone/itouch.

While all that tech looks great, I wonder how long it will take users to get past the tactile features of a mechanical sprung keyboard?

[leilei]

a credible foundation for lcars.

[MightyPea]

Hawken: was it actual deformation, rather than just an audible click? If so, that's much cooler than I remember it being. And I quite fancy the idea behind this keyboard, although I suppose I'd miss the tactile feedback of actually pressing down a button. If it's reasonably priced though, it could be my very own jazzmutant Lemur ( http://www.jazzmutant.com/lemur_overview.php ) with snazzy x/y-stuff, and I could use it to select colours from a photoshop-palette etc...
If the feel of it is any good, this could be a lovely, easily customisable keyboard. Now let's hope it's not either shit, or really fucking expensive.

[notman]

I think Alpine makes a tactile display for some of their stereos. It simulates the feel of a button when you press the display.

[MightyPea]

How does that feel then, notman? I used a touchscreen Samsung phone yesterday, and I think it's feedback is just a loud click from the speakers coupled with slight vibration. Nothing exact, just to let you know you clicked somewhere, anywhere.

[conte]

i don't really think what that keyboard without physical keys is really great. In the darkness, how will you find buttons hehe.
nah ->trashbin

[hawken]

[ QUOTE ]
i don't really think what that keyboard without physical keys is really great. In the darkness, how will you find buttons hehe.
nah ->trashbin

[/ QUOTE ] yeah not that it's basically a giant light or nothing

[notman]

MightyPea: Touchscreens don't typically have any sort of tactile feedback. I was just referring to Alphine developing a system that does that. I haven't actually experienced it myself, I was just referencing that the technology exists for optimus to use /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Here's a review on that stereo, to get more info on how it works: http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/reviews/20040420/mobile-alpine_ivad300.html

[acc]

Touchscreens are great when you are looking at them.

Imagine trying to play TF2 on a completely flat surface with absolutely no idea where your fingers are and nothing to stop them sliding around constantly. Imagine how hard it would be to consistently hit shortcuts in a modeling program, or even do a simple copy-n-paste on polycount.

Providing a little bit of aesthetic feedback is not the primary tactile problem here, it's knowing where the hell your fingers are because a lot of the time you're looking at the monitor.

[notman]

good point. I usually have my fingers sitting on the W,A, & D, which would cause that keyboard to think I'm pressing them. It would have to be pressure sensitive. Hell, if you type properly, you always place your fingers on the ASDF and JKL;.
The more I think of this keyboard, the less I think I'd want it.

[ebagg]

Why would you want to watch a video on your keyboard!??!!?

[notman]

I think that's just demonstrating all the possibilities... not that you'll do it /images/graemlins/wink.gif You could have it turn on like a screensaver. I could see running a slideshow on it when I'm not using the machine.

[ebagg]

One big advantage would certainly be the lack of cracks to lose crumbs in.

[tokidokizenzen]

[ QUOTE ]
good point. I usually have my fingers sitting on the W,A, & D, which would cause that keyboard to think I'm pressing them. It would have to be pressure sensitive. Hell, if you type properly, you always place your fingers on the ASDF and JKL;.
The more I think of this keyboard, the less I think I'd want it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah tactile feedback is key. The flat keyboard thing won't work out until we all get tactile implants on the tips of our fingers.

[danr]

aren't keyboards with actual keys an absolute bloody nightmare? All keyboardy and stuff. Thank god someone cares enough to rescue us from this living hell

[t4paN]

Can you really use a keyboard with no touch feedback? What's the point if you don't have clickety click sounds? By the time that thing's ready those crazy ass multi input touch screens will be a reality and will do the same thing but will be bigger and better.

/edit for spelling -_-