Frequently given answers about Optimus Maximus keyboard

What is this?
It’s a million keyboards in one.

How does it work?
There’s a small display embedded under every keytop, which shows what this button can do, or the function it’s associated with.

You are a genius.
Thanks.

Can I change the images myself?
You bet.

Can I reassign the buttons’ functions?
You bet. For example, you can have the button to the right of the left Shift key to type the letter Z, or to type any sequence of up to 256 symbols. Customization has no limits.

Which languages are supported?
Optimus supports all languages supported by the operating system.

Which operating systems does Optimus support?
Optimus supports all operating systems, but we first develop software only for Windows and Mac.

Why isn’t there any Linux software?
Because first we want to let 95% of people to work with the keyboard.

Is there a chance it will support Linux?
Maybe sometime.

Can I update the firmware myself?
Yes, you can.

What happens if I spill coffee, coke or wine on the keyboard?
The keyboard will likely break down. Just as a laptop, a TV or the Imperial State Crown in a similar situation.

What should I do if the keyboard is grimy?
You can manually remove every key and clean or vacuum-clean the body.

Are there any buttons without displays?
In the future we are planning to offer keyboards where some buttons will have no displays (passive type). So you will be able to replace these buttons with those with displays.

How does typing feel?
Tactile sensations are good: we use mechanical micro-keyswitches with a key travel of 2.5 mm. The activation force is, if you are interested, 50 ± 20 g.

Your images are so great. How bright are the screens in life?
In life the screens look a hundred times better than in the images. You can see the images on the displays very well even if the room is brightly lit.

How long does a screen live?
Non-stop glow time at nominal brightness declared by the manufacturer is 20,000 hours. If you work for eight hours every day, including weekends and holidays, the screens will last for about seven years. After that, the display will not die instantly, but begin to fade gradually (like the sun in billions of years).

What does the ambient light sensor do?
The ambient light sensor allows for having the displays’ brightness automatically adjusted up or down depending on whether it’s getting dark or light. Additionally, you can adjust brightness manually. Automatic or manual control is available through the Optimus Configurator software.

How do I connect Optimus?
You need two cables: a USB cable (USB 1.0 or 2.0, the latter is preferable) and a power strip (a power adapter with European and US plugs is part of the package). The device is powered by 100–240V, 50–60Hz.

Is Optimus AC-powered?
Yes, a PC would not be able to power the keyboard (19V, ~6А) on its own.

Can I connect other USB devices to the keyboard?
Optimus is equipped with a hub for two additional high-speed USB 2.0 ports.

What is the SD card for?
All layouts are stored on the SD card to allow key images to change quickly.

An SD card of what capacity is part of the package?
Optimus comes with a 32 MB card (at least) that will be enough for storing basic layouts. For additional layouts, a card of larger capacity will be required.

How frequently do the frames change?
It depends on the number of displays in use. If you want the images on all 113 buttons to change simultaneously with the information provided directly from a PC, then the frame rate will be around 10 frames per second. If animated images are displayed on 5 buttons, and the information is uploaded from the SD card, then it will be faster.

How about warranty?
One year.