Optimus Maximus and Why it is a Godsend to all Multiboxers

[Squiggoth]

Yes. Yes. It's been mentioned here before. But never yet has any solid working show-off been done on the Optimus Maximus. This thing will be a bit pricey but it's exactly what X-Keys should be.

No more poor Xzin printing and cutting these tiny little labels and sticking them and then having to do a new set for a new character.

Just watch:

Showing off the early workings of the Optimus Maximus OLED keyboard ('http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvExx3YAyFQ')

At a click of a button, you can be in "4 Shaman, 1 Pally" mode. A second click, you can be in "Main character Hunter raiding" mode.

Better yet because each key is completely computer customizable (via photoshop or any paint app) you can not only make it exactly the way you want (with foreground, background, font size, and font customizations), but you can CHANGE that setting instantly.

SO FREAKING COOL. I want one. =P

[Stabface]

It's nice, but I could find better ways to spend 1500$

[Squiggoth]

Godsends never come cheap. And I'm sure there are some folks on this board who multibox enough to make this a must-have. Not saying everyone will (or should) go out and get one, just that it's sort of the ultimate tool for multiboxing.

[sventek]

Except that typing really sucks ('http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/22/optimus-maximus-at-long-last-we-bring-one-home-to-test/') on it.

Though I will agree, it would make things much easier for a multi-boxer. Just not sure anyone would spend $1500 on a keyboard that they will only use to multibox (If you are that wealthy, please donate to my "I want an xkeys" fund :) ).

[Xzin]

I would consider spending the money for a truly "custom" keyboard.

But the only downside is, if I were to use it for anything "useful" like changing layouts between Warlock / Mage / Shammy teams - it would have to be made more like X-keys. Who plays a regular game with a standard keyboard? F1-F12 aside, that's just not enough keys. The layout of a standard keyboard is pretty awful for the amount of functions you need to be able to trigger with 2+ classes at level 70.

And honestly, it has to have reasonable pressure to trigger. Too much is bad and this version is too heavy.

Lastly, $1500 is more than what is reasonable for this. $200? Maybe. $500? Getting steep. $1500+? Nah. Just buy 3 X-keys and put color printed icons under each one and swap them out (or buy one and swap between them - although this is more time consuming). The only benefit would be backlighting and a nearly instant swapping of keys. But once you learn the keys - do you REALLY need to look down anymore?

If one were REALLY interested, they could take one apart and design it into an X-keys Pro layout. But you would lose the PS/2 connection (because clearly this thing is USB) and of course the layouts would be much harder to remap. Plus the costs and expense... seems like it would be *possible* but would you REALLY want to? Probably not.