Art Lebedev Studio created a whirlwind of excitement when their Optimus Maximus keyboard concept surfaced in 2005. The peripheral touted a full set of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) buttons that were 100% user-customizable and downright amazing-looking.

I had the opportunity to see it in person at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show as well every bit go some hands-on fourth dimension with its trivial brother, the Mini Three. The hype was real and the applied science very cool indeed. I wanted i, as did near anybody else -- that is, until the company revealed how much it would cost. Priced at over $1,400, the Optimus Maximus remains more fantasy than reality, as the closest most users will come to information technology are the photos and videos available online.

Fortunately for those interested in OLED keyboard engineering science, Art Lebedev isn't the merely player around. OCZ Technology recently released their Sabre OLED Gaming Keyboard, which features a depository financial institution of nine programmable OLED keys and a significantly cheaper price tag.

Aside from the bank of OLED keys, the Sabre is a pretty standard 103-primal unit of measurement. The board's bezel is dark gray with a shine blackness wrist residual expanse lining the lower portion. There is no existent wrist rest which may take some fourth dimension to become used to if your previous keyboard had one.

The Sabre arrived in a standard retail keyboard box, with a quick rundown of some prominent features printed on the front likewise as a complete listing of specifications on the reverse. Inside we institute the keyboard itself along with a Quick Showtime Guide. Drivers (both 32 and 64-bit flavors) as well as the User Manual come pre-loaded on the keyboard'southward 128 MB internal wink memory.

The 9 programmable OLED keys are positioned on the far left of the keyboard. Each has a resolution of 64 10 64 pixels, 2000:1 contract ratio, 160-degree viewing angle and a effulgence rating of 100 nits. Unlike the Fine art Lebedev offerings, the Sabre's OLED keys are non total color and but display in yellow, and then don't expect many Ooh's and Ahh'southward from onlookers.

The top of the lath has a single USB cord to connect to your figurer. At that place are no media keys, fancy LCD screens or USB ports here, but OCZ hopes the OLED keys make up for these missing features.

Instead of using backlit keys like many enthusiast keyboards on the marketplace, the Sabre features a blue LED sidelighting event designed to illuminate the areas on either side of the keyboard.

Two safety feet on the underside of the board near the lesser help to go on the unit in identify during use. There are also two retractable feet about the superlative should you prefer to blazon on a slight incline.

Some readers might recognize this lath as the "United Keys OLED Keyboard". According to their website, Foxconn manufactures this board and OCZ has purchased the licensing rights and is marketing it as their own. This is common practice amongst many accessory providers and is zero to be concerned with. United Keys does sell this lath under their make as well, only it is $45 more expensive than OCZ's offer, so there would be no reason to select information technology over the OCZ-branded product.