Despite being around since 1995, Art. Lebedev Studio was largely unheard of among computer enthusiasts. That all changed, however, in July of 2005 when renderings of the Optimus Maximus keyboard hit the net. The Optimus Maximus takes the normal keyboard to a much higher level by integrating OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screens into each key on the board. Combined with the configuration software, the end user is able to fully customize the function and display of every key on the board.

The Optimus Maximus was originally slated for a late 2006 release, but production issues pushed it back much further. Even when we met with Art. Lebedev at the 2008 CES, the Optimus Maximus was still in the pre-order stage.

Anticipating these delays, Art. Lebedev was successfully able to release another product based on the same OLED technology, the Optimus Mini Three. The Mini Three is billed as the world's first keyboard with OLED screens... although I wouldn't quite call it a "keyboard". The phrase "auxiliary keyboard-informer" used on Art. Lebedev's website is a much better description of its actual function.


Art. Lebedev sent over the Optimus Mini Three for us to have a look at and share with you all. The front of the box shows a photo of the Mini Three as well as the name of the product, along with a big "Version 2.0" sticker. Around back, all we find is a bar code sticker - no product specifications or feature lists anywhere. You must be pretty confident in your product to not include any of this. Luckily, all of this information can be found at Art. Lebedev's website, which we have reproduced below.