How the Stream Deck rose from the ashes of a legendary keyboard

A computer keyboard showing on its left side showing two columns of 5 keys each with a small display under the key cap.

The keyboard was just a concept, dreamed up by Art Lebedev, a Russian design firm, and it was an ambitious idea at that: called the Optimus Maximus, it would require over 100 built-in screens using display technology that wasn’t readily available at the time. With all the excitement, the firm decided to make it real.

“You’re on a sinking ship, you’ve got to figure out what you’re going to do,” recalls Elgato’s Julian Fest, whose parents originally founded the company in 1999.

A very interesting read, and also a lesson in how imminently bankrupt companies can turn their whole game around by doing something different (think also of Netflix).

See https://www.theverge.com/c/features/24191410/elgato-stream-deck-art-lebedev-optimus-maximus-keyboard-retrospective

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