Optimus Popularis Keyboard Slims While Key-Displays Grow

We've been following Art Lebedev's Popularis keyboard project since the first mutterings late last year, and from the scant details we've seen it looks like the company has certainly learnt its lessons from the original Optimus Maximus.  A new image released today shows the comparative key display sizes of the two 'boards: despite being smaller and slimmer than its predecessor, the Popularis will have better sized-keys with bigger, higher-resolution displays.

They'll run at 64 x 64 resolution rather than the 48 x 48 of the Maximus, and have a significantly smaller bezel.  Hopefully that will put pay to one of the criticisms of the first model: that the keys were slightly too large and required a heavy hand for typing.  Touch-typists in particular complained that the Maximus wasn't actually suitable for regular text entry.

Last we heard, the Popularis should be ready for the market by the end of this year or early in 2011.  No word on final pricing, but undercutting the Maximus' $1,600 tag is promised.