PCJr Chiclet Keyboard - One of the dumbest things I've purchased?

Posted by pmodizzle@reddit | retrobattlestations | View on Reddit | 3 comments

​ https://preview.redd.it/vidrw5bx7wo91.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17771151df8b5bd83c140ba9bee1c22e6096532c [https://imgur.com/a/zXMWJrt](https://imgur.com/a/zXMWJrt) ​ Maybe not the dumbest, but it is kind of dumb. Also kind of amazing. ​ Something about it made me want to get it. I think it had to do with what a flop it was and how it almost single handedly tanked the PCJr. I have the second gen PCJr keyboard and it is pretty lousy feeling, so I didn't have much hope for the first gen chiclet. Found a listing on eBay that was listed as NOS. Now it didn't come with any original box or anything like that - all it had was an (opened) pink plastic sleeve. That being said, condition looked to be brand new. Completely clean, even the original cork feet were still, well, corky without any signs of dirt. No corrosion in the battery compartment. Ended up working perfectly too with a set of batteries. The look of it - I love it. There is something about the sterile IBM corporate looking aesthetic that just appeals to move. I think it goes really nicely on the desk with the PCJr itself. The feel of it - not great. Not the worst I've ever used though and actually pressing down on the keys isn't the worst thing. I'd say the most difficult thing about typing on it is the fact that you get almost no tactile feedback with hand positioning. All the keys feel the same, and there is no physical marker on the F and J like there is on most standard keyboards. All the keys are similarly spaced apart, and with very few exceptions they are the same size, height, and feel. What this leads to is a lot of hand confusion and I frequently find myself typing on the wrong row if I am not paying attention. This difficulty is accentuated by the fact that there is no printing on the keys themselves (I know this was done with the idea of keyboard overlays for various programs in mind). I have a model M attached to my PS/VP right next to the PCJr on the desk which just serves as a reminder of how great an IBM keyboard can be and how this is... not. Overall, it is an objectively bad keyboard. And I love it. This obviously wasn't purchased with the intention of writing a novel, but as a cosmetic and conversational piece (though I don't really have people coming over who would comment on a 38 year old computer) I think it is great. I'll have to switch out the two keyboards on the desk every now and then just to change it up. The one addition I would love to get for this would be the King's Quest keyboard overlay for this keyboard that came with the original KQ release, but I know an intact version of that is a Holy Grail. ​ Like I said, I don't have a lot of people I know in person to share this with so thought I'd share here. https://preview.redd.it/c4dk7xtd8wo91.jpg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0df4ead6643d2849b6e3e12066043017d8c5219