The 10 Worst PC Keyboards of All Time
Missing keys. Misplaced keys. Misshapen keys. These computers made typing confusing and uncomfortable--and sometimes nearly impossible. Aren't you glad you're not using any of them today?
Benj Edwards
1. IBM PCjr (1984)
The first keyboard that shipped with the IBM PCjr remains the most infamous one of all time--it's one of the few cases where a keyboard contributed directly to a PC's failure in the marketplace. One of the first wireless models on the market, it required a steady supply of batteries and didn't work if users took advantage of its wireless nature in any comfortable fashion, such as placing the keyboard on their lap. IBM cut corners by creating a Chiclet keyboard with hard plastic keys that had nothing printed on them (instead, letters, numbers, and symbols were printed in a tiny, low-contrast font directly above each key). The press quickly declared the PCjr DOA, and the machine would be discontinued within a year. Strangely enough, IBM also introduced the 101-key "Model M" keyboard--considered by many people to be the best keyboard ever--in 1984.Webcast: Going Green
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