chiclet keyboard
(hardware, abuse)A keyboard with a small, flat rectangular
or lozenge-shaped rubber or plastic keys that look like pieces
of Chiclets chewing gum. Used especially to describe the
original IBM PCjr keyboard. Vendors unanimously liked these
because they were cheap, and a lot of early portable and
laptop computers were launched with them. Customers
rejected the idea with almost equal unanimity, and chiclets
are not often seen on anything larger than a digital watch any
more.
This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)
chiclet keyboard
A keyboard with keys that are less sculpted than regular keys. The chiclet keyboard was named after the flat pieces of Chiclets chewing gum, and the feel of the keyboard runs the gamut from cumbersome to comfortable. Commonly found on laptops, chiclet keyboards have a shorter key depression than a regular keyboard and the keys feel less springy. See keyboard and PCjr. |
| Chiclet Keyboard |
|---|
| Chiclet keys are flatter than regular keys and have less vertical travel. However, they are generally not as noisy. |
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| Where the Name Came From |
|---|
| Chiclets were created by the American Chicle Company in the early 1900s, which was founded by Thomas Adams. The name was derived from the Spanish "chicle," which means "gum." |
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