The chiclet keyboard trend

[FoxWhere]

Is anybody annoyed by this chiclet keyboard trend that is infesting all brands regardless of price range. All manufacturers seem to adopt the chiclet keyboard now.

My question is, why are all manufacturers going to chiclet keyboards now? Are they cheaper, more durable?

Also, I have a desktop chiclet keyboard, that does look like a normal desktop keyboard and it is ok. It just that these new laptop keyboards are weird with their spaced out keys. I constantly do errors with these new laptop keyboards and also using while writing this where I made many errors. Even short texts are annoyingly difficult to write now.

[HopelesslyFaithful]

what is a chiclet keyboard...never understood the difference.

[tijo]

Chicklet keyboards are what's popular right now and that is the reason that manufacturers use them i'd say. Most people seem to like them and that is good enough for the manufacturers.

@Hopelessly, a chicklet keyboard is like the keyboards currently on the macbook pros, a thinkpad T420 keyboard would be an example of a non-chicklet style keyboard.

[gaidin43]

The keyboard on the sager np9130 is a chicklet and I hate it!!! It's way to spaced out and miss key strokes all the time now. Key combinations I used to be able to hit no issue I am having trouble doing now. I have larger hands and loved my dell XPS m1530 keyboard but this new styles spacing sucks. You do get positive return when you hit a key you know it.

[MidnightSun]

At least for me, what matters more is not the spacing but rather the shape of the keys themselves. I have no problem with my X120e's chiclet keyboard, since the key surfaces are shaped exactly like the keys from traditional keyboards.

Spoiler :

A properly-designed chiclet keyboard (from a Thinkpad):


A not-so-good chiclet keyboard (this one from a Toshiba):

So, chiclet keyboards as a whole don't bother me. In terms of feel, flat keys and flexing keyboard backings are the greater issues to me.

[HopelesslyFaithful]

whats wrong with toshibas? I have a g51j and a samsing series 3 netbook..i think they both are chiclet and i dotn see the difference from my rosewill keybaord

[MidnightSun]

As I mentioned, I dislike the flat surfaces of some chiclet keyboards. I just used the Toshiba as one example, but there are many more as well. Neither of my Thinkpads' keyboards are as good as my Das Keyboard, but they're both equally good in their own right.

[HopelesslyFaithful]

alright yea i noticed both my laptops have them and the only real different i see is that they are flat...i honestly dont understand the difference in typing but then again i dont use homerow....my brain is retarded and could never get it lol.

[Tsunade_Hime]

There's 2 kinds of chicklet. 1) one that is found in cheapo laptops, absolute rubbish, no feedback, keyboard flex. 2) one that is found in mid range/high end, it really breaks down to if you like it. The Lenovo styled chicklet is okay. Apple's is too mushy, same with ASUS, HP, only thing I can ascertain is the backlit function makes it mushy. My brother's Clevo W860CU has a firm chicklet with no mush, but I don't feel like I could type fast on it. Still can't be _60/61 generation ThinkPads though.

[booboo12]

I like Apple's chiclet's. Toshiba's are indeed awful. I make mistakes all the time on my brothers' Satellite.