IBM PCjr. & IBM "Freeboard" Model 7257 (1984-1985)

IBM PCjr. 

🥇First Mass-Produced Personal Computer with a Wireless Keyboard 

The IBM PCjr, announced in late 1983 and released in March 1984, remains one of the most famous cautionary tales in computing history. Code-named "Peanut," the machine was IBM's attempt to bring the prestige of its business computer into the home and classroom, but it was intentionally crippled by design choices meant to keep it from eating into sales of the more expensive original IBM PC. Its most notorious feature was the "chiclet" keyboard—a wireless, infrared device with tiny, rubbery keys that were widely ridiculed as nearly useless for real typing. Despite boasting superior sound and graphics compared to the standard IBM PC, the PCjr suffered from a sky-high price tag, limited software compatibility, and a lack of easy upgrade options. By March 1985, less than a year after its wide release, IBM pulled the plug on the model, marking a rare and expensive failure for "Big Blue" that ultimately handed the lucrative home market over to competitors like Apple and Commodore.

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IBM "Freeboard" Model 7257

🥇First Commercially-Released Wireless Keyboard 

The IBM Model 7257, commonly known as the "Freeboard," was the second-generation wireless keyboard released for the IBM PCjr in mid-1984 to address the disastrous reception of the original "chiclet" keyboard. While its rubbery predecessor was mocked for its cheap feel, the Freeboard featured traditional typewriter-style keycaps that looked like a miniature version of IBM's professional office keyboards, giving the computer a much-needed injection of corporate seriousness. However, despite the improved tactile feel and a larger backspace key, the Freeboard inherited its predecessor's biggest technical flaw: a finicky infrared connection that required a strict, direct line-of-sight to the computer's sensor, meaning the keyboard would frequently stop typing if a person or a coffee mug blocked the path. Although it was a massive upgrade that helped patch up the PCjr’s image among families and schools, this fix simply arrived too late to reverse the computer's commercial nosedive.

Sourced from: Estate Sale, Westport, CT