Keyboard Information: We explain what a keyboard is in computing, its history, characteristics, and types. We also explain how the keys are arranged.
What is a keyboard?
In computing and computing, a keyboard is a peripheral or information input device. It consists of a set of keys or buttons arranged horizontally on a plate, where they act as mechanical levers or electronic switches, allowing the user to enter coded information into the computer system.
It works in a similar way to a typewriter: each key is associated with a character, a function, or a set of characters. When pressed by the user’s fingers, they input a specific signal to the computer, tablet, or smartphone. You must read about Neologism once.
The keyboard is probably the primary means of communication between the user and the computer system. It was also the first to be designed, at least as far as modern computers are concerned.
Today, there are different computer keyboard configurations and models, depending on their ergonomic design and internal logic. Some of them have even incorporated the functions of other peripherals, such as the mouse: not only do they come in different languages, but they are also adapted to the operating systems and computer models currently on the market.
History of the Keyboard
The history of the keyboard begins with its direct adaptation from the typewriter, invented around 1868. The first modern examples actually belonged to teletypewriters and electric typewriters, or were a mechanism for communicating with computer terminals through a serial port.
In response, these early computers, which lacked a monitor, often turned on lights or printed messages directly to communicate with the operator.
The first keyboards as we know them today appeared with home computers a few years later. They came in a wide variety of versions and layouts until the IBM AT Multifunction keyboard became standard, given the success of the brand’s first personal computers around the 1980s.
The keyboard considered “standard” was developed by IBM in 1987. It was the MF-II (Multifunction II), created from the AT, and served as a catalyst for future innovations. Macintosh keyboards, meanwhile, incorporated this universal model, adapting it to the needs of their brand and operating system.
The Microsoft Natural Keyboard, which was released with the most popular versions of Windows, was also famous. Its ergonomic advancements and new PC functionality keys allowed for greater control of multimedia peripherals, for example. Maybe you should definitely read about Religion once.
Keyboard Features
Keyboards operate through a microcontroller, equipped with its own software, capable of performing matrix scans each time a key is pressed, thus identifying which key is pressed and what character or function it corresponds to.
This occurs by assigning each key a numerical value through a code linked to its physical position, called a Scan Code. This code, for example, is different when several keys are pressed at once, allowing for the composition of many more characters than those drawn on the keyboard.
Furthermore, keyboards communicate with the system in different ways, depending on whether they are physically separated from the CPU or, as in laptops, are part of it.
There are wireless keyboards, for example, that use Wi-Fi technology, while others still rely on a connector cable. There are even detachable models, which allow the user to physically manage the different components separately.
Keyboard Types
The simplest way to classify keyboards is by looking at their physical shape, that is, their structure and industrial design. Thus, we have the following cases:
1. Classic keyboards:
Those that are rectangular and follow the aesthetics of the standard IBM keyboard.
2. Ergonomic keyboards:
Those that have been designed to adapt to the shape of human hands and cause less damage to the joints.
3. Multimedia keyboards:
Those that have shortcut keys to various computer system functions, especially those related to audio, video, connectivity, or even certain applications.
4. Flexible keyboards:
Those produced from lightweight, elastic materials, such as silicone or soft plastic, and which can therefore bend on themselves, adapt to uneven surfaces, or some can even be submerged in water, without affecting their functionality.
5. On-screen keyboards:
Those that do not exist physically, but are projected onto a touch screen and are pressed directly.
6. Membrane keyboards:
Discontinued due to their poor resistance to use, they consisted of two thin plastic sheets or membranes, equipped with conductive tracks on their inner surface, so that pressing them with the finger allowed the electronic signal to pass through.
Types of keys
Generally, the keys on a standard keyboard can be classified according to their function into four separate blocks, which are:
1. Function block:
Located as high as possible on the keyboard, it features a series of numbered buttons, accompanied by the letter F (Function). Its specific functions depend on the program being run, although the Esc (Escape) key, located at the end of the row, is usually associated with quickly exiting programs and situations on the computer.
2. Alphanumeric pad:
Located below the previous pad, it displays the total number of Arabic numerals from 1 to 9 (and then 0), and below them the entire alphabet, in the same style as on typewriters. They are usually accompanied by special keys for typing, such as the space bar, the shift key, other grammatical symbols, etc.
3. Special pad:
Located to the right of the alphanumeric pad, it contains the four position or movement keys, in four directions: up, down, right, and left. Next to them are special keys such as page up or down, print screen, delete, home, end, pause, etc.
4. Numeric pad:
Located as far to the right as possible on the keyboard, it operates as a numeric pad when the numpad key is pressed, and as a scroll key when the numpad key is pressed. It also displays the basic arithmetic symbols and an additional enter key, along with the two decimal operators: the period and the comma.
Keyboard Layout
Similarly, there are different key layouts on the keyboard, depending on the language, the manufacturer, and the computer model. The standard in the West is the IBM keyboard, in its QWERTY layout, so named because they are the first three letters of the alphanumeric keypad.
This layout originates from Anglo-Saxon typewriters. It was designed for English, but was later adapted to other languages, adding accents and special characters such as the Spanish ñ or the Portuguese ce cedilla.
However, this layout has been widely criticized from an ergonomic standpoint. There are more user-friendly alternatives such as Colemak, Carpalx, or Workman, which require less strain on the hands, or the Simplified Dvorak Keyboard.
It is possible to switch between different layouts using the operating system’s software options, even if they do not directly match the characters painted above each key.
References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- “Keyboard” on Wikipedia.
- “What is a keyboard?” on GCF Learn Free.
- “Types of keyboards” on Technology & Computing.
- “Keyboard” on Computer Hope.
