What is Computer Keyboard ?

hi

The french canadian keyboard layout is used in french-speaking parts of Canada, mainly the Quebec region. It features the "snow mode" key, with snowflake icon next to Ctrl caption. It looks funny, because we usually tend to associate Canada with winter time (although it's the same stereotype that all Italians eat pasta only).

The truth is, the icon graphically represent the Ctrl (Control) key and nothing more. It was established by ACNOR in the first canadian keyboard layout, which was later copied by computer manufacturers, including Apple for its French Canadian layout.

Space is the longest key on every keyboard, but in Japan the statistical Spacebar is much shorter than in any other place on Earth. Why? Because japanese keyboards require switching between latin/roman letters (called rōmaji) and japanese characters (called hiragana and kana).

Talking about the space, it's not only the longest key, but also the most used one. Without the space, it would be hardtoreadthisarticle, don't you think? According to this YouTube video by Vsauce, when you type, 18% of all keyboard hits goes to spacebar.

We tend to think that QWERTY keyboard layout is the most efficient because it's so widespreadly used. Nothing can be more wrong. So why keyboard starts with QWERTY and not, for example, ABCDE? QWERTY layout was invented by Christopher Sholes in 1872 for his new typewriter design (of course there was no computers these days).

It turns out that when you would place keys in alphabetical order, people would type so fast, that the mechanical parts (so called hammers) would jam. Sholes came with the idea that in order to slow people down, you need to mess with the layout.

These keyboards use only few keys to type full range of possible characters. But how is that possible? Instead of typing one character with one key (like on the normal keyboard), in chorded keyboard you're using chords (like on the piano).

Do you know that your keyboard may contain more germs than toilet seat? A study conducted by UK scientists found out that four out of 33 keyboards tested were potential health hazards, and one had levels of germs five times higher than that found on the toilet seat.

Space Cadet keyboard was designed by Tom Knight for the MIT Lisp machines back in the 70's. It looks like taken straight from Star Trek. The keyboard is known for it's elongated look and abundance of modifier keys, with names such as Super, Meta, Terminal, Status and Hyper.

There is an ongoing trend for the last couple of years, especially among young people, to decorate their laptop keyboards (and whole laptops) with vinyl stickers. These stickers are subject to fashion, have trending colors or patterns, like Stardust or Washi tape.

There are few global brands that specializes in such products, among them Keyshorts, of which I am the co-founder. You can see some of the MacBook keyboard decals on our website.

System Request is often abbreviated SysRq or Sys Req. The origin of this key dates back to 1980, when IBM computers typically ran few operating systems. System Request was designed to switch between them. Since then, the key has no purpose.

The keyboard is the most commonly used computer input device. It translates each key pressed by the typist into a signal that the computer can understand. Keyboards can be wireless or connected to the computer by a cable.

Print Screen (usually placed in conjunction with System Request), often abbreviated PrtScr or PrntScrn. It's original purpose was to capture the screen and print it on paper. Today it's used to capture the screen and save it to clipboard.

A keyboard consists of two parts: a set of keys that are pushed in sequence by the typist (or keyer) and an encoder that identifies each pressed key and generates a code that uniquely identifies that key. The key set includes the standard alphanumeric keys found on old typewriters and additional keys, such as cursor keys, navigation and function keys, Apple or Windows keys, and a numeric keypad. Keyboards for laptop computers have the minimum number of keys.

Pause/Break key have it's predecessor in 19th century telegraph, where electrical circuit had to break in certain moment. Today, the key has no real meaning and it's used in keyboard shortcuts and few games.

The encoder is a microprocessor located in the keyboard that detects each key as it is pressed and released. To do so, the encoder maintains a set of signals in a grid of intersecting rows and columns. When the typist presses a key, a connection is made on the grid.

Many people and businesses communicate in two or more languages. Translators need bilingual keyboards to easily type in one of selected keyboard layout. People who have families in two different countries often need bilingual keyboards to write emails or chat on Facebook in two languages.

If, for example, the connection is in the first row and the third column, the encoder immediately identifies the pressed key and sends a special signal, called a "scanning code," to the computer. The computer translates the scanning code into the appropriate binary code and displays the character on the monitor so that the typist can verify that the correct key was pushed.

Scroll Lock (abbreviated ScrLk) is the fourth of rather useless keys on modern keyboards, but it deserves it's own place on the list. Why? Because it never really had any particular function (!). It supposed to lock page scrolling with arrow keys, but since its introduction it never worked that way. Today it is very rarely used, mainly as a part of keyboard shortcuts.

The lights on the keyboard (for Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock, and so on) are controlled by the computer, not the keyboard. For example, when the typist presses the Caps Lock key, the keyboard encoder sends the code for the Caps Lock key to the computer, and the computer turns on the keyboard's Caps Lock light.

The model M, produced by IBM and Lexmark starting in 1984, is the father of modern day keyboard. It introduced separated numeric section, separated arrow keys, and the separate row of function keys. It is considered the most universal computer keyboard design and is still in use today.

The computer keyboard is based on the layout of early typewriters. Until the late nineteenth century, typewriter keys were arranged in alphabetical order. In 1872 Christopher Latham Sholes (1819–1890) developed the first typewriter, which featured the QWERTY keyboard (pronounced "kwer-tee"), so named because the first six letters near the top left of the keyboard are Q-WE-R-T-Y.

There are special keyboards for professional use in movie studios, design agencies and music studios. These are called editing keyboards. Keys in such keyboards contain additional information and icons which refer to app or environment the keyboard is used in.