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[[File:Typing example.ogv|thumb|[[Typing]] on a computer keyboard]]
A '''computer keyboard''' is a [[peripheral]] [[input device]] modeled after the [[typewriter]] keyboard<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefreedictionary.com/computer+keyboard|title=computer keyboard|work=TheFreeDictionary.com|access-date=2018-06-26|archive-date=26 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326195947/https://www.thefreedictionary.com/computer+keyboard|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-12-04 |title=Keyboard and mouse basics {{!}} nidirect |url=https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/keyboard-and-mouse-basics |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=www.nidirect.gov.uk |language=en |archive-date=7 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707173045/https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/keyboard-and-mouse-basics |url-status=live }}</ref>which uses an arrangement of buttons or [[Push-button|keys]] to act as [[Mechanical keyboard|mechanical levers]] or [[Electronic switching system|electronic switches]]. Replacing early [[punched card]]s and [[paper tape]] technology, interaction via [[teleprinter]]-style keyboards have been the main [[input device|input method]] for [[computer]]s since the 1970s, supplemented by the [[computer mouse]] since the 1980s.
Keyboard keys (buttons) typically have a set of characters [[Engraving|engraved]] or [[Printing|printed]] on them, and each press of a key typically corresponds to a single written [[symbol]]. However, producing some symbols may require pressing and holding several keys simultaneously or in sequence.<ref>{{cite book
|title=New Directions in Behavioral Biometrics
|url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1315349310
|isbn=978-1315349312 |author=Khalid Saeed
|date=2016 |access-date=6 August 2018
While most keys produce [[character (computing)|characters]] ([[Letter (alphabet)|letters]], [[Numerical digit|numbers]] or symbols), other keys (such as the [[escape key]]) can prompt the computer to execute system commands. In a modern computer, the interpretation of key presses is generally left to the software: the information sent to the computer, the [[scan code]], tells it only which physical key (or keys) was pressed or released.<ref name="msusb13a">[http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/scancode.doc Microsoft Keyboard Scan Code Specification] ([http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/scancode.doc Appendix C, "USB Keyboard/Keypad Page (0x07)"]), [[Microsoft]]. Revision 1.3a, 2000-03-16, accessed 2018-10-13.</ref>▼
|archive-date=9 March 2023
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309180757/https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=isbn:1315349310
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
▲While most keys produce [[character (computing)|characters]] ([[Letter (alphabet)|letters]], [[Numerical digit|numbers]] or symbols), other keys (such as the [[escape key]]) can prompt the computer to execute system commands. In a modern computer, the interpretation of key presses is generally left to the software: the information sent to the computer, the [[scan code]], tells it only which physical key (or keys) was pressed or released.<ref name="msusb13a">[http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/scancode.doc Microsoft Keyboard Scan Code Specification] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909230403/https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/scancode.doc |date=9 September 2020 }} ([http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/scancode.doc Appendix C, "USB Keyboard/Keypad Page (0x07)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909230403/https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/scancode.doc |date=9 September 2020 }}), [[Microsoft]]. Revision 1.3a, 2000-03-16, accessed 2018-10-13.</ref>
In normal usage, the keyboard is used as a [[text entry interface]] for typing text, numbers, and symbols into [[application software]] such as a [[word processor]], [[web browser]] or [[social media]] app.
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As early as the 1870s, teleprinter-like devices were used to simultaneously type and transmit [[stock market]] text data from the keyboard across telegraph lines to [[stock ticker machine]]s to be immediately copied and displayed onto [[ticker tape]].<ref>{{cite web
|title=Essay on Technology Advancements in Computer Interfaces
|url=https://www.123helpme.com/technology-advancements-in-computer-interfaces-preview.asp?id=364629
|access-date=6 August 2018 |archive-date=7 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807001608/https://www.123helpme.com/technology-advancements-in-computer-interfaces-preview.asp?id=364629 |url-status=live }}</ref> The teleprinter, in its more contemporary form, was developed from 1907 to 1910 by American mechanical engineer [[Charles Krum]] and his son [[Howard Krum|Howard]], with early contributions by electrical engineer [[Frank Pearne]]. Earlier models were developed separately by individuals such as [[Royal Earl House]] and [[Frederick G. Creed]]. Earlier, [[Herman Hollerith]] developed the first keypunch devices, which soon evolved to include keys for text and number entry akin to normal typewriters by the 1930s.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.zdnet.com/pictures/gallery-ibm-100-years-of-thinking-big/|title=Gallery: IBM: 100 Years of THINKing Big|author=Smith, Andy|work=[[ZDNet]]|date=15 June 2011|access-date=20 October 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210153020/http://www.zdnet.com/pictures/gallery-ibm-100-years-of-thinking-big/|archive-date=10 December 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
The keyboard on the teleprinter played a strong role in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communication for most of the 20th century, while the keyboard on the keypunch device played a strong role in data entry and storage for just as long. The development of the earliest computers incorporated electric typewriter keyboards: the development of the [[ENIAC]] computer incorporated a keypunch device as both the input and paper-based output device, while the [[BINAC]] computer also made use of an electromechanically controlled typewriter for both data entry onto magnetic tape (instead of paper) and data output.<ref>{{cite web
|website=ComputerWorld.com |date=2 November 2012 |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2493059/computer-peripherals/past-is-prototype--the-evolution-of-the-computer-keyboard.html
|title=Past is prototype: The evolution of the computer keyboard
|access-date=6 August 2018
|archive-date=6 August 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806212417/https://www.computerworld.com/article/2493059/computer-peripherals/past-is-prototype--the-evolution-of-the-computer-keyboard.html
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
The keyboard remained the primary, most integrated computer peripheral well into the era of personal computing until the introduction of the mouse as a consumer device in 1984. By this time, text-only user interfaces with sparse graphics gave way to [[Graphical user interface|comparatively graphics-rich icons on screen]].<ref>{{cite book|chapter = Linear interface for graphical interface of touch-screen|chapter-url = http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2494439|author = D Kocielinski|title = Proceedings of the 15th international conference on Human-computer interaction with mobile devices and services - MobileHCI '13|date = 2013|page = 546|doi = 10.1145/2493190.2494439|isbn = 9781450322737|s2cid = 15291819|access-date = 6 August 2018|archive-date = 18 November 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181118234326/https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2494439|url-status = live}}</ref> However, keyboards remain central to human-computer interaction to the present though mobile personal computing devices such as [[smartphone]]s and [[Tablet computer|tablets]] use a [[virtual keyboard]].
==Types and standards==
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Different types of keyboards are available and each is designed with a focus on specific features that suit particular needs. Today, most full-size keyboards use one of three different mechanical layouts, usually referred to as simply ''ISO'' ([[ISO/IEC 9995]]-2), ''ANSI'' ([[ANSI]]-[[INCITS]] 154-1988), and ''JIS'' ([[Japanese Industrial Standards|JIS]] X 6002-1980), referring roughly to the organizations issuing the relevant worldwide, United States, and Japanese standards, respectively. (In fact, the mechanical layouts referred such as "ISO" and "ANSI" comply to the primary recommendations in the named standards, while each of these standards in fact also allows the other way.) ANSI standard alphanumeric keyboards have keys that are on three-quarter inch centers ({{convert|0.75|in}}), and have a key travel of at least {{convert|0.15|in}}.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}
[[File:Keyboard sizes.svg|thumb|A size comparison between typical compact, tenkeyless, and full-size keyboard form factors]]
Modern keyboard models contain a set number of total keys according to their given standard, described as 101, 104, 105, etc. and sold as "Full-size" keyboards.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Judd |first1=William |title=Full-size, TKL, 60% and more: a guide to mechanical keyboard sizes |url=https://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2017/08/full-size-tkl-60-and-more-a-guide-to-mechanical-keyboard-sizes/ |website=The Keyboard Company |access-date=18 October 2019 |archive-date=18 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018134432/https://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2017/08/full-size-tkl-60-and-more-a-guide-to-mechanical-keyboard-sizes/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Modern keyboards matching US conventions typically have 104 keys while the 105 key layout is the norm in the rest of the world. This number is not always followed, and individual keys or whole sections are commonly skipped for the sake of compactness or user preference. The most common choice is to not include the numpad, which can usually be fully replaced by the alphanumeric section; such designs are referred to as "tenkeyless".<ref>{{cite web |title=TENKEYLESS <nowiki>|</nowiki> English meaning |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/tenkeyless |website=Cambridge Dictionary |publisher=Cambridge University Press |access-date=1 November 2022 |archive-date=26 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226025825/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/tenkeyless |url-status=live }}</ref> Laptops and wireless peripherals often lack duplicate keys and ones seldom used. Function- and arrow keys are nearly always present.
Another factor determining the size of a keyboard is the size and spacing of the keys. The reduction is limited by the practical consideration that the keys must be large enough to be easily pressed by fingers. Alternatively, a tool is used for pressing small keys.
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=== Flexible keyboards ===
Flexible keyboards are a junction between normal type and laptop type keyboards: normal from the full arrangement of keys, and laptop from the short key distance. Additionally, the flexibility allows the user to fold/roll the keyboard for better storage and transfer. However, for typing the keyboard must be resting on a hard surface. The vast majority<ref>{{cite web
|date=31 August 2017 |title=What is a Flexible Keyboard?
|website=Nelson-Miller.com |url=http://www.nelson-miller.com/what-is-a-flexible-keyboard
|quote=flexible keyboards ..The most common material .. silicone
|access-date=30 October 2018
|archive-date=30 October 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030170414/http://www.nelson-miller.com/what-is-a-flexible-keyboard
|url-status=live
}}</ref> of flexible keyboards in the market are made from silicone; this material makes them water- and dust-proof. This is useful in hospitals,<ref>{{cite web
|title=Specifications Wireless Multimedia Flexible Keyboard
|quote=flexible keyboard is ... perfect for healthcare applications and other clean or dirty
|url=https://www.alliedelec.com/m/d/14cddaf36d8e0972092b549c108359cf.pdf
|access-date=30 October 2018
|archive-date=30 October 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030170351/https://www.alliedelec.com/m/d/14cddaf36d8e0972092b549c108359cf.pdf
|url-status=live
}}</ref> where keyboards are subjected to frequent washing,
and other dirty or must-be-clean environments.
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|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/trewgrip-handheld-keyboard-almost-a-solution-for-thumb-typing
|title=TrewGrip handheld keyboard almost a solution for thumb-typing
|date=11 January 2014
|date=11 January 2014}}</ref><ref>"Jul 28, 2009 – If you do a lot of typing, or if you have employees who do a lot of typing – ergonomic keyboards make a great deal of sense." {{cite web▼
|access-date=6 August 2018
|archive-date=7 August 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807002051/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/trewgrip-handheld-keyboard-almost-a-solution-for-thumb-typing/
|url-status=live
▲
|url=https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-ergonomic-keyboards-that-actually-do-their-job
|title=10 ergonomic keyboards that actually do their job
|website=TechRepublic.com
|website=TechRepublic.com |date=28 July 2009}}</ref> are designed to be held like a game controller, and can be used as such, instead of laid out flat on top of a table surface. ▼
|date=28 July 2009
|access-date=6 August 2018
|archive-date=7 August 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807063450/https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-ergonomic-keyboards-that-actually-do-their-job/
|url-status=live
▲
<!-- yes, the exact quote is A LOT OF ... A LOT OF ... twice! -->
Typically handheld keyboards hold all the alphanumeric keys and symbols that a standard keyboard would have, yet only be accessed by pressing two sets of keys at once; one acting as a function key similar to a 'Shift' key that would allow for capital letters on a standard keyboard.<ref>[http://alphagrips.com/WhitePaper.html Alpha Grip Programming and Productivity Improvement White Paper] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225043114/http://alphagrips.com/WhitePaper.html |date=25 February 2015 }}. Alphagrips.com. Retrieved on 9 December 2013.</ref> Handheld keyboards allow the user the ability to move around a room or to lean back on a chair while also being able to type in front or away from the computer.<ref>[http://alphagrips.com/comfort.html The Alphagrip – The World's most Comfortable Ergonomic Keyboard for Typing and Programming] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225045212/http://alphagrips.com/comfort.html |date=25 February 2015 }}. Alphagrips.com. Retrieved on 9 December 2011.</ref> Some variations of handheld ergonomic keyboards also include a trackball mouse that allow mouse movement and typing included in one handheld device.<ref>"It combines the body of a game controller with the functions of both a trackball and a keyboard." {{cite web
|date=9 February 2018 |url=https://www.allthingsergo.com/alphagrip-review-igrip
|title=AlphaGrip Review (iGrip) |access-date=6 August 2018
|archive-date=5 August 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805141948/http://www.allthingsergo.com/alphagrip-review-igrip/
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
=== Thumb-sized ===
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A [[thumb keyboard]] (thumb board) is used in some personal digital assistants such as the [[Palm Treo]] and [[BlackBerry]] and some [[Ultra-Mobile PC]]s such as the [[OQO]].
Numeric keyboards contain only numbers, mathematical symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, a decimal point, and several function keys. They are often used to facilitate data entry with smaller keyboards that do not have a numeric keypad, commonly those of laptop computers.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Forbes |date=23 May 2014 |author=Ian Morris |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianmorris/2014/05/23/hate-your-android-keyboard-try-one-of-these-four-alternatives |title=Hate Your Android Keyboard? Try One Of These Four Alternatives |access-date=6 August 2018 |archive-date=6 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806211323/https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianmorris/2014/05/23/hate-your-android-keyboard-try-one-of-these-four-alternatives |url-status=live }}</ref> These keys are collectively known as a numeric pad, numeric keys, or a numeric keypad, and it can consist of the following types of keys: [[Arithmetic#Arithmetic operations|Arithmetic operators]], [[Numerical digit|numbers]], [[arrow keys]], [[Navigation key]]s, [[Num Lock]] and [[Enter key]].
=== Multifunctional ===
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Also known as photo-optical keyboard, light responsive keyboard, photo-electric keyboard and optical key actuation detection technology.
An optical keyboard technology<ref>{{cite web |title=What is an Optical Keyboard? |url=https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-optical-keyboard.htm |access-date=6 August 2018 |archive-date=7 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807001541/https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-optical-keyboard.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>{{better source|reason=user-generated content, not a [[wp:reliable source]]|date=March 2023}} utilizes [[Light-emitting diode|LEDs]] and [[Photoelectric sensor|photo sensors]] to optically detect actuated keys. Most commonly the emitters and sensors are located in the perimeter, mounted on a small [[Printed circuit board|PCB]]. The [[light]] is directed from side to side of the keyboard interior and it can only be blocked by the actuated keys. Most optical keyboards<ref>{{cite web
|title=Best Optical Keyboards
|url=https://www.gamingfactors.com/best-optical-keyboard
|access-date=6 August 2018 |archive-date=7 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807063512/https://www.gamingfactors.com/best-optical-keyboard/ |url-status=live }}</ref> require at least 2 beams (most commonly vertical beam and horizontal beam) to determine the actuated key. Some optical keyboards use a special key structure that blocks the light in a certain pattern, allowing only one beam per row of keys (most commonly horizontal beam). == Key types ==
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=== Cursor keys ===
Navigation keys or cursor keys include a variety of keys which move the cursor to different positions on the screen.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Dedicated Cursor Control and Navigation Keys |url=http://www.pcguide.com/ref/kb/groupNav-c.html
|access-date=6 August 2018 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202171914/http://www.pcguide.com/ref/kb/groupNav-c.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Arrow keys]] are programmed to move the cursor in a specified direction; page scroll keys, such as the [[Page Up and Page Down keys]], scroll the page up and down. The [[Home key]] is used to return the cursor to the beginning of the line where the cursor is located; the [[End key]] puts the cursor at the end of the line. The [[Tab key]] advances the cursor to the next tab stop. The [[Insert key]] is mainly used to switch between overtype mode, in which the cursor overwrites any text that is present on and after its current ___location, and insert mode, where the cursor inserts a character at its current position, forcing all characters past it one position further. The [[Delete key]] discards the character ahead of the cursor's position, moving all following characters one position "back" towards the freed place. On many notebook computer keyboards the key labeled Delete (sometimes Delete and Backspace are printed on the same key) serves the same purpose as a Backspace key. The [[Backspace]] key deletes the preceding character.
[[Lock key]]s lock part of a keyboard, depending on the settings selected. The lock keys are scattered around the keyboard. Most styles of keyboards have three LEDs indicating which locks are enabled, in the upper right corner above the numeric pad. The lock keys include [[Scroll lock]], [[Num lock]] (which allows the use of the numeric keypad), and [[Caps lock]].<ref>{{cite web |author=JoshuaBsfc |date=2014-11-14 |title=Keyboard, num lock and caps lock key LED's not working |url=https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/408e7457-b85f-47e7-a2e0-ace80a8b3a60/keyboard-num-lock-and-caps-lock-key-leds-not-working |department=Windows 10 Insider Preview General |website=[[TechNet Forums]] |access-date=2021-10-21 |archive-date=20 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020173726/https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/408e7457-b85f-47e7-a2e0-ace80a8b3a60/keyboard-num-lock-and-caps-lock-key-leds-not-working |url-status=live }}</ref>
===System commands===
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{{Main|Esc key}}
<!-- some keyboards said "ESCAPE" - NYTimes agrees -->
The [[Esc key|escape key]] ({{keypress|esc}}) has a variety of meanings according to Operating System, application or both. "Nearly all of the time",<ref name=SF>{{cite web |title=The Qodem Homepage |website=SourceForge |url=http://qodem.sourceforge.net/ |date=18 June 2017 |quote=Nearly all of the time pressing the ESCAPE key ... will work to get out of dialogs |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-date=22 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222041727/http://qodem.sourceforge.net/ |url-status=live }}</ref> it signals ''Stop'',<ref>{{cite web |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/magazine/who-made-that-escape-key.html |title=Who Made That Escape Key? |author=Pagan Kennedy |date=5 October 2012 |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115155513/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/magazine/who-made-that-escape-key.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''QUIT'',<ref>{{cite web |title=Kermit Manual |url=http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ftp/bbcmicro/bbckerdoc.txt |quote=ESCAPE key to quit and input another command. |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-date=16 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116121311/http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ftp/bbcmicro/bbckerdoc.txt |url-status=live }}</ref> or "let me get out of a dialog" (or pop-up window).<ref name=SF/><ref>{{cite web |title=Escape key |url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/escape-key |website=dictionary.com |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-date=9 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809152717/https://www.dictionary.com/browse/escape-key |url-status=live }}</ref> It triggers the Stop function in many web browsers.<ref name=SF2>{{cite web |title=The Qodem Homepage |website=SourceForge |url=https://www.plaza.ir/search/category-Keyboard |date=18 June 2017 |quote=Nearly all of the time pressing the ESCAPE key ... will work to get out of dialogs |access-date=13 July 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728185746/https://www.plaza.ir/search/category-Keyboard |url-status=live }}</ref>
The escape key was part of the standard keyboard of the [[Teletype Model 33]] (introduced in 1964 and used with many early minicomputers).<ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Gesswein |date=n.d. |url=https://www.pdp8.net/asr33/asr33.shtml |title=ASR 33 Information |access-date=31 October 2019 |archive-date=24 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224071524/http://www.pdp8.net/asr33/asr33.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] [[VT50]], introduced July 1974, also had an Esc key. The [[TECO (text editor)|TECO]] text editor (ca 1963) and its descendant [[GNU Emacs|Emacs]] (ca 1985) use the Esc key extensively.
<!-- The NYTimes Obit (June 25, 2004, by Steve Lohr) got it right: the 2012 humor piece was wrong -->
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}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.itsmarc.com/crs/mergedprojects/marcspec/marcspec/accessing_alternate_graphic_character_sets_character_sets_marc_8.htm
|title=Accessing Alternate Graphic Character Sets
|access-date=30 October 2018
|archive-date=7 September 2019
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907001536/https://www.itsmarc.com/crs/mergedprojects/marcspec/marcspec/accessing_alternate_graphic_character_sets_character_sets_marc_8.htm
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
On machines running Microsoft Windows, prior to the implementation of the Windows key on keyboards, the typical practice for invoking the "start" button was to hold down the control key and press escape. This process still works in Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10.<ref>{{cite web |title=Keyboard shortcuts in Windows |website=microsoft.com |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12445/windows-keyboard-shortcuts |access-date=23 November 2018 |archive-date=8 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308040855/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12445/windows-keyboard-shortcuts |url-status=live }}</ref>
====Enter key or Return key====
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[[File:Keyboard keys with light.jpg|thumb|Keys with integrated LED indicator lights]]
Many gaming keyboards are designed to have an aesthetic as well as functional appeal, with multiple colours, and colour-coded keys to make it easier for gamers to find command keys while playing in a dark room.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://windowsreport.com/best-backlit-keyboards/ |title=10 best backlit keyboards to buy |website=Windows Report |date=2 September 2018 |author=Kenneth Kimari
{{See also|ThinkLight}}
Line 210 ⟶ 267:
In the first electronic keyboards in the early 1970s, the key switches were individual switches inserted into holes in metal frames. These keyboards cost from 80 to 120 [[USD]] and were used in mainframe data terminals. The most popular switch types were [[reed switch]]es (contacts enclosed in a vacuum in a glass capsule, affected by a magnet mounted on the switch plunger).{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}
In the mid-1970s, lower-cost direct-contact key switches were introduced, but their life in switch cycles was much shorter (rated ten million cycles) because they were open to the environment. This became more acceptable, however, for use in computer terminals at the time, which began to see increasingly shorter model lifespans as they advanced.<ref>{{cite web|title=Keyboard Switches – How Computer Keyboards Work|date=21 November 2000|url=https://computer.howstuffworks.com/keyboard3.htm|access-date=6 August 2018|archive-date=6 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806210729/https://computer.howstuffworks.com/keyboard3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 1978, Key Tronic Corporation introduced keyboards with capacitive-based switches, one of the first keyboard technologies not to use self-contained switches.{{cn|date=March 2023}} There was simply a sponge pad with a conductive-coated Mylar plastic sheet on the switch plunger, and two half-moon trace patterns on the printed circuit board below. As the key was depressed, the capacitance between the plunger pad and the patterns on the PCB below changed, which was detected by integrated circuits (IC). These keyboards were claimed to have the same reliability as the other "solid-state switch" keyboards such as inductive and Hall-effect, but competitive with direct-contact keyboards. Prices of $60 for keyboards were achieved, and Key Tronic rapidly became the largest independent keyboard manufacturer.
Meanwhile, [[IBM]] made their own keyboards, using their own patented technology: Keys on older IBM keyboards<ref>{{cite web
|website=SlashDot.org |title=Why I Use the IBM Model M Keyboard That's Older Than I Am
|url=https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/18/07/07/0121214/why-i-use-the-ibm-model-m-keyboard-thats-older-than-i-am
|date=7 July 2018 |access-date=6 August 2018 |archive-date=6 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806210913/https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/18/07/07/0121214/why-i-use-the-ibm-model-m-keyboard-thats-older-than-i-am |url-status=live }}</ref> were made with a [[Buckling-spring keyboard|"buckling spring"]] mechanism, in which a coil spring under the key buckles under pressure from the user's finger, triggering a hammer that presses two plastic sheets (membranes) with conductive traces together, completing a circuit. This produces a clicking sound and gives physical feedback for the typist, indicating that the key has been depressed.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119578337324301744 A Passion for the Keys: Particular About What You Type On? Relax – You're Not Alone.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810131212/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119578337324301744 |date=10 August 2017}} Loose Wire, by Jeremy Wagstaff, ''Wall Street Journal'', 23 November 2007.</ref> The first electronic keyboards had a typewriter key travel distance of 0.187 inches (4.75 mm), keytops were a half-inch (12.7 mm) high, and keyboards were about two inches (5 cm) thick. Over time, less key travel was accepted in the market, finally landing on 0.110 inches (2.79 mm). Coincident with this, Key Tronic was the first company to introduce a keyboard that was only about one inch thick. And now keyboards measure only about a half-inch thick.
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The use of any keyboard may cause serious injury (that is, [[carpal tunnel syndrome]] or other [[repetitive strain injury]]) to hands, wrists, arms, neck or back.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/carpal-tunnel/how-can-i-prevent-carpal-tunnel-syndrome
|title=How To Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: 9 Hand & Wrist Exercises
|title=How To Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: 9 Hand & Wrist Exercises}}</ref> The risks of injuries can be reduced by taking frequent short breaks to get up and walk around a couple of times every hour. As well, users should vary tasks throughout the day, to avoid overuse of the hands and wrists. When inputting at the keyboard, a person should keep the shoulders relaxed with the elbows at the side, with the keyboard and mouse positioned so that reaching is not necessary. The chair height and keyboard tray should be adjusted so that the wrists are straight, and the wrists should not be rested on sharp table edges.<ref>{{cite web▼
|access-date=14 November 2018
|archive-date=14 November 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114100602/https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/carpal-tunnel/how-can-i-prevent-carpal-tunnel-syndrome
|url-status=live
▲
|url=https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2471321
|title=Sharp Edges on Mac Book Pro
|access-date=14 November 2018
|archive-date=14 November 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114141442/https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2471321
|url-status=live
}}</ref> Wrist or palm rests should not be used while typing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wrist Rests : OSH Answers|date=5 December 2021|url=https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/wrist.html|access-date=14 November 2018|archive-date=15 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415012243/https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/wrist.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Some [[adaptive technology]] ranging from special keyboards, mouse replacements and pen tablet interfaces to speech recognition software can reduce the risk of injury. Pause software reminds the user to pause frequently. Switching to a much more ergonomic mouse, such as a vertical mouse or joystick mouse may provide relief.
By using a [[touchpad]] or a stylus pen with a graphic tablet, in place of a mouse, one can lessen the repetitive strain on the arms and hands.<ref>{{cite book
|title=Complete Computer Hardware |page=165
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WSYjdR425p4C |quote=wrists should not be rested on sharp table edges. ... Switching .. to using a stylus pen with graphic tablet or a trackpad such as ...
|access-date=6 August 2018
|archive-date=9 March 2023
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309180757/https://books.google.com/books?id=WSYjdR425p4C
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
== See also ==
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