Keyboard is a part of computer that has keys through which the computer receives commands to perform a task. Keyboard a least thought about part of a computer is an amazing piece of technology. For instance, do you know that the keyboard on a typical computer system is actually a computer itself? At its essence, a keyboard is a series of switches connected to a microprocessor that monitors the state of each switch and initiates a specific response to a change in that state.

Types of Keyboards

Keyboards have changed very little in layout since their introduction. In fact, the most common change that a keyboard witnessed has simply been the natural evolution of adding more keys that provide additional functionality. The most common keyboards are:
• 1 01-key Enhanced keyboard
• 1 04-key Windows keyboard
• S2-key Apple standard keyboard
• lOS-key Apple extended keyboard

Portable computers, such as laptops, quite often have custom keyboards that have slightly different key arrangements than a standard keyboard. Also, many system manufacturers add specialty buttons to the standard layout. A typical keyboard has four basic types of keys:
• Typing keys
• Numeric keys
• Function keys
• Control keys

The typing keys are the section of the key that contains the letter keys, generally laid out the same style as it is in typewriters. This lay known as QWERTY for the first six letters in ' layout, was originally designed to slow down i typists by making the arrangement of the ke somewhat awkward! The reason behind this awkw arrangement lay in the fact that the mechanicalanm that imprinted each character on the paper could I together if the keys were pressed too rapidly. Beca it has been long established as a standard, and peOf have become accustomed to the QWERT configuration, manufacturers developed keyboardsi computers using the same layout, even thou. jamming is no longer an issue. Critics of the QWERTY layout have adopted another layOll Dvorak that places the most commonly used lette in the most convenient arrangement.

The numeric keypad is a part of the natur evolution mentioned previously. As the use l computers in business increased, so did the need~' speedy data entry. Since, a large part of the data w~ numbers, a set of 17 keys was added to the keyboad These keys are laid out in the same configuration~ they are used by most adding machines ana calculators, to facilitate the transition to computet for clerks accustomed to these other machines.



In 1986, IBM extended the basic keyboard with the addition of function and control keys. The function keys, arranged in a line across the top of the keyboard, could be assigned specific commands hI the current application or the operating system. Control keys provided cursor and screen control. Four keys arranged in an inverted T formation between the typing keys and numeric keypad allow the user to move the cursor on the display in small increments. The control keys allow the user to make large jumps in most applications. Common control keys include:

• Home
• End
• Insert
• Delete
• Page Up
• Page Down
• Control (Ctrl)
• Alternate (Alt)
• Escape (Ese)

The Windows keyboard adds some extra control keys: two Windows or Start keys, and an Application key. The Apple keyboards are specific to Apple Mac systems.