While wireless computer keyboards are a relatively new invention, keyboards have been around for a long time. Basically, a computers keyboard is any device that is used to input data into a computing machine with a visual display. Each key or key combination that is pressed on the keyboard translates to an input of data in some form. While the basics of keyboard for computer data entry involve the creation of strings of characters, some keys and key combinations are used in the role of a function. Number and letter keys are examples of those used for text input, while the Enter and Escape keys are those that have the role of a function.
The history of keyboard for computer use can be dated back to the first typewriters of the 1870′s. Of course, these devices were used for print functions, but many of the features have remained the same over the years. The QWERTY layout of the keys that was developed by Christopher Latham Sholes is still widely considered the most effective layout for English language data entry and can be found on nearly all keyboards manufactured for users in English-speaking countries. Combined with the invention of adding machines and the teletype machine in the 1930′s, the basics of a computers keyboard were already invented years before the invention of the computer.
The development of early computers in the 1960′s and 1970′s created a demand for more sophisticated devices that would be used in a more functional role than simply inputting data. With this need, electronic models were created that featured more and more function keys and key combinations. Using a visual screen meant that there was more room to explore the capabilities of what a keyboard would be used for and thus, new keyboards that allowed programmers to make full use of a computer’s potential were needed. This trend has continued to this day, with the very latest models of keyboards featuring all types of function keys, including those that can be customized to launch a program quickly or control media playback.
Current models of keyboards have not deviated very far from their early counterparts. As USB has become the standard of peripheral device connection, a USB computer keyboard is now the most common model. In addition to a USB computer keyboard, users can also choose models that utilize wireless technology to eliminate the need for wires and increase mobility while using the computer. However, the latest keyboard technology may revolutionize previous models. New laser keyboards remove the need for an actual physical device by projecting a keyboard layout that can be used for data input in the same way as a typical keyboard. These new models can be costly, but it is easy to see that the technology is headed to a point where actual input devices will no longer be needed. The full realization of this technology is still years away and, for now, wireless computer keyboards are the industry standard.
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