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Computer keyboard

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QWERTY computer keyboard

A computer keyboard is a peripheral modelled after the typewriter keyboard. Keyboards are designed for the input of written text, and also to control the operation of the computer. Physically, computer keyboards are an arrangement of rectangular or near-rectangular buttons, or "keys". Keyboards typically have characters engraved or printed on the keys; in most cases, each press of a key corrosponds to a single written symbol. However, to produce some symbols requires pressing and holding several keys simultaniously, or in sequence; other keys do not produce any symbol, but instead affect the operation of the computer, or the keyboard itself. See Input Method Editor.

There exist a large number of different arrangements of symbols on keys. These different keyboard layouts arise because different people need easy access to different symbols; typically, this is because they are writing in different languages, but specialised keyboard layouts for mathematical, accounting, or computer-programming use do exist.

A standard keyboard is physically quite large, as each key must remain large enough to be easilly pressed by fingers. Other types of keyboards have been proposed for small portable equipment where a standard keyboard is too large. One way to reduce the number of keys is to use chording, i.e. pressing several keys simultaneously. As an example, the GKOS keyboard has been designed for small wireless devices.

File:Keyboard.arp.750pix.jpg
A wire-less keyboard has no direct connection to the computer. The keyboard presses are conveyed by radio to a small local receiver, which is connected to the computer.

List of keys on a standard US 105-key keyboard

See also

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