“INTRODUCTION OF KEYBOARD”

What is keyboard?- A keyboard is an input device and is the most basic way for the user to
communicate with a computer.
The first keyboard with a Shift key was introduced on the Remington No. 2 typewriter
introduced in 1878 that had one Shift key on the left side of the keyboard.

The first successful modern typewriter is considered to be the Underwood typewriter that sold
five million of its typewriters by 1939. The first Underwood typewriter was invented by Franz
Xaver Wagner who patented the typewriter on April 27, 1893, U.S. patent 523,698. One of the
biggest improvements for this typewriter was the ability to see the writing as it was typed.
Later with the help of John Underwood, they created the Underwood company in 1895 and
released its first typewriter in 1896. The picture is a woman next to an Underwood typewriter.

By the early 1900s, typewriters from all manufacturers began to become more alike,
until IBM introduced its IBM Selectric typewriter on July 27, 1961. Unlike other typewriters, it
used a typeball which was small ball containing characters that would strike an ink ribbon.
The typeballs were also removable, allowing the user to clean them and change to other
typeballs for a replacement or modify the font. By 1986, more than 13 million Selectric
typewriters had been sold.
The invention of the telegraph, keypunch, and teleprinter
During the late 1700s, Joseph Marie Jacquard developed the Jacquard Loom that was
later expanded upon in the late 1800s and early 1900s by Herman Hollerith with his
keypunch inventions.

The electrical telegraph was first invented by Pavel Schilling in 1832 and allowed for a
single key to be used to send Morse code messages over a line. Later, Royal Earl
House patented a printing telegraph in 1846 that used 28 piano-style keys. The keys
were used to represent each letter in the alphabet and make it easier for everyone to
send messages.

In 1874, Emile Baudot invented the Baudot code that was later extended by Donald
Murray who invented the telegraphic typewriter that would later help become the
teleprinter. Charles Krum continued on Frank Pearne work to help invent
the teleprinter that was developed from 1902 to 1918. During this time he filed patent
U.S. patent 862,402 in August 1907, patent 888,335 in May 1908, and patent
1,286,351 in May 1910.

First computing devices with teletype machines

The first digital computer known as the ENIAC that was completed in 1946 used a
teletype machine to input data into the computer. Although much different than
today's computer keyboards, the teletype machine punched holes into a punch
card and then was fed into a card-reader.
Later in 1948, the BINAC computer took it a step closer to today's computers by
making the teletype electromagnetically controlled which allowed the computer to
input data and print results.

Early computers with keyboards

Several years later after the introduction of Multics in 1964 and VDTs (video display
terminals) that allowed users to see what they are typing on a screen as they typed.

In 1969, the Computer Terminal Corporation began shipping the DataPoint 3300,
which was the first computer terminal meant to replace the teleprinter. Other versions
of this terminal were also marketed, including the DEC VT06 and the HP 2600A. The
DataPoint 3300 used a screen display to show typed text, and was capable of moving
the cursor using arrow keys. It could also clear all text to the end of the line or end of
the screen.

Throughout the early 1970s, keyboards began to resemble what we use today and
were heavy mechanical keyboards or converted electric typewriters from companies
like IBM. However, earlier personal computers like the Altair still relied off switches on
the front of the computer to input data.

In the late 1970s, Apple, Radio Shack, and Commodore all released versions of their
computers with keyboards that came included with the computer. In
August 1981, IBM released the IBM PC and the Model F keyboard.

In 1986, IBM released the Model M keyboard that resembles what most keyboards
look like today with the function keys across the top of the keyboard. The Model M is
still a highly regarded keyboard even today, as it introduced the 101-key standard US
layout that is used today for full sized keyboards. It has also been adapted to the 104-
key layout for Windows keyboards with the Windows keys and Menu keys.
Since the release of the IBM Model M keyboard, there were many changes to the
keyboard we use today. One of the most significant changes is moving from a
mechanical switch to a membrane. A membrane makes it easier and cheaper to
manufacturer computer keyboards. A membrane keyboard also makes the keyboard
quieter, lighter, and thinner than the first mechanical keyboards.

2.

Christopher Latham Sholes (February 14, 1819 – February 17, 1890)

was an American inventor who invented the QWERTY keyboard,
[2]
and,
along with Samuel W. Soule, Carlos Glidden and John Pratt,
has been contended to be one of the inventors of the first typewriter
in the United States.[3][4][5]
He was also a newspaper publisher and Wisconsin politician. In his time,
Sholes went by the names C. Latham Sholes, Latham Sholes, or C. L.
Sholes,
but never "Christopher Sholes" or "Christopher L. Sholes".

3
Electric Keyboards: In the early 20th century, electric typewriters began to replace mechanical ones.
Electric keyboards utilized electrical circuits to transmit keystrokes, making typing faster and more
efficient.

4
Computer Keyboards: With the advent of computers in the mid-20th century, keyboards transitioned
from typewriters to computer input devices.
Early computer keyboards were often attached directly to mainframe computers and used a variety of
layouts.

5
Standardization: As computers became more widespread, the need for standardization arose. The
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) introduced the first standardized keyboard layout in
1967, known as the ANSI layout. It is still widely used in North America.

6
Ergonomic Designs: In recent decades, there has been a focus on designing keyboards that are more
comfortable and ergonomic. This has led to the development of split keyboards, curved keyboards,
and adjustable keyboards, among others.

7
Wireless and Virtual Keyboards: With advancements in technology, wireless keyboards that use
Bluetooth or other wireless protocols have become popular. Additionally, virtual keyboards that use
touchscreens or laser projection have emerged as alternatives for mobile devices.
Introduction to Types of Keyboards
A keyboard is an input device with alphabets, numbers, and other special characters

and symbols. It is one of the most used input devices for computers. Typing is the

term used to describe entering data into a computer with the assistance of a

keyboard. There are various keyboards, such as portable wire and wireless keyboards,

qwerty keyboards, virtual keyboards, USB keyboards, gaming keyboards, etc. We will

see these types of keyboards in detail, as follows.

Different Types of Computer Keyboards

Given below are different types of Computer keyboards:

1. Multimedia Keyboard
A keyboard that contains all multimedia buttons such as play, pause, next, my

computer previous, volume up, mute, and volume down is called a multimedia

keyboard. Special buttons to launch media applications, browsers, and calculators are

also present.

2. Wireless Keyboard
You can connect a computer screen or TV to a wireless keyboard using infrared

technology, 2.4 GHz WiFi, or Bluetooth. Hence you can use it comfortably from

anywhere. It works with the functions of a transmitter and trans-receiver. The

transmitter sends the keystrokes from the wireless keyboard as radio waves. Then

trans-receiver near the main device receives these signals and processes them

further. These keyboards are relatively cheap, lightweight, and easily available.

3. QWERTY Keyboard
This keyboard has various functions at the top, like volume and brightness control,

punctuation symbols, a shortcut to the home screen, and numbers 1 to 0. It also has a

separate numeric keypad to the right and letters A-Z in the “QWERTY” sequence.
These keyboards are the most common and widely used for normal typing, daily

browsing, etc.

4. Mechanical Keyboard
This old-school keyboard uses physical buttons for each key. When you press the key,

it makes a loud noise. However, it provides precise control, is cheap, is more durable,

and is more responsive while playing games.

5. Virtual Keyboard
People commonly refer to the virtual keyboard in smartphones and tablets as a virtual

keyboard. Windows OS also supports the virtual keyboard. Users can control when the

keyboard should appear and disappear on the screen. This is automatically set as a

requirement. It is useful and more secure when typing passwords as keyloggers can

not detect keystrokes virtually as There is a physical object that is not involved in

carrying a virtual keyboard.

6. USB Keyboard
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Keyboard has a wire and a USB stick to be inserted into the

computer’s USB port. Users need to install keyboard drivers in a system to utilize this

keyboard

7. Ergonomic Keyboard
The designers have created this keyboard with the view of ergonomics. It has angled

so the hands would naturally fall and provide padding for the wrists to rest on. It

minimizes the strain on the wrist. It is a very good alternative for people who suffer

from RSI (repetitive strain injuries) caused by long typing sessions like carpal tunnel

syndrome. Contoured keyboard and Split keyboard are two types of Ergonomic

Keyboard
8. Gaming Keyboard
This keyboard features very few keys specially designed for gaming. It also includes

graphics. Gamers can do multiple functions with a single tap By reprogramming.

Programming lets you set the LED-backlit of these keyboards with various color

combinations. So gaming keyboards provide a whole new experience for Gaming in

the dark.

9. Laptop Keyboard
This keyboard resembles a multimedia keyboard but offers additional functionalities

such as an on/off switch, volume control, and brightness control on the keyboard.

Additionally, there is a tracker that serves as the cursor.

10. Membrane Keyboard

Pressure pads are contained in these keyboards, and a flexible surface called a

membrane keyboard prints the characters. These keyboards are cheap. However, it is

not convenient for fast typing and gaming.

11. Thumb Keyboard

This keyboard has fewer keys and is smaller, i.e., thumb-size, so it is called a thumb

keyboard. Some of the Thumb Keyboards only contain arithmetic buttons.

People/users widely use these for gaming and arithmetic operations.

12. Flexible Keyboard

The company makes the flexible keyboard out of silicone. The distance between the

keys is less. These keyboards can be rolled; however, it is not foldable.

13. Projection Keyboard

With the help of a projection keyboard, you can type on any flat surface. IBM

engineers invented these optical virtual keyboards. It uses lasers to display a visible
virtual keyboard on any surface. The computer software converts the finger

movements captured by the camera or optical sensors into characters and actions

when the user types in the holograph of the keys.

14. Handheld Keyboard

the handheld keyboard is a combination of a trackball and a keyboard. Distance

between keys is very less. This keyboard minimizes the typing time spent on

conventional keyboards.

Conclusion – Types of Keyboards

Many keyboard options are available, so choosing the perfect keyboard for your

specific requirements can be challenging. Some factors can be considered while

choosing keyboards, such as ports, typing efficiency, shortcuts in a keyboard, and

Connection Type like USB, Wireless, etc. So in this article, we have seen various

keyboards and their features. So I hope you will find this article helpful for choosing a

keyboard.