The Keyboard

The keyboard is one of the primary input devices used with a computer. The keyboard’s design comes from the original typewriter keyboards, which arranged letters and numbers in a way that prevented the type-bars from getting jammed when typing quickly. This keyboard layout is known as the QWERTY design, which gets its name from the first six letters across in the upper-left-hand corner of the keyboard.

While the design of computer keyboards may have come from typewriters, today’s keyboards have many other keys as well.

•  Modifier keys such as Control, Alt/Option, and the Windows key can be used in conjunction with other keys as “shortcuts” to perform certain operations. For example, pressing Control-S typically saves a document or project you are working on.
• Function keys (F1 through F16) along the top of the keyboard.
• Arrow keys arranged in an upside-down T.
• Numeric keypad on the right-hand side.

Some keyboards have even more buttons, allowing you to change the system volume, eject a CD, or open programs such as your e-mail or Web browser.

TRY THIS GAME!
Choose a keyboard style and rearrange the keys.