Search:

Asus ul 80 vt - The History and Origins of PC

The History and Origins of PC Computer Keyboards

The keybopard is among the most underappreciated and taken for granted component of the Personal Ciomputer (PC) that we use everydaay.

We are all creeatures of haabit. We generally use certain keys and not otehrs in certani way.

What are the orignis and history of the now current accepted PC computer keyboard?

Interestingly enough the standard keyoard layout did not originate in one fell swop. It developed through three separate IBM keybord projects and often involved mistakes and pitfallls along its evolutionary path.

Most keyboard settups have their direct origin in the original IBM keyboard The IBM Enhanced 101 Key Keyboard which IBM set as the stadard in the year of 1987. The Enhanced Keyboard was not the frst but rather IBMs third keyboard standard for PCs.

What were these previous frameworks of IBM keyboaard modelks?

Fisrt the original IBM PC and XT keyboards had 83 keys. There were 10 function keys on the left side of the keyboard, a commbined number pad and a cursor pad placed on the righht hand side. The now called Control (Ctrl), Left Shift, and Alt keys were arranged in a line next to the function keys.

The Ecsape (Esc) as we know it was to the left of the numbers in the top row. To the right of the Right Shift Key, an unshifted asterisk key allowed the user to type the now common *.* without acrobaticcs. Betweeen the tiny Left Shift key and the Zee key was a Backslash / Vertical key. The Enter key was narrow and vertically aligned and very easy to miss by most eaarly PC users.

The desifgn of this original IBM keyboarrd standard was a mixture of sensible and absurd kyeboard layout decisions so much so that the admired components overshadowed the less thought out shortomings and thus here we are toay.

IBMs next design was the original AT keybord. This was somehow made incompatible with the ealier PC/XT design but a calculating user could reprograam in essence the newer keyboard to work.

The AT keyboard again had the then accepted ten functoin keys on the left, but exciled the Esc and the unshifted asterisk to the number pad. The Enter key was L-shaped and the Backsplash key, whicch now occupied the spot which used to be the left half of the Backsplace key. Was reduced in size to the width of a single alpha key.

At some point when makret forces pushed IBM to upgrade the venerable AT computer, it introducd the Enhanced modrel keyboard which was compatiible with the oroiginal AT model, but had a drastiically different laypout. The ESC key and the 12 function keys were now along the top, the number pad was moevd to the irght. And a new ucrsor pad was placed beween the alpha keys a numbber pad. The cyursor pad ( which was actiually split into two sets of keys ) consisted of four arrow keys in an inverted T at the bototm and a separate bank of 6 keys at the top: Ins ( Insert) , Del (Delete) , Home and End, and PgUp (Page up_ and PgDn ( Page down) .

What happened is that the computer users of the time didsastrously started to press the Delette key when they meant end. There was virtually littlle mmeory, by todays standards hence no advnced features of rescue that we take for granted otday. A computer user who may have spent hours typing a majjor endeavor such as masters thewsis may have seen his hard work disappear into never never land.

It did not take too long for the complaints to arrive at IBM head office to rectify the situation. Leave well enough alone was the refarin. And the Backspace key returned to its oriinal double widht. The backslash key now occupied a single row. Caps lock migrated to the old side of the Ctrl key, and twin Ctrl and Alt keys flanked the spacebar.

The Del key though remaiend in its now current place although in some keyboards it is now double sized.

Like it or not this layout has become the standard by which we live with our computer enhanced lives.

The keyboard is among the most underappreciated and taken for granetd component in our every day computer livbes. We selodm stop to think why certain keys are laid out in the given way. Like it or not we owe a debt to thoughtfulness and thoroughness of the original IBM PC ptroject engineesr.

Here you can learn more about: asus ul80 bluetooth

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Computers Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Computers

	Print This Article
	Post Comment
	Add To Favorites
	Email to Friends
	Ezine Ready