Computer keyboards come in many shapes and sizes, newer keyboards have additional buttons for such things as quickly accessing your email or favourite web browser. Click 'read more' to see more.
Why Buy a Keyboard?
A keyboard is essential to control today's computers, some users of notebooks also prefer a separate keyboard as they have larger keys or additional buttons. When buying a keyboard you need to consider the following points.
Choosing a Keyboard
All keyboards perform the same basic functionality needed to control a computer this being typing characters onto the screen. The differences between keyboards can be separated into 3 main areas. The type of connection to the computer, the feel of the keys and any additional keys it may have.
Connection types
PS/2 - These are used less and less often as old keyboards are replaced with newer USB and wireless models
USB - Most keyboards today use USB to connect to computers, even some wireless keyboards have a USB adapter to allow the computer to receive keystrokes from the keyboard.
Wireless - Wireless keyboards come in two basic types, RF and Bluetooth, some computers have built in Bluetooth and so Bluetooth keyboards do not need anything extra to connect to these computers, other wireless keyboards have a small USB connector to allow the keyboard to send keystrokes to the computer.
Feel of keys
The early keyboards were clunky and had to be pressed quite hard which made them hard to use for long periods of time, thankfully newer keyboards require less effort to use and so are gentler on the hands and fingers. there are many different types of keys but the main ones include the traditional spring type keys found in most modern keyboards, the calculator like keys that are a lot flatter and used for some laptops and some full sized keyboards and the other is keys made from rubber or some other plastic like material to give keys a rubbery feel, these keys are generally found in "roll up" keyboards.
Additional keys and key layout
Most keyboards use what is called the QWERTY key layout so called because the keys in QWERTY are next to each other. These keyboards are found most often but there are others available if you can find them. Other than the positions of the letters and numbers on a keyboard, the other symbols may be in different locations (or different symbols entirely) depending on the country the keyboard is designed for most keyboards in Australia use US or US International key layouts. Most keyboards have what is called a number pad on the side of the keyboard for fast entering of numbers like when using a calculator but other keyboards may not include these keys and so the keyboard is more compact, notebook keyboards often do not include these keys, or they are included but to use them the user has to hold down an additional key (called a function key, often shown as Fn on the keyboard) to activate them. Some keyboards are called multimedia keyboards and have buttons to control the computers volume as well as having shortcut keys to move to the next/previous song. Yet other keyboards have what are called macro keys, these are controlled by software and provide shortcuts to things like web browsers and email programs. More expensive keyboards have buttons that can be customised with the user's own macros and are ideal for gamming where you need a key to perform a complex action quickly, examples of these can be seen in the Logitech G series of Keyboards.
Shape and size
Today keyboards come in many different sizes and shapes, it is important to find a keyboard that you feel comfortable with and that has the keys you need and where you prefer the keys to be.
Additional features of newer keyboards
Illuminated keys - Some of the newer keyboards have illuminated keys which make them easier to see in low light conditions or for those with poor eyesight, Logitech have several different models with illuminated keys.
Macro keys -
Some of the newer keyboards have what are called macro keys, these keys can be programmed to perform tasks the user wants to perform regularly, ideal for gamming.
Which keyboard is right for me?
When selecting a keyboard, you need to consider the differences above and select the keyboard that meets your needs. If you are only after a basic keyboard then most will be fine, however if you are after a keyboard for a specific function, such as gamming then you will probably want a keyboard with additional buttons.
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