| The keyboard is among the most | | | | The Enter key was L-shaped and the Backsplash |
| underappreciated and taken for granted | | | | key, which now occupied the spot which used to |
| component of the Personal Computer (PC) that | | | | be the left half of the Backspace key. Was |
| we use everyday. | | | | reduced in size to the width of a single "alpha" |
| We are all creatures of habit. We generally use | | | | key. |
| certain keys and not others in certain way. | | | | At some point when market forces pushed IBM |
| What are the origins and history of the now | | | | to upgrade the venerable AT computer, it |
| current accepted PC computer keyboard? | | | | introduced the Enhanced model keyboard which |
| Interestingly enough the standard keyboard layout | | | | was compatible with the original AT model, but |
| did not originate in one fell swoop. It developed | | | | had a drastically different layout. The ESC key |
| through three separate IBM keyboard projects | | | | and the 12 function keys were now along the top, |
| and often involved mistakes and pitfalls along its | | | | the number pad was moved to the right. And a |
| evolutionary path. | | | | new cursor pad was placed between the alpha |
| Most keyboard setups have their direct origin in | | | | keys a number pad. The cursor pad ( which was |
| the original IBM keyboard - "The IBM Enhanced | | | | actually split into two sets of keys ) consisted of |
| 101 Key Keyboard "which IBM set as the | | | | four arrow keys in an inverted T at the bottom |
| standard in the year of 1987. The Enhanced | | | | and a separate bank of 6 keys at the top: Ins ( |
| Keyboard was not the first but rather IBM's third | | | | Insert) , Del (Delete) , Home and End, and PgUp |
| keyboard standard for PCs. | | | | (Page up_ and PgDn ( Page down) . |
| What were these previous frameworks of IBM | | | | What happened is that the computer users of the |
| keyboard models? | | | | time disastrously started to press the Delete key |
| First the original IBM PC and XT keyboards had | | | | when they meant end. There was virtually little |
| 83 keys. There were 10 function keys on the left | | | | memory, by today's standards' hence no |
| side of the keyboard, a combined number pad | | | | advanced features of rescue that we take for |
| and a cursor pad placed on the right hand side. | | | | granted today. A computer user who may have |
| The now called Control (Ctrl), Left Shift, and Alt | | | | spent hours typing a major endeavor such as |
| keys were arranged in a line next to the function | | | | master's thesis may have seen his hard work |
| keys. | | | | disappear into never never land. |
| The Escape (Esc) as we know it was to the left | | | | It did not take too long for the complaints to |
| of the numbers in the top row. To the right of | | | | arrive at IBM head office to rectify the situation. |
| the Right Shift Key, an unshifted asterisk key | | | | "Leave well enough alone "was the refrain. And |
| allowed the user to type the now common *.* | | | | the Backspace key returned to its original double |
| without acrobatics. Between the tiny Left Shift | | | | width. The backslash key now occupied a single |
| key and the Zee key was a Backslash / Vertical | | | | row. Caps lock migrated to the old side of the |
| key. The Enter key was narrow and vertically | | | | Ctrl key, and twin Ctrl and Alt keys flanked the |
| aligned and very easy to miss by most early PC | | | | spacebar. |
| users. | | | | The Del key though remained in its now current |
| The design of this original IBM keyboard standard | | | | place although in some keyboards it is now double |
| was a mixture of sensible and absurd keyboard | | | | sized. |
| layout decisions so much so that the admired | | | | Like it or not this layout has become the standard |
| components overshadowed the less thought out | | | | by which we live with our computer enhanced |
| shortcomings and thus here we are today. | | | | lives. |
| IBM's next design was the original AT keyboard. | | | | The keyboard is among the most |
| This was somehow made incompatible with the | | | | underappreciated and taken for granted |
| earlier PC/XT design but a calculating user could | | | | component in our every day computer lives. We |
| reprogram in essence the newer keyboard to | | | | seldom stop to think why certain keys are laid |
| work. | | | | out in the given way. Like it or not we owe a |
| The AT keyboard again had the then accepted | | | | debt to thoughtfulness and thoroughness of the |
| ten function keys on the left, but exiled the Esc | | | | original IBM PC project engineers. |
| and the unshifted asterisk to the number pad. | | | | |