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