How many keyboards are there in the world

Many languages use the same 26 characters, many languages also included other variations of those characters. For example, French accents a huge amount of their letters.

But, they are still the same letter. The biggest reason for moving the keys around is the frequency of use. As mentioned above, some languages use certain letters far more. Z is hardly ever used in English, so why would it sit in the center of the keyboard? Unlike T, or Y, that are used frequently, Z is hardly used at all and has thus been relegated to the bottom left corner of the keyboard. Think of how hard and uncomfortable it is to reach the letter Z.

Why would a language like French, or German want such a well regularly used key to be so hard to reach? There are interestingly two English keyboards that have been argued to be better and more efficient than the Qwerty keyboard. They are called the Dvorak and the Colemak. They are arguably better positioned to be quick and easy to type on given the evolution of the English language.

However, there are some problems. If one company, such as Microsoft, were to switch over to such a keyboard there would be a lot of backlash. Everyone would be forced to completely re-learn how to type, by force rather than choice. This could effectively kill the company. Over the years there have been several other designs that verge on science fiction- like the laser keyboard, the flying saucer keyboard , the jellyfish keyboard , and the fully-programable, lcd-key display Optimus Maximus Keyboard.

With all of the design innovations being manufactured, there is no surprise that many creative keyboard aficionados have started to emerge with their own inventive modifications to improve the typing experience and aesthetic. Christopher Latham Sholes and Carlos Glidden produced the first typewriter featuring the QWERTY layout in and though there have been minor changes over the past centuries, for the most part it has remained consistent.

Instead of typing the numeral one, typists would use the lower-case L l. To type an exclamation mark, typists would use a period. These symbols were used very infrequently on typewriters as it was generally assumed that Adding Machines were used to do all the mathematical notation. If typists wanted to produce a plus-sign, they would type a hyphen - , hit backspace, then type a colon :. One problem that arose after the shift key was added was that holding down the shift key to type more than one letter at a time was particularly difficult on early typewriters.

Shift lock allowed typists to switch back and forth between lower and upper case characters, as well as numerical andspecial characters with ease. In the beginning stages of the typewriter, people typed so quickly, that they often jammed the keys as they flew up to hit the typewriter ribbon.

Likewise, the less commonly used letters are placed in the prime areas of the layout. The QWERTY layout has stuck with us for the past century for two reasons: it was the first established layout that everyone grew accustomed to and accepted; and when computers began to come into play, the leaders in the computer keyboard industry opted to keep the QWERTY layout on their manufactured keyboards- effectively binding generations of typists to an inefficient layout.

Thus they established the standard in layout design for decades to come- regardless of how inefficient and outdated. The Dvorak simplified layout was introduced in by Dr. August Dvorak, and offers a keyboard layout that is more intuitive and efficient for modern typists.

Dvorak conducted extensive research on the English language and other languages using the Roman alphabet , and studied the physiology of the hand. These single-handed keyboards allow one-handed typists to easily type 50 WPM. If he was able to design a keyboard easy for one-handed typists to use, imagine the functionality and efficiency possible for two-handed typists.

In addition to the awkward placement of common letters, the QWERTY design also requires the same finger to type common letter combinations, and the same hand to type common words. All of these elements aided in slowing down typists, to limit typewriter jams. The simplified Dvorak layout was slightly modified and adjusted over the years and finally solidified in The design requires less finger-motion, which both increases typing speed and reduces finger strain.

It is also supposedly much easier to learn since the characters fall in less awkward positions, and the most common letters are all lined up next to each other on the home row. This goes to show the power and control that comes with simply being the first. This has helped the Colemak layout to gain a following amongst typists who no longer want to adhere to an outdated QWERTY mode of typing, but are frustrated with the learning curve involved in readjusting to the Dvorak layout.

Colemak is named after its creator, Shai Coleman, though Shai decided to match the last two letters to the Dvorak layout namesake hence, Colemak , to perhaps appeal more to the alternative keyboard layout seeking community and draw some similarities between the two. This is the youngest of the three layouts discussed, though layout designs and updates continue to be tested and developed on a regular basis. Due to the popularity of the three layouts discussed, all other options receive little to no recognition or public attention.

Because there are so many languages, dialects and alphabets that span sometimes hundreds of characters, most of Chinese, Indian, Thai or Japanese keyboards have 3 or 4 letters on each key. These letters are then accessed by using modifier keys, where the Japanese keyboards are the most complex example. That title belongs to japanese and chinese keyboards. Things are not so simple in China and Japan.

You need to use special input methods, where you type simplified characters or latinized version of the word you like to type, and then the language driver shows you the proper words you can use. That's French. Digits are accessed with Shift pressed down. Layout isn't even compatible with the officially recognized french standards. The guillemets french quotation marks are missing. That's why French Culture Ministry started work on new national layout in That's it, thirty one plus one weird and fun facts about computer keyboards you didn't know about, but now you do.

Multi-discipline man and co-founder at Keyshorts. I write about working from home, productivity hacks, e-commerce, keyboards, and Adobe tutorials. Our customers very often reach us for an advise on how to resolve illegible keyboard problem. This issue concerns equally, old and brand new devices but for sure can be fixed by Keyshorts keyboard stickers. If you got a laptop that makes typing experience uncomfortable, don't throw it out of a window. If you asked me about MacBook cases or iPhone silicone covers 5 years ago, I would probably cry and then say one big fat "noooo"!

I had my reasons, mostly because I got my MacBook almost killed by using them, not even counting how many times its life was in serious danger. If you're thinking about getting a MacBook case, make sure to read this article first. Read more. You probably heard of multiple advantages of having your keyboard covered with decorative or specialized keyboard decals.

Want to get your first keyboard stickers but still not sure how these work? Then check out these 16 questions and answers of course we prepared for you to clear up all doubts! We run Keyshorts , a brand of beautiful and useful keyboard stickers and skins. Check it out to see how we can change your life and work. We and third parties use cookies on our website. By clicking "Manage Cookies" you can read more about our use of them.

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You can always review and delete any cookie in your browser settings. On our website we try to minimize the number of cookies. More info here. Only set when viewed our "Reviews" page. You have JavaScript turned off in your browser. This website needs JavaScript to be functional. Know Your Tech. The Canadian "snow mode" key The french canadian keyboard layout is used in french-speaking parts of Canada, mainly the Quebec region.

Photo from Wikipedia. The shortest space keys are found in Japan Space is the longest key on every keyboard, but in Japan the statistical Spacebar is much shorter than in any other place on Earth. In the result, japanese keyboards look like this: Japanese MacBook keyboard. When you hit spacebar, people in the world did just the same Talking about the space, it's not only the longest key, but also the most used one.

Wow : Photo c William Iven Unsplash. Photo c Dustin Lee Unsplash. Mini-keyboards These keyboards use only few keys to type full range of possible characters. FrogPad chorded keyboard. Dirty keyboards Do you know that your keyboard may contain more germs than toilet seat?

Space Cadet keyboard. Photo by Dave Fischer Wikipedia. Fashion for keyboards There is an ongoing trend for the last couple of years, especially among young people, to decorate their laptop keyboards and whole laptops with vinyl stickers. Keys that are rather useless but still on keyboards today There are four keys on majority of modern keyboards that are legacy from the ancient times of computers. In general, mechanical keyboards can be a better ergonomic choice than any other membrane keyboard , especially for gamers and rapid typists who need ultra-strong, and ultra-sensitive keys.

Ergonomic keyboards are not really a normal type of computer keyboard on their own, but rather refer to any keyboard that is designed to minimize stress and pain on your body and enhance comfort. Poorly designed keyboards will not only slow down the typing speed but can also cause injuries like repetitive strain, hand pain , and such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

This keyboard has the difference that their design in an enhanced way, so that the user can adopt a more comfortable and relaxed typing position.

These keyboards are designed for long working hours people, where the user can avoid or help to reduce cramps or muscle pain, due to bad posture for working hours on the keyboard. It can be seen that the keyboard is divided into two portions, both sides for each hand, and higher in the middle, making it possible for the user to relax their shoulders adopting a more natural and comfortable posture. By definition , everything that is described as ergonomic means that it is optimized for the health of the human body.

These types of keyboards are generally considered to give more comfortable and to increase typing speed with comfort posture. These keyboards also avoid stress on your hands, wrists, and fingers. Multimedia keyboards are very similar to common keyboards but with the addition of a series of keys that allow you to control directly the most common functions of multimedia content players, such as Play, Stop, Resume, Rewind, Mute, Volume, etc.

Therefore, these types of keyboards are much more productive to have the most common functions on a physical keyboard than on the screen. Clearly, the multimedia keyboard for pc is intended for a certain audience that may possibly welcome these additions, but at the same time, there are other users who will see it as a barrier.

Thanks to these added keys of multimedia content, such as playing music, video editing, movies, among others, can greatly simplify these tasks and thus save time. The materials of the multimedia keyboard can correspond to those of the membrane keyboards or mechanical, depending on the model chosen. Some keyboards look so unconventional cause they create a whole new category. Such as the AlphaGrip handheld keyboard, which combines the design of a game controller with the functions of a basic keyboard and ergonomic keyboard too.

This keyboard is a small unit, full of buttons. This is not surprising as it has to accommodate all the standard functions of both the keyboard and trackball. So why would anyone want to invest in AlphaGrip?

Well, it provides versatility. You can type while walking on a treadmill. You can sync it with your TV to play with the familiarity of a gaming keyboard. AlphaGrip also says that you can learn to type easily with this handheld keyboard, just as fast or faster than you learn to type on a traditional keyboard.

These keyboards are very eye-catching for those who see them for the first time, stand out for their appearance and the material with which they are built by rubber, silicon and plastic. As its name says, they can be rolled, or folded with the aim of being transported without taking up much space and in tiny places. Furthermore, thanks to their inbuilt components, they are more resistant to shocks than a common keyboard. Its compact structure makes it perfect to take on your professional, business, or vacation trips.

In terms of functionality, folding keyboards are similar to basic keyboards. However, different manufacturers use different power sources for their flexible keyboards. You can find such types of keyboards in both formats wireless and others that work with USB.

The first fact is that they are waterproof in general. These keyboards are designed to resist splashing and total immersion in water.