Computer Keyboard

computers · technology · input devices · typing

Buttons and switches. A keyboard has many buttons called keys that work like tiny mechanical levers or electronic switches. When you press a key, it sends an electrical signal to the computer telling it which letter, number, or command you want.

Came from typewriters. Computer keyboards were designed to look and work like old typewriter keyboards that people used before computers existed. This made it easier for people to start using computers because they already knew how to type.

Main input method. Since the 1970s, keyboards have been the primary way people give information and commands to computers. The mouse came along in the 1980s to help, and touchscreens arrived in the 2000s, but keyboards are still essential.

Replaced punch cards. Before keyboards, people had to use punched cards and paper tape to tell computers what to do. Keyboards were a huge improvement because you could type directly on the machine and see your work right away.