THE COMPUTER KEYBOARD

The KEYBOARD is one of the most commonly used input devices. It is used to
input data and instructions to a computer by pressing the keys on the keyboard. It
translates the typed letters, numbers, characters and other special symbols into
machine readable for.
A typical computer keyboard is very similar to a type writer. It contains numbers
letters of the alphabet and some special characters with additional keys such as
the alphanumeric keypad, numeric, keypad cursor keys and function keys.

PARTS OF THE KEYBOARD

- Alphanumeric keypad also referred to as typewriter keyboard allows the user to
type letters, numbers and punctuation marks.
- The Numeric keypad located on the right hand of the keyboard enables the user
to enter large amount of numeric data efficiently. It contains number keys (0-9)
and mathematical operators such as +,-,*and /. Pressing the NUMLOCK key is
required before entering numbers.
- Cursor keys are found on the numeric keypad such as Page Up (Pg up) and Page
Down (Pg dn) and special keys: Enter key, Delete key, Insert key and Home key.
- The Cursor Keys or Control Keys are keys marked with arrow (up, down, left and
right).
They are also sometimes referred to as arrows keys because they show
directional’s arrows. To move the cursor us, down, left and right you press the key
marked with appropriate arrows, Each of these arrow is a repeat key which
means that is with continue moving the cursor to its proper direction as long as it
is held down.
-The Function keys include the ESC, FI up to F12, Print screen Scroll and
Pause/Break. These keys have special function in most software applications.
SPECIAL KEYS
Other special keys on the keyboard and their function are as follows:
1 .Shift Key- is pressed to together with any letter you want to type in uppercase
.It also indicates as a shift or a change in case.
2 .Caps Lock-is pressed to type all the characters as a uppercase.
3. Space Bar- is used to enter spaces between characters or words.
4. Enter Key-is used to move a word or a sentence to the next line.
5. Backspace Key-is used to erase a character to the cursor .It erases one
character at a time.
6. Delete Key-is used to erase a character to the right of the cursor.
7. Home Key-is pressed to move the cursor to the beginning of a line.
8. End Key-is used to move to the cursor to the end of a line.
9. Page Up Icy - is used to move to the previous page/s or screen/s in a document.
10. Page Down Key-is pressed to move to the next page or screen in a document.

A Keyboard is a peripheral modeled after the typewriter:

-A keyboard is designed for the input data.
Each press of a single key corresponds to a single symbol, letter, number, or
punctuation mark. However to produce some symbols requires the pressing and
holding down several keys simultaneously or an sequence.
-A keyboard is used to control the operation of computer, some, keys do not
produce any symbol but instead affect the computer operation or the keyboard
itself . Example: The pressing off ESC key do not produce any symbol on the
screen but it cancels the last entered command in the computer.
-A keyboard is mainly used to enter text into a word processor or text editor.
Documents are created and typed through the keyboard using a word processor
or text editor.
-A keyboard is used to typed commands in a computer .An example is pressing
the Ctrl+ ALL+ Del Keys simultaneously will display on the screen a menu or the
Windows Task Manager including optics for handing currently running software
applications.
It also means performing a “Cold” or” Warm” boot of the computer.

PROPER CARE OF THE KEYBOARD

Like any other equipment the keyboard must be properly handled and taken care
of in order for it to function efficiently. Some ways to tackle care the keyboard
are:
1. Press the keys gently. Don’t pound it.
2. Keep the keyboard clean. When not in used, keep it with plastic cover to
protect from dust.
3. Regular clean it with dry cloth to dust off and dirty.
4. Prevent the keyboard from dropping.
5. Do not place any heavy and hard object on top of it.

To clean keyboard you should follow these procedures carefully:

1. Turn the computer off.
2 .Disconnect and unplug the keyboard.
3. With a soft cloth dampened with mild cleaning solution, wife off any dirt or
grime on the keys .You can also use a cotton bud to clean any dust on each key of
on the sides of the keys.
4. Turn the keyboard upside down and shake it to lose out any dirt, dust, or small,
pieces of crumbs in between the keys.
5. If there any stubborn dirt or particles that cannot be removed easily, spray it
with a can of compressed air use a vacuum cleaner’
6. Wait until the keyboard is dry before reconnecting it to your computer.