The Keyboard

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The Keyboard

• Clayton Andrews
• 4/6/08

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What is a keyboard?

• A keyboard is a device used to communicate
  information to a computer by the user.
• Physically, it is an arrangement of buttons with
  symbols engraved on the surface. When these
  buttons are pressed it sends an electrical signal
  to the computer.

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These things...
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Before Computers

• The typewriter has a series of keys, that when
  pressed cause some action to happen.

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Typewriters

• The typewriter has a series of typebars situated
  in a semi-circle.
• When you press a key, the typebar for that key
  moves to hit where the cursor is currently
  located.
• One problem, if more than one key is pressed at a
  time, the typebars can jam. Especially if the
  keys are close to one another.

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I will show you
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QWERTY

• The QWERTY keyboard layout was designed so that
  commonly used letters were not next to each
  other, so typewriter jams would occur less
  often.
• The name comes from the first 6 letters in the
  top-left of the keyboard.

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QWERTY
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From Typewriter to Computer

• Typewriters' standard layout was QWERTY
• To ensure typist could switch from typewriter to
  keyboard

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Other Layouts

• After the switch to keyboard, QWERTY was no
  longer needed.
• Dvorak and, more recently, Colemak

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Better than QWERTY

• Dvorak and Colemak gt QWERTY
• Common Letters Right-handed Dvorak
• Common Letters QWERTY Colemak
• Dvorak and Colemak require less movement of the
  fingers for the English language

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Virtual Keyboards

• A virtual keyboard is a software or hardware
  component that allows a user to enter characters
  without the need for a physical keyboard.
• It is not a real keyboard with real buttons.

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Virtual Keyboard - Hardware

• An optically projected keyboard on a surface
• Detects fingers or objects in the projected area

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Virtual Keyboard - Software

• A keyboard represented on-screen
• Detects mouse clicks or touches

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User Input

• Most user input comes in through a keyboard
• Knowing that QWERTY is the most common layout,
  you can arrange your keys to be the best for most
  people

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Error Correction

• People make mistakes while using keyboards
• Most mistakes are not from lack of knowledge
• The mistakes are from incorrectly using the
  keyboard
• Most of these problems can be detected and fixed
  automatically

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Spelling

• A lack of knowledge contributes
• Compare the word to a dictionary
• Recommend the word or words that are closest
• Sometimes the user meant to type that way

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Double Capitalization

• A user must hold shift to type an uppercase
  character
• Sometimes a user will press another key before
  releasing shift
• The result looks something like THis
• This can be auto-corrected for the user, because
  it is an error more than intended
• Allow user to turn it off

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Future Keys

• A user will sometimes hit a character before it
  is intended
• One hand will be ahead of the other
• The result looks something like thsi
• the is very commonly spelled teh

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Local Keys

• A user will hit a character that is near the
  desired character
• Slip of the finger
• The result looks like thos
• The IPhone actually adjusts for this

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Summary

• The Keyboard has changed
• People still use the keyboard
• Other layouts can be more comfortable
• Users make mistakes
• Try to fix these mistakes for them

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References

• Liebowitz, S. J., Stephen Margolis, and Peter
  Lewin. The Economics of QWERTY History, Theory,
  and Policy. NYU P, 2002.
• Stuart, Stuart K., Thomas P. Moran, and Allen
  Newell. The Psychology of Human-Computer
  Interaction. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1986.
• http//www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/
• http//www.apple.com/iphone/gettingstarted/keyboar
  d.html
• Keyboard Images
• http//www.dansdata.com/images/a4input/keyboard500
  .jpg
• http//nion.modprobe.de/bimg/keyboard.jpg
• http//content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thum
  b/8/88/200px-W-A-S-D.jpg
• http//www.microsoft.com/library/media/1033/window
  sxp/images/using/setup/tips/67448-on-screen-keyboa
  rd.gif

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Questions

• Why was the QWERTY layout created?
• WHat is wrogn with this dentance?

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Old