Updated June 15, 2023
Introduction to Types of Keyboards
A keyboard is an input device with alphabets, numbers, and other special characters and symbols. It is one of the most used input devices for computers. Typing is the term used to describe entering data into a computer with the assistance of a keyboard. There are various keyboards, such as portable wire and wireless keyboards, qwerty keyboards, virtual keyboards, USB keyboards, gaming keyboards, etc. We will see these types of keyboards in detail, as follows.
Different Types of Computer Keyboards
Given below are different types of Computer keyboards:
1. Multimedia Keyboard
A keyboard that contains all multimedia buttons such as play, pause, next, my computer previous, volume up, mute, and volume down is called a multimedia keyboard. Special buttons to launch media applications, browsers, and calculators are also present.
2. Wireless Keyboard
You can connect a computer screen or TV to a wireless keyboard using infrared technology, 2.4 GHz WiFi, or Bluetooth. Hence you can use it comfortably from anywhere. It works with the functions of a transmitter and trans-receiver. The transmitter sends the keystrokes from the wireless keyboard as radio waves. Then trans-receiver near the main device receives these signals and processes them further. These keyboards are relatively cheap, lightweight, and easily available.
3. QWERTY Keyboard
This keyboard has various functions at the top, like volume and brightness control, punctuation symbols, a shortcut to the home screen, and numbers 1 to 0. It also has a separate numeric keypad to the right and letters A-Z in the “QWERTY” sequence. These keyboards are the most common and widely used for normal typing, daily browsing, etc.
4. Mechanical Keyboard
This old-school keyboard uses physical buttons for each key. When you press the key, it makes a loud noise. However, it provides precise control, is cheap, is more durable, and is more responsive while playing games.
5. Virtual Keyboard
People commonly refer to the virtual keyboard in smartphones and tablets as a virtual keyboard. Windows OS also supports the virtual keyboard. Users can control when the keyboard should appear and disappear on the screen. This is automatically set as a requirement. It is useful and more secure when typing passwords as keyloggers can not detect keystrokes virtually as There is a physical object that is not involved in carrying a virtual keyboard.
6. USB Keyboard
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Keyboard has a wire and a USB stick to be inserted into the computer’s USB port. Users need to install keyboard drivers in a system to utilize this keyboard
7. Ergonomic Keyboard
The designers have created this keyboard with the view of ergonomics. It has angled so the hands would naturally fall and provide padding for the wrists to rest on. It minimizes the strain on the wrist. It is a very good alternative for people who suffer from RSI (repetitive strain injuries) caused by long typing sessions like carpal tunnel syndrome. Contoured keyboard and Split keyboard are two types of Ergonomic Keyboard
8. Gaming Keyboard
This keyboard features very few keys specially designed for gaming. It also includes graphics. Gamers can do multiple functions with a single tap By reprogramming. Programming lets you set the LED-backlit of these keyboards with various color combinations. So gaming keyboards provide a whole new experience for Gaming in the dark.
9. Laptop Keyboard
This keyboard resembles a multimedia keyboard but offers additional functionalities such as an on/off switch, volume control, and brightness control on the keyboard. Additionally, there is a tracker that serves as the cursor.
10. Membrane Keyboard
Pressure pads are contained in these keyboards, and a flexible surface called a membrane keyboard prints the characters. These keyboards are cheap. However, it is not convenient for fast typing and gaming.
11. Thumb Keyboard
This keyboard has fewer keys and is smaller, i.e., thumb-size, so it is called a thumb keyboard. Some of the Thumb Keyboards only contain arithmetic buttons. People/users widely use these for gaming and arithmetic operations.
12. Flexible Keyboard
The company makes the flexible keyboard out of silicone. The distance between the keys is less. These keyboards can be rolled; however, it is not foldable.
13. Projection Keyboard
With the help of a projection keyboard, you can type on any flat surface. IBM engineers invented these optical virtual keyboards. It uses lasers to display a visible virtual keyboard on any surface. The computer software converts the finger movements captured by the camera or optical sensors into characters and actions when the user types in the holograph of the keys.
14. Handheld Keyboard
the handheld keyboard is a combination of a trackball and a keyboard. Distance between keys is very less. This keyboard minimizes the typing time spent on conventional keyboards.
Conclusion – Types of Keyboards
Many keyboard options are available, so choosing the perfect keyboard for your specific requirements can be challenging. Some factors can be considered while choosing keyboards, such as ports, typing efficiency, shortcuts in a keyboard, and Connection Type like USB, Wireless, etc. So in this article, we have seen various keyboards and their features. So I hope you will find this article helpful for choosing a keyboard.
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