Laptop Keyboard: What is it?

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A laptop keyboard is a compact input device used for typing text on a laptop computer. It condenses buttons to save space, has a scroll pad for arrow control, and includes keys for multimedia controls. Accessories like wireless mice and USB cables can be purchased for it.

A portable keyboard is an input device used with a laptop computer. Like a keyboard for a desktop computer or a typewriter, keys are used to type individual symbols. A standard laptop keyboard assumes a flat layout attached to the bottom of the monitor and can have different arrangements of keys and symbols. Most laptop keyboards condense more symbols into fewer buttons to take up less space.

Used for typing text, a common laptop keyboard features a full set of alphanumeric symbols. These keyboards have the letters A through Z and the numbers 0 through 9 in the common QWERTY layout, named for the first six letters in the top row of the alphabetic layout. These keyboards also feature the spacebar, shift keys, and enter and delete keys common to typing keyboards. Esc keys and 10 to 12 specialized F-keys are also commonplace.

Laptop keyboards differ from most desktop keyboards in that they condense buttons to save space and create a smaller product. Usually a second set of numbers, often found on the right side of the keyboard, is left off a laptop keyboard. Other keys are often combined in sets with a letter or number symbol and used via the shift command.

Many buttons are combined on the laptop keyboard usually found elsewhere on a desktop computer. The power buttons, volume control buttons, mute buttons, and controls for multimedia programs are located on the laptop keyboard. Other keys found on many newer laptops are the Windows Start key, Page Up and Page Down keys, Insert key, and Print key. These keys add extra utility on a keyboard with space on a limited scale compared to the average PC.

Unlike desktop keyboards, laptop keyboards don’t have a traditional computer mouse. Many laptop keyboards have a scroll pad for on-screen arrow control. This pad, sensitive to your fingertips, will move the arrow along with light finger movements on the pad. Along with the pad are the left and right buttons commonly found on a mouse. A page scroller, often found between the right and left mouse buttons, is usually located on either side of the fingertip.
You can purchase laptop keyboard accessories for most laptop keyboards. Among the most popular are a wireless mouse, which can be synchronized with the computer for those more comfortable with mouse scrolling. Mouse pads, disks, memory sticks and USB cables can also be purchased for laptop keyboards. These accessories can often access ports built into the sides of the keyboard.




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