5 Typing it in
This chapter covers
- The development of the keyboard and typewriter
- Modern input methods for the computer
- Typing languages such as Chinese
It is easy to take for granted the ability to enter, modify, and correct large amounts of text accurately and quickly since most of us have some proficiency in it these days. But remember that, in the past, huge numbers of young people would go to secretarial school before they could work as typists or data entry clerks. The present generation may use computer or tablet keyboards from childhood, but those of us who remember having to learn to type as teenagers recall how hard it seemed at the time. In this chapter, we will look at different keyboard configurations, including those that can accommodate languages other than English.
5.1 Beginnings
The development of the keyboard began before the computer, of course, for typewriters and similar equipment. And so, when computers were first developed, the best methods for text input were already known, requiring only slight alteration. In this chapter, we will look at the development of typing devices from the typewriter to the modern computer. We will also see methods for typing languages such as Chinese, where the number of characters might vastly outnumber the keys that can possibly be placed on a keyboard.