Editing Introduction to keyboards (section)

==Ergonomics==
{{Main|Ergonomic keyboard|Keyboard layouts}}

It's very easy to accept the size, shape and layout of a keyboard without thought. The design is very old: the standard desktop keyboard arrangement was introduced in 1985 with the [[IBM Enhanced Keyboard]], better known as the [[IBM Model M]], while the "QWERTY" arrangement of letters goes back to early typewriters from the 1870s.

Since then, much has been said about alternative layouts. For example, you will notice that each row of letter keys is slightly to the right of the row above. On a US or German keyboard, the position of A is slightly to the right of Q; on a French keyboard, it's Q that is further right than A. This offset is called [[staggering|stagger]]. The reason for this stagger is likely also related to the design of typewriters and is no longer required. There is one belief that stagger should not exist, leading to commercial keyboards such as the [[TypeMatrix line]]. Another viewpoint is the stagger should go the other way, to match your finger length.

Keyboards that aim for a layout that more closely suits the needs of the operator are called '''ergonomic keyboards'''. Many such keyboards, including the community-driven [[ErgoDox]], separate out the left and right sides, so that your wrists aren't drawn inwards. To avoid keeping your wrists under torsion, keyboards with [[tenting]] allow each side of the keyboard to be angled upwards like a tent.

<gallery widths=250 heights=187>
File:TypeMatrix 2020.jpg | TypeMatrix 2020: matrix layout
File:Ergodox1.jpg        | ErgoDox: split halves
File:IbmM15.jpg          | [[IBM Adjustable Keyboard]] with tenting
</gallery>

In addition to changing the shape and size of the keyboard, there are also ways to arrange the keys themselves to facilitate faster and more accurate typing. The [[Dvorak]] layout is the best known of these, but there are many more layouts to choose from.

There are many different approaches to explore. While many people are satisfied with the de facto design that has been around since the 1980s, nobody should feel restricted by this design should they feel that something different would improve their typing performance or reduce the strain on their body.