The Keyboard

The keyboard resembles a typewriter keyboard, but that's where the similarities end: the computer keyboard contains a number of special keys, which, when pressed individually or together, produce different results in different programs.

Most personal computer keyboards contain function keys (e.g. F1, F2, F3...). These keys may or may not have any affect in certain programs. Pressing one key in one program may produce an entirely different result (or nothing at all) in another program. You must always be mindful of what keys you press.

If you intend on typing documents in a word processor, you will need to familiarize yourself with the cursor keys: these are the four up/down/left/right arrows on the right lower half of the keyboard. They move the blinking vertical line on the screen called a cursor when you are in a program, such as a word processor, that lets you type something.

The Backspace and Delete keys are very important: they let you correct and edit words you've typed. The Enter key (called "Return" on some keyboards) is used to start a new line in a word processor or to initiate action in other programs. Other keys to watch for include the Escape (ESC) key (this often allows you to cancel or back out of an action in a program) and the Control (CTRL) key, which is used with other keys to activate special options in a program.