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81-566: The Alpha processor was also used in a line of workstations , AlphaStation . Some AlphaServer models were rebadged in white enclosures as Digital Servers for the Windows NT server market. These so-called "white box" models comprised the following: As part of the roadmap to phase out Alpha-, MIPS - and PA-RISC -based systems in favor of Itanium-based systems at HP, the most recent AlphaServer systems reached their end of general availability on 27 April 2007. The availability of upgrades and options

162-496: A $ 12,000 (equivalent to $ 29,000 in 2023) "personal workstation" might be a high-end PC like Macintosh II or IBM PS/2 Model 80 , low-end workstation, or a hybrid device like the NeXT Computer , all with similar, overlapping specifications. One differentiator between PC and workstation was that the latter was much more likely to have a graphics accelerator with support for a graphics standard like PHIGS or X Window , while

243-569: A mainframe computer terminal to a PC connected to a network , but the most common form refers to the class of hardware offered by several current and defunct companies such as Sun Microsystems , Silicon Graphics , Apollo Computer , DEC , HP , NeXT , and IBM which powered the 3D computer graphics revolution of the late 1990s. Workstations formerly offered higher performance than mainstream personal computers , especially in CPU , graphics , memory, and multitasking. Workstations are optimized for

324-457: A word processor , web browser or social media app. Touchscreens use virtual keyboards . Typewriters are the definitive ancestor of all key-based text entry devices, but the computer keyboard as a device for electromechanical data entry and communication largely comes from the utility of two devices: teleprinters (or teletypes) and keypunches . It was through such devices that modern computer keyboards inherited their layouts. As early as

405-657: A board with fewer keys. Court reporters' stenotype machines use chorded keyboards to enable them to enter text much faster by typing a syllable with each stroke instead of one letter at a time. The fastest typists (as of 2007) use a stenograph, a kind of chorded keyboard used by most court reporters and closed-caption reporters. Some chorded keyboards are also made for use in situations where fewer keys are preferable, such as on devices that can be used with only one hand, and on small mobile devices that don't have room for larger keyboards. Chorded keyboards are less desirable in many cases because it usually takes practice and memorization of

486-448: A certain pattern, allowing only one beam per row of keys (most commonly horizontal beam). Alphabetical, numeric, and punctuation keys are used in the same fashion as a typewriter keyboard to enter their respective symbol into a word processing program, text editor, data spreadsheet, or other program. Many of these keys will produce different symbols when modifier keys or shift keys are pressed. The alphabetic characters become uppercase when

567-558: A chorded keyboard, was invented by Douglas Engelbart . Other types of one-handed keyboards include the FrogPad , the Half-keyboard , and one-handed Dvorak keyboard layouts designed for one hand typing . While other keyboards generally associate one action with each key, chorded keyboards associate actions with combinations of key presses. Since there are many combinations available, chorded keyboards can effectively produce more actions on

648-410: A command line, window form or dialog box to operate its default function, which is typically to finish an "entry" and begin the desired process. In word processing applications, pressing the enter key ends a paragraph and starts a new one. Navigation keys or cursor keys include a variety of keys which move the cursor to different positions on the screen. Arrow keys are programmed to move the cursor in

729-459: A cursor hovering above a menu. On some Samsung keyboards the cursor in the icon is not present, showing the menu only. This key was created at the same time as the Windows key. This key is normally used when the right mouse button is not present on the mouse. Some Windows public terminals do not have a Menu key on their keyboard to prevent users from right-clicking (however, in many Windows applications,

810-406: A game controller, and can be used as such, instead of laid out flat on top of a table surface. Typically handheld keyboards hold all the alphanumeric keys and symbols that a standard keyboard would have, yet only be accessed by pressing two sets of keys at once; one acting as a function key similar to a 'Shift' key that would allow for capital letters on a standard keyboard. Handheld keyboards allow

891-432: A high-resolution display, a keyboard , and a mouse at a minimum, but also offers multiple displays, graphics tablets , and 3D mice for manipulating objects and navigating scenes. Workstations were the first segment of the computer market to present advanced accessories, and collaboration tools like videoconferencing . The increasing capabilities of mainstream PCs since the late 1990s have reduced distinction between

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972-482: A laser, onto a flat surface. The device then uses a camera or infrared sensor to "watch" where the user's fingers move, and will count a key as being pressed when it "sees" the user's finger touch the projected image. Projection keyboards can simulate a full size keyboard from a very small projector. Because the "keys" are simply projected images, they cannot be felt when pressed. Users of projected keyboards often experience increased discomfort in their fingertips because of

1053-522: A maximum of 16 microprocessors. In October 2003, the number of microprocessors supported was increased to 64 and the supported memory capacity was doubled to 8 GB per microprocessor. Workstation A workstation is a special computer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by a single user, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems . The term workstation has been used loosely to refer to everything from

1134-411: A megapixel display (roughly 1000×1000 pixels), and one " MegaFLOPS " compute performance (at least one million floating-point operations per second). RFC 782 defines the workstation environment more generally as "hardware and software dedicated to serve a single user", and that it provisions additional shared resources. This is at least one order of magnitude beyond the capacity of the personal computer of

1215-947: A much higher price. Workstations have typically driven advancements in CPU technology. All computers benefit from multi-processor and multicore designs (essentially, multiple processors on a die ). The multicore design was pioneered by IBM's POWER4 ; it and Intel Xeon have multiple CPUs, more on-die cache, and ECC memory. Some workstations are designed or certified for use with only one specific application such as AutoCAD , Avid Xpress Studio HD, or 3D Studio Max . The certification process increases workstation prices. Modern workstations are typically desktop computers with AMD or NVIDIA GPUs to do high-performance computing on software programs such as video editing , 3D modeling , computer-aided design , and rendering . By January 2009, all RISC -based workstation product lines had been discontinued: In early 2018, RISC workstations were reintroduced in

1296-483: A multiuser system reserved for one user. For example, the PDP-8 from Digital Equipment Corporation , is regarded as the first commercial minicomputer. Workstations have historically been more advanced than contemporary PCs, with more powerful CPU architectures, earlier networking, more advanced graphics, more memory, and multitasking with sophisticated operating systems like Unix. Because of their minicomputer heritage, from

1377-594: A numeric keypad, commonly those of laptop computers. These keys are collectively known as a numeric pad, numeric keys, or a numeric keypad, and it can consist of the following types of keys: Arithmetic operators , numbers , arrow keys , Navigation keys , Num Lock and Enter key . Multifunctional keyboards provide additional function beyond the standard keyboard. Many are programmable, configurable computer keyboards and some control multiple PCs, workstations and other information sources, usually in multi-screen work environments. Users have additional key functions as well as

1458-509: A personal workstation suitable for 2D CAD costing $ 5,000 (equivalent to $ 12,000 in 2023) to $ 25,000 (equivalent to $ 61,000 in 2023) was available from multiple vendors. Mid-range models capable of 3D graphics cost from $ 35,000 (equivalent to $ 86,000 in 2023) to $ 60,000 (equivalent to $ 147,000 in 2023), while high-end models overlapping with minicomputers cost from $ 80,000 (equivalent to $ 197,000 in 2023) to $ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 246,000 in 2023) or more. By then

1539-426: A reduced set of keys. They may not have a numeric keypad , and the function keys may be placed in locations that differ from their placement on a standard, full-sized keyboard. The switch mechanism for a laptop keyboard is more likely to be a scissor switch than a rubber dome; this is opposite the trend for full-size keyboards. Flexible keyboards are a junction between normal type and laptop type keyboards: normal from

1620-459: A screenshot in the clipboard . The Break key /Pause key no longer has a well-defined purpose. Its origins go back to teleprinter users, who wanted a key that would temporarily interrupt the communications line. The Break key can be used by software in several different ways, such as to switch between multiple login sessions, to terminate a program, or to interrupt a modem connection. In programming, especially old DOS-style BASIC, Pascal and C, Break

1701-661: A series of IBM POWER9 -based systems by Raptor Computing Systems. In October of 2024 System 76 introduces The Thelio Astra an Arm workstation aim for autonomous car industry. Most of the current workstation market uses x86-64 microprocessors. Operating systems include Windows , FreeBSD , Linux distributions , macOS , and Solaris . Some vendors also market commodity mono-socket systems as workstations. These are three types of workstations: A high-end desktop market segment includes workstations, with PC operating systems and components. Component product lines may be segmented, with premium components that are functionally similar to

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1782-462: A similar functionality can be invoked with the Shift+F10 keyboard shortcut ). Many, but not all, computer keyboards have a numeric keypad to the right of the alphabetic keyboard, often separated from the other groups of keys such as the function keys and system command keys, which contains numbers, basic mathematical symbols (e.g., addition, subtraction, etc.), and a few function keys. In addition to

1863-470: A similar role for technical computing. Sun's thin clients include the Sun Ray product line. However, traditional workstations and PCs continued to drop in price and complexity as remote management tools for IT staff became available, undercutting this market. A high-end workstation of the early 1980s with the three Ms, or a "3M computer" (coined by Raj Reddy and his colleagues at CMU), has one megabyte of RAM,

1944-724: A single user, with high-resolution graphics (and so a workstation in the modern sense), is the Alto developed at Xerox PARC in 1973. Other early workstations include the Terak 8510/a (1977), Three Rivers PERQ (1979), and the later Xerox Star (1981). In the early 1980s, with the advent of 32-bit microprocessors such as the Motorola 68000 , several new competitors appeared, including Apollo Computer and Sun Microsystems , with workstations based on 68000 and Unix . Meanwhile, DARPA 's VLSI Project created several spinoff graphics products, such as

2025-527: A specified direction; page scroll keys, such as the Page Up and Page Down keys , scroll the page up and down. The Home key is used to return the cursor to the beginning of the line where the cursor is located; the End key puts the cursor at the end of the line. The Tab key advances the cursor to the next tab stop. The Insert key is mainly used to switch between overtype mode, in which the cursor overwrites any text that

2106-423: A traditional operating system and perform computations locally, with storage on a remote server . These are intended to reduce the initial system purchase cost, and the total cost of ownership , by reducing the amount of administration required per user. This approach was first attempted as a replacement for PCs in office productivity applications, with the 3Station by 3Com . In the 1990s, X terminals filled

2187-425: A variety of function keys . The repertoire of glyphs engraved on the keys of a keyboard accords with national conventions and language needs. Computer keyboards are similar to electric-typewriter keyboards but contain additional keys, such as the command key or Windows keys . Keyboards on laptops and notebook computers usually have a shorter travel distance for the keystroke, shorter over travel distance, and

2268-536: Is a limited workspace. A thumb keyboard (thumb board) is used in some personal digital assistants such as the Palm Treo and BlackBerry and some Ultra-Mobile PCs such as the OQO . Numeric keyboards contain only numbers, mathematical symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, a decimal point, and several function keys. They are often used to facilitate data entry with smaller keyboards that do not have

2349-436: Is also descended from the mechanical typewriter. Its main purpose is to enter the space between words during typing. It is large enough so that a thumb from either hand can use it easily. Depending on the operating system, when the space bar is used with a modifier key such as the control key, it may have functions such as resizing or closing the current window, half-spacing, or backspacing. In computer games and other applications

2430-408: Is designed with a focus on specific features that suit particular needs. Today, most full-size keyboards use one of three different mechanical layouts, usually referred to as simply ISO ( ISO/IEC 9995 -2), ANSI ( ANSI - INCITS 154-1988), and JIS ( JIS X 6002-1980), referring roughly to the organizations issuing the relevant worldwide, United States, and Japanese standards, respectively. (In fact,

2511-543: Is possible to install multiple keyboard layouts within an operating system and switch between them, either through features implemented within the OS, or through an external application. Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac provide support to add keyboard layouts and choose from them. Keyboards and keypads may be illuminated from inside, especially on equipment for mobile use. Both keyboards built into computers and external ones may support backlighting; external backlit keyboards may have

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2592-432: Is present on and after its current location, and insert mode, where the cursor inserts a character at its current position, forcing all characters past it one position further. The Delete key discards the character ahead of the cursor's position, moving all following characters one position "back" towards the freed place. On many notebook computer keyboards the key labeled Delete (sometimes Delete and Backspace are printed on

2673-468: Is used (in conjunction with Ctrl) to stop program execution. In addition to this, Linux and variants, as well as many DOS programs, treat this combination the same as Ctrl+C. On modern keyboards, the break key is usually labeled Pause/Break. In most Windows environments, the key combination Windows key+Pause brings up the system properties. The escape key ( esc ) has a variety of meanings according to Operating System, application or both. "Nearly all of

2754-621: The Digital 2100 before the AlphaServer brand was introduced. ^1 Each bank contained five SIMMs. The initial four SIMMs were used for data; the fifth SIMM was used for ECC. ^2 AlphaServer 1000 Service Guide EK-DTLSV-SV. B01, page 5-2 ^1 5 modules per bank, 5th module used for ECC, later 1000A 5/500 systems have 16 slots, 4 modules with ECC per bank ^2 AlphaServer 1000A Technical Summary, page 6 ^3 AlphaServer 800 Service Guide EK–ASV80–SG. A01 The AlphaServer SC

2835-504: The Silicon Graphics 3130 . Target markets were differentiated, with Sun and Apollo considered to be network workstations and SGI as graphics workstations. RISC CPUs increased in the mid-1980s, typical of workstation vendors. Competition between RISC vendors lowered CPU prices to as little as $ 10 per MIPS, much less expensive than the Intel 80386 ; after large price cuts in 1987 and 1988,

2916-426: The escape key ) can prompt the computer to execute system commands. In a modern computer, the interpretation of key presses is generally left to the software: the information sent to the computer, the scan code , tells it only which physical key (or keys) was pressed or released. In normal usage, the keyboard is used as a text entry interface for typing text, numbers, and symbols into application software such as

2997-412: The visualization and manipulation of different types of complex data such as 3D mechanical design, engineering simulations like computational fluid dynamics , animation , video editing , image editing , medical imaging , image rendering, computational science , generating mathematical plots , and software development . Typically, the form factor is that of a desktop computer , which consists of

3078-421: The "start" button was to hold down the control key and press escape. This process still works in Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10. The 'enter key' ⌅ Enter and 'return key' ↵ Return are two closely related keys with overlapping and distinct functions dependent on operating system and application . On full-size keyboards, there are two such keys, one in the alphanumeric keys and

3159-535: The 105 key layout is the norm in the rest of the world. This number is not always followed, and individual keys or whole sections are commonly skipped for the sake of compactness or user preference. The most common choice is to not include the numpad, which can usually be fully replaced by the alphanumeric section; such designs are referred to as "tenkeyless" (or TKL). Laptops and wireless peripherals often lack duplicate keys and ones seldom used. Function- and arrow keys are nearly always present. Another factor determining

3240-596: The 1870s, teleprinter-like devices were used to simultaneously type and transmit stock market text data from the keyboard across telegraph lines to stock ticker machines to be immediately copied and displayed onto ticker tape . The teleprinter, in its more contemporary form, was developed from 1907 to 1910 by American mechanical engineer Charles Krum and his son Howard , with early contributions by electrical engineer Frank Pearne . Earlier models were developed separately by individuals such as Royal Earl House and Frederick G. Creed . Earlier, Herman Hollerith developed

3321-453: The Esc key extensively. Historically it also served as a type of shift key, such that one or more following characters were interpreted differently, hence the term escape sequence , which refers to a series of characters, usually preceded by the escape character . On machines running Microsoft Windows, prior to the implementation of the Windows key on keyboards, the typical practice for invoking

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3402-655: The Macintosh and Apple keyboards, the modifier keys are the Option key and Command key , respectively. On Sun Microsystems and Lisp machine keyboards, the Meta key is used as a modifier and for Windows keyboards, there is a Windows key . Compact keyboard layouts often use a Fn key . " Dead keys " allow placement of a diacritic mark, such as an accent, on the following letter (e.g., the Compose key ). The enter/return key typically causes

3483-691: The PCs and workstations. Typical 1980s workstations have expensive proprietary hardware and operating systems to categorically distinguish from standardized PCs. From the 1990s and 2000s, IBM 's RS/6000 and IntelliStation have RISC -based POWER CPUs running AIX , and its IBM PC Series and Aptiva corporate and consumer PCs have Intel x86 CPUs. However, by the early 2000s, this difference largely disappeared, since workstations use highly commoditized hardware dominated by large PC vendors, such as Dell , Hewlett-Packard , and Fujitsu , selling x86-64 systems running Windows or Linux . Workstations are older than

3564-622: The Quadra 700 was an intriguing option at a fraction of the cost" as resource-intensive software such as Infini-D brought "studio-quality 3D rendering and animations to the home desktop". The Quadra 700 can run A/UX 3.0, making it a Unix workstation. Another example is the Nvidia GeForce 256 consumer graphics card, which spawned the Quadro workstation card, which has the same GPU but different driver support and certifications for CAD applications and

3645-451: The additional cost and space requirements of other types of hardware keyboards. Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and some varieties of Linux include on-screen keyboards that can be controlled with the mouse. In these, the mouse has to be maneuvered onto the on-screen letters given by the software. On the click of a letter, the software writes the respective letter in the respective spot. Projection keyboards project an image of keys, usually with

3726-401: The combinations to become proficient. Virtual keyboards , sometimes called on-screen keyboards (rarely software keyboards), consist of computer programs that display an image of a keyboard on the screen. Another input device such as a mouse or a touchscreen can be used to operate each virtual key to enter text. Virtual keyboards have become very popular in touchscreen enabled cell phones due to

3807-449: The companies that make the products tend to have comprehensive repair/replacement plans. As the distinction between workstation and PC fades, however, workstation manufacturers have increasingly employed "off-the-shelf" PC components and graphics solutions rather than proprietary hardware or software. Some "low-cost" workstations are still expensive by PC standards but offer binary compatibility with higher-end workstations and servers made by

3888-478: The consumer models but with higher robustness or performance. A workstation-class PC may have some of the following features: Computer keyboard A computer keyboard is a peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches . Replacing early punched cards and paper tape technology, interaction via teleprinter -style keyboards have been

3969-552: The cost of logic circuitry, enabling IBM to make it inexpensive. The machine is codenamed CADET and was initially rented for $ 1000 per month. In 1965, the IBM 1130 scientific computer became the successor to 1620. Both of these systems run Fortran and other languages. They are built into roughly desk-sized cabinets, with console typewriters. They have optional add-on disk drives, printers, and both paper-tape and punched-card I/O. Early workstations were generally dedicated minicomputers ,

4050-521: The earliest computers incorporated electric typewriter keyboards: the development of the ENIAC computer incorporated a keypunch device as both the input and paper-based output device, and the BINAC computer made use of an electromechanically controlled typewriter for both data entry onto magnetic tape (instead of paper) and data output. The keyboard remained the primary, most integrated computer peripheral well into

4131-402: The emitters and sensors are located in the perimeter, mounted on a small PCB . The light is directed from side to side of the keyboard interior and it can only be blocked by the actuated keys. Most optical keyboards require at least 2 beams (most commonly vertical beam and horizontal beam) to determine the actuated key. Some optical keyboards use a special key structure that blocks the light in

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4212-429: The equal sign. On Japanese/Korean keyboards , there may be language input keys for changing the language to use. Some keyboards have power management keys (e.g., power key, sleep key and wake key); Internet keys to access a web browser or e-mail ; and/or multimedia keys, such as volume controls; or keys that can be programmed by the user to launch a specified application or a command like minimizing all windows. It

4293-452: The era of personal computing until the introduction of the mouse as a consumer device in 1984. By this time, text-only user interfaces with sparse graphics gave way to comparatively graphics-rich icons on screen . However, keyboards remain central to human-computer interaction to the present though mobile personal computing devices such as smartphones and tablets use a virtual keyboard . Different types of keyboards are available and each

4374-422: The first personal computer (PC). The first computer that might qualify as a workstation is the IBM 1620 , a small scientific computer designed to be used interactively by a single person sitting at the console. It was introduced in 1959. One peculiar feature of the machine is that it lacks any arithmetic circuitry. To perform addition, it requires a memory-resident table of decimal addition rules. This reduced

4455-405: The first keypunch devices, which soon evolved to include keys for text and number entry akin to normal typewriters by the 1930s. The keyboard on the teleprinter played a strong role in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communication for most of the 20th century, while the keyboard on the keypunch device played a strong role in data entry and storage for just as long. The development of some of

4536-421: The former usually depended on software rendering or proprietary accelerators. The computer animation industry's needs typically caused improvements in graphical technology, with CAD using the same improvements later. BYTE predicted in 1989 "Soon, the only way we'll be able to tell the difference between traditional workstations and PCs will be by the operating system they run", with the former running Unix and

4617-561: The full arrangement of keys, and laptop from the short key distance. Additionally, the flexibility allows the user to fold/roll the keyboard for better storage and transfer. However, for typing the keyboard must be resting on a hard surface. The vast majority of flexible keyboards in the market are made from silicone; this material makes them water- and dust-proof. This is useful in hospitals, where keyboards are subjected to frequent washing, and other dirty or must-be-clean environments. Handheld ergonomic keyboards are designed to be held like

4698-472: The key has myriad uses in addition to its normal purpose in typing, such as jumping and adding marks to check boxes. In certain programs for playback of digital video, the space bar is used for pausing and resuming the playback. Modifier keys are special keys that modify the normal action of another key, when the two are pressed in combination. For example, Alt + F4 in Microsoft Windows will close

4779-471: The lack of "give" when typing. A flat, non-reflective surface is also required for the keys to be projected. Most projection keyboards are made for use with PDAs and smartphones due to their small form factor. Also known as photo-optical keyboard, light responsive keyboard, photo-electric keyboard and optical key actuation detection technology. An optical keyboard technology utilizes LEDs and photo sensors to optically detect actuated keys. Most commonly

4860-598: The latter running OS/2 , classic Mac OS , and/or Unix. Many workstations by then had some method to run increasingly popular and powerful PC software such as Lotus 1-2-3 or Microsoft Word . The magazine demonstrated that year that an individual could build a workstation with commodity components with specifications comparable to commercially available low-end workstations. Workstations often featured SCSI or Fibre Channel disk storage systems, high-end 3D accelerators , single or multiple 64-bit processors , large amounts of RAM , and well-designed cooling. Additionally,

4941-469: The latter, the Enter key is in a single row (usually the third from the bottom) while in the former it spans over two rows and has an inverse L shape. The purpose of the ⇧ Shift key is to invoke the first alternative function of the key with which it is pressed concurrently. For alphabetic keys, shift+letter gives the upper case version of that letter. For other keys, the key is engraved with symbols for both

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5022-482: The main input method for computers since the 1970s, supplemented by the computer mouse since the 1980s. Keyboard keys (buttons) typically have a set of characters engraved or printed on them, and each press of a key typically corresponds to a single written symbol . However, producing some symbols may require pressing and holding several keys simultaneously or in sequence. While most keys produce characters ( letters , numbers or symbols), other keys (such as

5103-595: The mechanical layouts referred such as "ISO" and "ANSI" comply to the primary recommendations in the named standards, while each of these standards in fact also allows the other way.) ANSI standard alphanumeric keyboards have keys that are on three-quarter inch centers (0.75 inches (19 mm)), and have a key travel of at least 0.15 inches (3.8 mm). Modern keyboard models contain a set number of total keys according to their given standard, described as 101, 104, 105, etc. and sold as "Full-size" keyboards. Modern keyboards matching US conventions typically have 104 keys while

5184-416: The other one is in the numeric keys. The purpose of the enter key is to confirm what has been typed. The return key is based on the original line feed / carriage return function of typewriters : in many word processors, for example, the return key ends a paragraph; in a spreadsheet, it completes the current cell and move to the next cell. The shape of the Enter key differs between ISO and ANSI keyboards: in

5265-501: The program in an active window . In contrast, pressing just F4 will probably do nothing, unless assigned a specific function in a particular program. By themselves, modifier keys usually do nothing. The most widely used modifier keys include the Control key , Shift key and the Alt key . The AltGr key is used to access additional symbols for keys that have three symbols printed on them. On

5346-469: The row of number keys above the top alphabetic row, most desktop keyboards have a number pad or accounting pad, on the right hand side of the keyboard. While num lock is set, the numbers on these keys duplicate the number row; if not, they have alternative functions as engraved. In addition to numbers, this pad has command symbols concerned with calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division symbols. The enter key in this keys indicate

5427-472: The same as the consumer market, and the price differential narrowed. For example, most Macintosh Quadra computers were originally intended for scientific or design work, all with the Motorola 68040 CPU, backward compatible with 68000 Macintoshes. The consumer Macintosh IIcx and Macintosh IIci models can be upgraded to the Quadra 700 . "In an era when many professionals preferred Silicon Graphics workstations,

5508-420: The same key) serves the same purpose as a Backspace key. The Backspace key deletes the preceding character. Lock keys lock part of a keyboard, depending on the settings selected. The lock keys are scattered around the keyboard. Most styles of keyboards have three LEDs indicating which locks are enabled, in the upper right corner above the numeric pad. The lock keys include Scroll lock , Num lock (which allows

5589-422: The same vendor. This allows software development to take place on low-cost (relative to the server) desktop machines. Workstations diversified to the lowest possible price point as opposed to performance, called the thin client or network computer . Dependent upon a network and server, this reduces the machine to having no hard drive, and only the CPU, keyboard, mouse, and screen. Some diskless nodes still run

5670-419: The shift key or Caps Lock key is depressed. The numeric characters become symbols or punctuation marks when the shift key is depressed. The alphabetical, numeric, and punctuation keys can also have other functions when they are pressed at the same time as some modifier keys. The Space bar is a horizontal bar in the lowermost row, which is significantly wider than other keys. Like the alphanumeric characters, it

5751-482: The size of a keyboard is the size and spacing of the keys. The reduction is limited by the practical consideration that the keys must be large enough to be easily pressed by fingers. Alternatively, a tool is used for pressing small keys. Desktop computer keyboards include alphabetic characters and numerals (and usually additionally a numeric keypad ), typographical symbols and punctuation marks , one or more currency symbols and other special characters, diacritics and

5832-1091: The standard functions and can typically use a single keyboard and mouse to access multiple sources. Multifunctional keyboards may feature customised keypads, fully programmable function or soft keys for macros/pre-sets, biometric or smart card readers, trackballs , etc. New generation multifunctional keyboards feature a touchscreen display to stream video, control audio visual media and alarms, execute application inputs, configure individual desktop environments, etc. Multifunctional keyboards may also permit users to share access to PCs and other information sources. Multiple interfaces (serial, USB, audio, Ethernet, etc.) are used to integrate external devices. Some multifunctional keyboards are also used to directly and intuitively control video walls. Common environments for multifunctional keyboards are complex, high-performance workplaces for financial traders and control room operators (emergency services, security, air traffic management; industry, utilities management, etc.). Many keyboards have been designed for one-handed operation. The first one,

5913-653: The start workstations have run professional and expensive software such as CAD and graphics design, as opposed to PCs' games and text editors. The Lisp machines developed at MIT in the early 1970s pioneered some workstation principles, as high-performance, networked, single-user systems intended for heavily interactive use. Lisp Machines were commercialized beginning 1980 by companies like Symbolics , Lisp Machines , Texas Instruments (the TI Explorer ), and Xerox (the Interlisp-D workstations). The first computer designed for

5994-525: The time", it signals Stop , QUIT , or "let me get out of a dialog" (or pop-up window). It triggers the Stop function in many web browsers. The escape key was part of the standard keyboard of the Teletype Model 33 (introduced in 1964 and used with many early minicomputers). The DEC VT50 , introduced July 1974, also had an Esc key. The TECO text editor (ca 1963) and its descendant Emacs (ca 1985) use

6075-486: The time. The original 1981 IBM Personal Computer has 16 KB memory, a text-only display, and floating-point performance around 1  kFLOPS ( 30 kFLOPS with the optional 8087 math coprocessor. Other features beyond the typical personal computer include networking, graphics acceleration, and high-speed internal and peripheral data buses. Another goal was to bring the price below one " megapenny ", that is, less than $ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 28,000 in 2023), which

6156-419: The unshifted and shifted result. When used in combination with other control keys (such as Ctrl , Alt or AltGr ), the effect is system and application dependent. The Menu key or Application key is a key found on Windows-oriented computer keyboards. It is used to launch a context menu with the keyboard rather than with the usual right mouse button. The key's symbol is usually a small icon depicting

6237-464: The use of the numeric keypad), and Caps lock . The SysRq and Print screen commands often share the same key. SysRq was used in earlier computers as a "panic" button to recover from crashes (and it is still used in this sense to some extent by the Linux kernel ; see Magic SysRq key ). The Print screen command used to capture the entire screen and send it to the printer, but in the present it usually puts

6318-454: The user the ability to move around a room or to lean back on a chair while also being able to type in front or away from the computer. Some variations of handheld ergonomic keyboards also include a trackball mouse that allow mouse movement and typing included in one handheld device. Smaller external keyboards have been introduced for devices without a built-in keyboard, such as PDAs , and smartphones. Small keyboards are also useful where there

6399-436: Was a supercomputer constructed from a set of individual DS20L, ES40 or ES45 servers (called "nodes") mounted in racks. Every node was connected to every other node using a Quadrics elan3 interconnect and the systems were designed and used primarily for high-performance technical computing . An AlphaServer SC45 supercomputer was still ranked #6 in the world as late as November 2004. The AlphaServer GS1280 originally supported

6480-448: Was achieved in the late 1980s. Throughout the early to mid-1990s, many workstations cost from $ 15,000 to $ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 200,000 in 2023) or more. The more widespread adoption of these technologies into mainstream PCs was a direct factor in the decline of the workstation as a separate market segment: Since the late 1990s, the workstation and consumer markets have further merged. Many low-end workstation components are now

6561-455: Was discontinued on 25 April 2008, approximately one year after the systems were discontinued. Support for the most recent AlphaServer systems, the DS15A, DS25, ES45, ES47, ES80 and GS1280 is being provided by HP Services as of 2008. These systems are no longer supported by HP. In approximate chronological order, the following AlphaServer models were produced: The AlphaServer 2100 was briefly sold as

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