If you're the type of person who spends at least three hours a day in front of a computer, you want to make sure that you're comfortable with your keyboard. Keyboards are now manufactured with cool new ergonomic designs contoured to relieve the stress on wrists and forearms while typing.

A keyboard is an input device. This means that you use it to communicate with your computer. Using word-processing or other software, the keyboard allows you to enter words, phrases, answers, any type of information in either alphabetic or numeric forms. Most keyboards have a built-in numeric keypad, similar in appearance to the pad you'd find on a calculator; very useful for financial applications. Virtually every computer that we sell includes a keyboard. On a desktop, a keyboard is a separate unit that connects to a port in your computer. Portable computers usually have integrated keyboards. Although most appear like a typewriter, there are many variations. Some are specifically shaped to reduce strain and effort, especially if you spend considerable time using it. Others integrate a mouse or touchpad controller for added convenience. Keyboards connect to computers via a PS2 or a USB port usually located on the interface panel of many computers. Although most keyboards connect using an attached cable, there are a few keyboards available that are wireless.

IMMT stands for Internet Multimedia Technology and refers to a set of additional keys not found on a standard keyboard. These keys may be customized to meet your operational needs. IMMT permits you to easily access the Internet, open email, put a computer to sleep, make online purchases, and several other things, with just one press of a designated keyboard key.

Believe it or not, wireless keyboards do exist. You're probably wondering how they work. They basically operate using infrared or radio-frequency (RF) technology, the same way your remote control communicated with your television or VCR. A receiver is placed in the keyboard port, and your keyboard transmits signals directly to your computer. An infra-red wireless keyboard require that you have a somewhat clear line of sight between the keyboard and computer, you can move the keyboard a couple of feet away. A wireless keyboard using RF technology does not have to be in the line-of-sight with the receiver. Your keyboard will also need to have batteries. Wireless keyboards are pricier than standard keyboards, but prove to be a nice tool, especially if you don't like having to sit too close to a monitor.

Most people are familiar with the standard keyboard layout. If your use of a keyboard is limited and you don't need to type much, a standard keyboard will work just fine. However, if you type quite often and feel pain in your wrists, you might need to consider getting a specially designed keyboard to help ease tension and stress from hands, forearms and wrists. The most common of these keyboards is the Split Design, where it seems as if the keyboard was cracked in half, with elevations on both sides of the keyboard. Some keyboards are also built with a built-in mouse, and special designs may also be found for children.

Some keyboards are made to work only with PCs or Macs, while others are designed to work with any computer.

Keypads are very small pads that include approximately 15 keys, most of them numbers. Accountants or people who deal with entering numbers often may find convenience in adding a keypad to their computers. Like a keyboard, keypads connect to a standard keyboard PS2 port on any computer.