Keyboards: QWERTY vs. Dvorak Layouts

Input Peripherals - Keyboard

• The QWERTY keyboard layout, commonly used, isn't the most efficient for touch typing
• Touch typing uses index fingers for more keys, promoting smoother movement

QWERTY Layout Inefficiencies

• Frequently used letters don't align with the most agile fingers in the QWERTY keyboard
• The home row, is not the most accessible.

Dvorak Keyboard

• The Dvorak keyboard emerged in the 1930s, seeking to boost typing speed, cut errors, alleviate user fatigue, and improve keyboard ergonomics
• Studies analyzing English letter usage and hand physiology informed its design
• Frequently used vowels and consonants are positioned on the central row, covering most keystrokes
• Adaptations with letter changes serve other languages
• Dvorak has not replaced QWERTY in its century of use.

QWERTY Keyboard Zones

• Alphanumeric keys include letters, numbers, and keys for combinations
• Function keys are marked F1 to F12 and have application-specific uses
• Some function key uses include:
  • F1: Application help
  • F3: Text search
  • F5: Webpage refresh(browsers).
  • F10: Menu Bar(if aplicable)
  • F11: Full screen
  • F12: Web developer tools(navigator).
• The numeric keypad assists with number entry, activated with the "Bloq Num" key
• Arrow keys navigate documents
• Document management keys are positioned above arrow keys, inserting/deleting content
• Special keys comprise the remaining keys like Esc.
• When choosing a keyboard find one with QWERTY in ANSI or IOS
• Keyboards can come in smaller sizes, and have reduced keys
• Keyboard types available are membrane, mechanical, or hybrid.

Input Peripherals - Mouse Functionality

• A mouse is an input device that moves a pointer on a screen
• 2-D motion is detected and mirrored by the on-screen pointer
• Multiple buttons enable actions on screen elements
• A standard mouse offers three buttons: left, right, and center
• The central button typically acts as a wheel for scrolling and as a button

Mouse connectivity

• Wired, using PS/2 (older) or USB (modern) ports
• Wireless through Bluetooth or manufacturer's wireless

Mouse - Manufacturing

• Mechanical or ball mouse is an older design
• Optical mouse is the modern standard

Mechanical Mice Details

• A mechanical mouse utilizes a rubber-coated metal ball that rolls across a surface.
• This motion is then translated by rollers into positional data via a converter chip
• Mechanical mice can be imprecise due to uneven ball movement, especially on smooth surfaces
• Require maintenance to clean the ball and interior due to dust accumulation, but are no longer manufactured

Optical Mice Functionality

• An optical mouse depends on a light source, often an LED, to illuminate the tracking surface
• Reflected light passes through a lens to a sensor, creating a detailed image.
• The sensor data is analyzed by a chip to identify the mouse position based on image variations
• Some use a laser for enhanced precision which makes them less common due to high cost.

Mouse Key Characteristics

• Resolution and precision is measured in DPI, current mice typically exceed 5000 DPI
• Includes multiple buttons to allow for graphic design or gaming
• The standard size of wired mice is about 12 cm
• Many wireless alternatives are much smaller for transport

Alternative Mouse Peripherals

• Touchpads found on laptops recognize finger movements and convert them
• Trackpoints, rubber studs on laptops are placed between G, H, and B keys, and move the cursor
• Trackballs place the ball on the top, offering greater precision for graphic design tasks
• Joysticks, dating back to the 70/80s for gaming, are still used in industrial machinery
• Stylus, which helps draw or mark positions on tablets, and replace mouse clicks
• 3D mice have levers to enable 3D rotations for design and engineering
• Data gloves transmit hand movement to the computer for engineering

Input Peripherals - Scanners

• A scanner processes printed info like photos into a digital format
• The scanner's components include lenses, mirrors, a light source, and a sensor
• On scanning, the lamp illuminates the document on the glass, and the light is reflected
• Sensor collects shades of red, green, and blue, converts them to binary data and sends the info as a image

Connection Methods for Scanners

• Parallel (LPT)is for older models
• USB which is for modern models
• RJ-45 connects to a local network with a cable
• Inalámbricas:
  • Bluetooth connects to a single computer
  • Wi-Fi connects wireless to a local network.

Types of Scanners

• Flatbed, or desktop, usually handle A4 size paper and may have an auto-feeder
• Sheet-fed have an auto-feeder with vertical feeder placement differentiating them from flatbeds
• Roller or Handheld are smaller for single-hand use, helpful for small or detailed areas

Scanner Key Characteristics

• Optical resolution specifies digital image detail in dots per inch, or DPI
• Scanners with higher DPI setting use more space.
• Sensors are either CCD or CIS for capturing image
• They differ in how light reflects
• CCD has a higher quality than CIS and are more expensive.

Scanner key components

• Scan Speed measures pages a scanner can go through per minute, or ppm
• Twain is a Linux MacOS and Windows controller
• SANE is specific for Linux based operating systems
• WIA is for Windows based operating systems
• ISIS is a standard controller for any operating system.

Scanner Character Recognition

• Software recognizes characters, digitalizing document text directly, including
• OCR which recognizes print characters that appear in current forms
• ICR recognizes written characters, needing a certain 'training' to read it
• OMR recognizes user specific marks like the ones used in surveys

Scanner Variations

• Mark readers employing OMR distinguish and converts data
• Linear/bar code readers scan bar codes for product identification
• Matrix code readers decode dot matrix codes like QR

Input Peripherals - Digital Tablet

• Drawing tablets translate hand-made drawings to a digital canvas
• They can also substitute a traditional mouse
• Tablets need a stylus to make the image, and can use USB or BlueTooth

Tablet Types

• Passive Tablets: use magnetic grid to send and receive signals
• The tablet signal pinpoints the stylus without contact, powering it
• This design, exclusive to Wacom, eliminates the need for stylus batteries
• Active Tablets operate have a built-in battery or electricity, which eliminates the need for continuous interaction with the keyboard.

Core Tablet Features

• Size indicates length and height in inches or diagonal width
• Resolution relates to detectable lines per-inch, where higher values suggest detail
• The digital whiteboard lets you view a projected computer screen in addition to creating graphics.

Input Peripherals- Webcams

• Record videos and take photos for instant sharing across the network
• Webcams allow for videoconferencing, social media sharing, and streaming services
• Webcams can be used as surveillance cameras, referred to as netcams or IP cameras
• A basic lens and image sensor makes up the webcams structure

Connectivity Types

• They can connect through the follow cables:
  • USB which connects a single computer
  • RJ-45 which connets to the network
• Cordless:
  • Bluetooth for personal single use
  • WiFi to connect to multiple

Key Attributes of Webcams

• Measured in megapixels that multiply horizontal/vertical resolution for still images of camera.
• Resolution refers to video res in real-time, measure in FPS

Common Webcam Types

• Desktop webcams attach to monitors via clip or stand
• Laptop webcams are built into the laptop screen, usually comes with sliding covers
• Netcams connect to an Ethernet cord and network for monitoring and protection.

Input Peripherals - Microphones

• Captures and sends sound, useful for communication/streaming
• Used for streaming and video calls
• Built into other equipment like headphones.

Internal Component

• A mic capsule gathers sound through a protective shield, and sends to the computer as an electrical signal

Microphone Connections

• Pink jack connectors which is the most common
• USB which is for peripherals
• Cordlets can go through Bluetooth

Explore keyboard layouts, focusing on the ubiquitous QWERTY and the alternative Dvorak. Discover the inefficiencies of QWERTY and the ergonomic design principles behind Dvorak, including the placement of vowels and consonants on the home row and central row respectively. Understand the historical context and the reasons why QWERTY remains the dominant standard despite Dvorak's advantages.