Ergonomic Keyboards Ergonomic keyboards, which consist ef separate sections of keys, allow you to position your hands more naturally so you can work more comfortably. Ergonomic keyboards can also help prevent a repetitive strain injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. You can use a wrist rest with your keyboard to ensure your wrists remain elevated and straight while you type. Using a wrist rest with a keyboard will prevent you from resting your wrists on the edge ot a desk—a position which can cause wrist injury. Some keyboards come with a built-in wrist rest. You can also purchase a wrist rest for your keyboard separately. You should take frequent breaks when typing to prevent hand and wrist strain that can lead to typing injuries. You should stretch or perform other tasks for 15 minutes after every hour or two of typing. Overtime, dust and dirt can accumulate on your keyboard, causing the keys to stick or not respond when pressed. To remove dust and dirt, you can run a vacuum cleaner over the keys. The plastic outer surface of the keyboard can be cleaned with a damp cloth. You should not attempt to open your keyboard to clean the inside, as this can damage the keyboard. Most keyboards have 101 keys and include some or all of the following keys.

Function Keys These keys allow you to quickly perform specific tasks. For example, in many programs, you can press i to display help information.

Hot Keys Each of these buttons allows you to perform a specific task, such as opening your Web browser, launching your e-mail program or adjusting your computers volume setting. Ctrl and Alt Keys You can use the ?i or A1t key in combination with another key to perform a specific task. For example, in some programs, you can press :c1 and to save a document-Windows Key (_j) You can press this key to quickly display the Start menu when using the Windows operating system, such as Windows XP.

Caps Lock and Shift Keys These keys allow you to enter text in uppercase (ABC) and lowercase (abc) letters. Press Caps Lock to change the case of all letters you type. Press the key again to return to the original case. Press Shjf in combination with another key to type an uppercase letter.

You can press Backs to remove the character to the left of the cursor. You can press type over existing text in a document. Press the key again to stop your typing from replacing existing text. You can press to remove the character to the right of the cursor or delete the selected item.