The modern keyboard has developed from the first ones that were used.
The first ones were modelled on the original English Qwerty typewriter.
What I call the "standard" keyboard is the ones that we are
using today. On the continent they also use an Azerty keyboard where the
letters are arranged differently.
There is now an even more complicated keyboard, that has "function
lock" on it, where the F-keys have 2 or more functions.
Your keyboard needs a piece of software to work. Any sofware that makes
a piece of hardware work is called a driver.
Virtually all keyboards on all computers can be plugged in and will work
immediately. This is because the drivers have been installed already (and
the keyboard manufacturers make their keyboards fit with the computers).
Being able to plug something in and it work straight away is known as
"plug-and-play".
There is one difference between the UK and US software. When you are
on UK settings then the number 2 will display an " when you hold
down shift, and US settings will display an @.
Remember the keyboard is simply a way of communicating with the computer.
Keyboards may even disappear in the future if speech control takes over
- although this is unlikely.The keys can easily be made to display different
things with the use of Fonts and Character Map.