Owning and operating a computer involves much more than the size of the screen, number of components or even the size and speed of the processor. While these are important and often the most marketed features of any computer, there or other considerations a prospective buyer should include when making a final decision on what computer to buy.

One particular component that a computer user should never overlook is the keyboard. This crucial input device is what most of us will spend 80 – 90% of our time physically interacting with. The mouse being the other device most often used. There are some uses that might require a number key pad for example,where numbers 0-9 are organized in a three row by three column fashion for quick inputing of number data. Thereby purchasing a laptop with a more compact keyboard that excludes this feature might not be the best choice.

Another feature often overlooked is ergonomics when deciding on a keyboard. Ergonomics here refers to the fashion in which this device fits, or molds to the natural angles of your body when interacting with the device from you computer desk, for example. Certain adjustments are often made from a desk such as the chair height or height / availability of a keyboard tray. These are done in order to place the keyboard at the proper angle in order to ensure that the wrists access it properly and thereby decrease the likelihood of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Certain keyboard manufacturers have even taken the shape and design of keyboards a step further for purposes of ergonomics by altering the location and angle of the keys. Some ergonomic keyboards are raised in the middle and changed the angle of the keys in order to present them to the hand in a way that allows for a more natural angle of access.