The technology of computer keyboards includes many elements. Among the more important of these is the switch technology that they use. Computer alphanumeric keyboards typically have 80 to 110 durable switches, generally one for each key. The choice of switch technology affects key response and pre-travel. Virtual keyboards on touch screens have no physical switches and provide audio and haptic feedback instead. Some newer keyboard models use hybrids of various technologies to achieve greater cost savings or better ergonomics.
Microsoft SideWinder was the general name given to the family of digital game controllers developed by Microsoft for PCs. The line was first launched in 1995. Although intended only for use with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft SideWinder game controllers can also be used with macOS, Mac OS 9 with third-party software, and Linux.
A touchpad or trackpad is a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on the operating system that is made output to the screen. Touchpads are a common feature of laptop computers as opposed to using a mouse on a desktop, and are also used as a substitute for a mouse where desk space is scarce. Because they vary in size, they can also be found on personal digital assistants (PDAs) and some portable media players. Wireless touchpads are also available as detached accessories.
The clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord that was invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to the early 1980s. Hohner produced seven models over the years, designated I, II, L, C, D6, E7 and Duo. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has featured most prominently in funk, jazz-funk, reggae, rock, and soul songs.
Apple Inc. uses a large variety of typefaces in its marketing, operating systems, and industrial design with each product cycle. These change throughout the years with Apple's change of style in their products. This is evident in the design and marketing of the company.
Alps Electric Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, producing electronic devices, including switches, potentiometers, sensors, encoders and touchpads.
The iMac G3, originally released as the iMac, is a series of Macintosh personal computers developed by Apple under the tenure of Apple's interim CEO and cofounder Steve Jobs after his return to the financially troubled company.
Keytronic is a technology company founded in 1969. Its core products initially included keyboards, mice and other input devices. KeyTronic currently specializes in PCBA and full product assembly. The company is among the ten largest contract manufacturers providing electronic manufacturing services in the US. The company offers full product design or assembly of a wide variety of household goods and electronic products such as keyboards, printed circuit board assembly, plastic molding, thermometers, toilet bowl cleaners, satellite tracking systems, etc.
Apple Inc. has designed and released dozens of keyboard models since the introduction of the Apple II in 1977. The current models in use are dual-mode keyboards with integrated batteries: Magic Keyboard, and Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad. Both share a similar look and feel, based on a very thin aluminum chassis and laptop-style low-profile keys, sitting much closer to the tabletop than traditional keyboard designs.
The Apple Extended Keyboard is a keyboard that was first sold separately alongside the Macintosh II and SE starting in 1987. It was replaced in 1990 by the Apple Extended Keyboard II which was pre-packaged with Apple Professional Desktops starting with the Macintosh IIsi.
Apple Inc. has produced and sold dozens of mice and other pointing devices. Over the years Apple has maintained a distinct form and function with its mice that reflects its design philosophies. Apple's current pointing devices are the Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2.
FingerWorks was a gesture recognition company based in the United States, known mainly for its TouchStream multi-touch keyboard. Founded by John Elias and Wayne Westerman of the University of Delaware in 1998, it produced a line of multi-touch products including the iGesture Pad and the TouchStream keyboard, which were particularly helpful for people suffering from RSI and other medical conditions. The keyboards were immediately discontinued when the company's assets were acquired by Apple Inc. in early 2005.
A computer keyboard is a peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. Replacing early punched cards and paper tape technology, interaction via teleprinter-style keyboards have been the main input method for computers since the 1970s, supplemented by the computer mouse since the 1980s.
iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., which run the iOS and iPadOS mobile operating systems. The first iPad was released on April 3, 2010; the most recent iPad models are the ninth-generation iPad, released on September 24, 2021; the sixth-generation iPad mini, released on September 24th, 2021; the fourth-generation iPad Air, released on October 23, 2020; and the third-generation 11-inch (280 mm) and fifth-generation 12.9-inch (330 mm) iPad Pro, released on May 21, 2021.
iPadOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for its iPad line of tablet computers. It is a rebranded variant of iOS, the operating system used by Apple's iPhones, renamed to reflect the diverging features of the two product lines, particularly the iPad's multitasking capabilities and support for keyboard use. It was introduced as iPadOS 13 in 2019, reflecting its status as the successor to iOS 12 for the iPad, at the company's 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference. iPadOS was released to the public on September 24, 2019. The current version is iPadOS 15.0.1, released on October 1, 2021.
Lenovo Yoga is a line of consumer-oriented laptop computers and tablets designed, developed and marketed by Lenovo, named for their ability to assume multiple form factors due to a hinged screen.
The following outline of Apple Inc. is a topical guide to the consumer electronics, software, retail stores, corporate acquisitions, timeline, and personnel under the purview of the American multinational corporation Apple Inc. The company's best-known hardware products are the Macintosh, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. Its best-known software includes the macOS and iOS operating systems, and the iTunes media browser. As of March 2014, Apple has 425 retail stores in 16 countries, and an online store.
Dan Riccio was Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. Riccio lead the Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, and Apple Watch engineering teams, which have produced numerous products. He was succeeded by John Ternus on January 25, 2021. He is now in an unnamed role focusing on a new project at Apple.
iPad Pro is a premium professional sub-lineup of the iPad tablet computers by Apple Inc.. It runs iPadOS, an optimized derivation from the predecessor iOS. The original iPad Pro was introduced in September 2015 which was originally based in iOS 9; the second generation, unveiled in June 2017, made uses of an upgraded A10X Fusion chip with an extended 10.5-inch screen display. The home button was eliminated following the third lineup for a full display at 11-inch, and it features an array sensor Face ID capable of performing unlocking at wide angles. The fourth-lineup, introduced in March 2020, included the A12Z chip with added compatibility to the Magic Keyboard. The current model fifth generation was announced on April 2021, incorporating a desktop-class SoC Apple silicon M1 chip, marking the first model to not use an A-series processor.
