|
The standard keyboards in use today are likely to stick around for a long time. They fulfill the basic purpose of an input device, providing you with a way to get data into the computer. Other input devices -- like mice or voice-recognition microphones -- simplify some of the things that a keyboard can do, but they are likely to remain complements to, not replacements for, the keyboard.
New technologies which have refined the functionality of a keyboard include:
Wireless keyboards. Keyboards that don't have to be physically connected to a computer. Many system vendors are looking toward the day when a computer is just part of an overall media system -- and they consider wireless keyboards to be as important as wireless TV remote controls.
Integrated keyboards. Computer manufacturers are already including speakers and scanners within some keyboards; this trend of integrated components is expected to continue. |