{"id":176718,"date":"2021-02-12T09:40:57","date_gmt":"2021-02-12T06:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/where-did-the-numeric-keypads-on-pc-keyboards-come-from\/"},"modified":"2021-02-12T09:40:57","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T06:40:57","slug":"where-did-the-numeric-keypads-on-pc-keyboards-come-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/where-did-the-numeric-keypads-on-pc-keyboards-come-from\/","title":{"rendered":"#Where Did the Numeric Keypads on PC Keyboards Come From?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2e7890082d5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2e7890082d5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/where-did-the-numeric-keypads-on-pc-keyboards-come-from\/#Its_All_About_the_Math\" >It\u2019s All About the Math<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/where-did-the-numeric-keypads-on-pc-keyboards-come-from\/#Numeric_Keypads_at_the_Beginning_of_Computers\" >Numeric Keypads at the Beginning of Computers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/where-did-the-numeric-keypads-on-pc-keyboards-come-from\/#From_PCs_to_Everywhere\" >From PCs to Everywhere<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Where Did the Numeric Keypads on PC Keyboards Come From?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-712890 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/aakeypad_hero_1.jpg\" alt=\"Numeric Keypad on Blue Background\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/black-keyboard-close-computer-keys-on-99182435\" data-credittext=\"NataLT \/ Shutterstock\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/black-keyboard-close-computer-keys-on-99182435\">NataLT \/ Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever used a computer, you\u2019ve probably seen it: A grid of numbers and mathematical operators on the far-right side of a keyboard. It\u2019s a numeric keypad\u2014but how did it get there, and why is it laid out the way it is? Let\u2019s explore its origins.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_All_About_the_Math\"><\/span>It\u2019s All About the Math<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Computers have numeric keypads because they make repetitive data entry easier. They allow you to type numbers and perform mathematical operations rapidly, with only one hand. The modern design of numeric keypads may seem obvious today, but it is the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/a-brief-history-of-the-numeric-keypad-59112cbf4c49\">product of decades of refinement<\/a> in adding machine <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a>, most of which took place over 100 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>The modern numeric keypad layout\u2014sometimes called a \u201ctenkey\u201d layout\u2014can trace its roots back to David Sundstrand, whose company released the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/ibm\/history\/exhibits\/attic2\/attic2_061.html\">first commercial tenkey mechanical adding machine<\/a> in 1914. In Sundstrand\u2019s adding machine key layout, you can see the rudiments of now-standard setup: ten numeral keys, arranged in three rows of three with the \u201c0\u201d key beneath them. The numbers count upward from 1 to 9 starting in the lower-left corner of the grid.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-712758 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sundstrand_ad_2.jpg\" alt=\"An Underwood Sundstrand adding machine advertisement from 1934.\" width=\"650\" height=\"500\" data-credittext=\"Underwood Sundstrand\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An ad for a Sundstrand adding machine with a \u201ctenkey\u201d design from 1934. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Underwood Sundstrand<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Contrast this layout with a telephone keypad, which features the \u201c1\u201d key in the upper-left corner of the number grid. The telephone layout originates from a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/a-brief-history-of-the-numeric-keypad-59112cbf4c49\">1960 usability study<\/a> conducted by Bell Labs to determine the most efficient layout for Touch-Tone <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Push-button_telephone\">push-button telephone<\/a> devices.<\/p>\n<p>Sundstrand\u2019s company <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/patents.google.com\/patent\/US1198487A\/en\">patented the design of the \u201ctenkey\u201d adding machine<\/a> in 1914, and advertised the layout as being an easier, faster alternative to its competitor\u2019s keypads. After the patent expired, many companies imitated Sundstrand\u2019s tenkey design. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.edu\/spotlight\/adding-machines\/ten-keys-fewer\">By the 1950s<\/a>, tenkey had become a common key layout for adding machines on the market.<\/p>\n<p>As electronic adding machines took over from mechanical ones in the 1960s, the tenkey design carried forward. Generations of clerical workers learned how to operate tenkey machines for accounting\u2014and later, for data entry on early <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tabulating_machine\">tabulating machines<\/a>. So when it came to data entry on computers, it was only natural to carry the standard tenkey layout forward.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Numeric_Keypads_at_the_Beginning_of_Computers\"><\/span>Numeric Keypads at the Beginning of Computers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To find the origins of numeric keypads on computer keyboards, you have to reach back into the dawn of the digital computer itself. As far back as 1951, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerhistory.org\/revolution\/early-computer-companies\/5\/100\">operator\u2019s console for the UNIVAC I<\/a>\u2014one of the first commercial digital computers\u2014included a numeric keypad on its keyboard.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-712762 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sol20_computer.jpg\" alt=\"A Sol-20 personal computer from 1976.\" width=\"650\" height=\"352\" data-crediturl=\"http:\/\/oldcomputers.net\/sol-20.html\" data-credittext=\"Steven Stengel\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sol-20 personal computer from 1976 included a numeric keypad. <span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/oldcomputers.net\/sol-20.html\">Steven Stengel<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>By the time the personal computer revolution arrived in the mid-1970s, numeric keypads came along for the ride. Some of the earliest PCs, including the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/oldcomputers.net\/sol-20.html\">Sol-20<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/oldcomputers.net\/compucolor-8001.html\">CompuColor 8001<\/a> (both 1976), and the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/oldcomputers.net\/pet2001.html\">Commodore PET<\/a> (1977) included numeric keypads on their keyboards. In <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>, the more business-oriented the computer, the more likely it would include a numeric keypad to aid with data entry tasks.<\/p>\n<p>When IBM launched its own personal computer in 1981, it too included a numeric keypad on its keyboard with the tenkey layout. IBM also included mathematical operator keys and a Num Lock key, which switched functions between numeric keypad mode and using some of the keypad keys as cursor (arrow) keys.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_PCs_to_Everywhere\"><\/span>From PCs to Everywhere<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In 1984, IBM introduced its 101-key Extended Keyboard\u2014now most commonly known as the \u201cModel M\u201d\u2014and of course, the numeric keypad wasn\u2019t left out.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-663252 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/traditional_numeric_keypad.png\" alt=\"Numeric keypad on an IBM Model M Keyboard\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"Benj Edwards\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The numeric keypad on a 101-key IBM Model M keyboard. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Benj Edwards<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This new 101-key keyboard design soon became an industry standard among PC compatibles (and eventually made its way to the Mac in the form of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apple_Extended_Keyboard\">Apple Extended Keyboard<\/a>). As manufacturers copied IBM\u2019s design, the numeric keypad became standard issue on many PCs of the \u201980s, \u201990s, and 2000s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Why I Still Use a 34-Year-Old IBM Model M Keyboard<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, while you usually find numeric keypads on the right side of a keyboard, not all computers set them up that way. The 1989 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Macintosh_Portable\">Macintosh Portable<\/a> included a reconfigurable keyboard that let you place a numeric keypad on the left or right side of the keyboard, making it a rare exception to the rule.<\/p>\n<p>And some computers don\u2019t include numeric keypads at all but still let you simulate them. For example, many laptops let you press a Num Lock key and convert a grid of letter keys into a numeric keypad for quick data entry on the go.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-663227 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/numlock_keys_highlit.png\" alt=\"Example of num lock keys on a laptop keyboard\" width=\"650\" height=\"493\" data-credittext=\"Benj Edwards\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Benj Edwards<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Of course, if your laptop or keyboard doesn\u2019t include a built-in keypad, you can buy a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Best-Sellers-Computers-Accessories-Numeric-Keypads\/zgbs\/pc\/2998471011?tag=hotoge-20\">standalone keypad<\/a> that plugs in via USB. These standalone numeric keypads have a proud tradition in personal computers as well, stretching back at least as far as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.atarimuseum.com\/computers\/8BITS\/400800\/peripherals\/Accessories\/cx85\/index.htm\">the Atari 800 in 1979<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With so many people out there doing data entry in spreadsheets, programming, and otherwise, it\u2019s likely that numeric keypads will stick with us as long as we have computer keyboards themselves. Math will never become obsolete.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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It\u2019s a numeric keypad\u2014but how did it get there, and why is it laid out the way it&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":176719,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/aakeypad_hero_1.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-176718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176718"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176718\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}