Arrow Keys

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

Who Invented the Arrow Keys

Possibly SAIL Keyboard 1970.

SAIL keyboard 28106
SAIL keyboard [Photo by Marcin Wichary twitter mwichary]

The ADM-3A Terminal year 1976 is probably also a big influence.

The first to have dedicated arrows is maybe Space Cadet Keyboard (year ~1980) It has thumb keys 👍 👎 👈 👉 But these keys are not documented in manual. Not used by default.

space-cadet keyboard 12
Space Cadet Keyboard featuring thumb up/down/left/right. 👍 👎 👈 👉.

Arrow Keys Arrangement

Inverted T

first inverted T arrangement is probably DEC LK201 keyboard, 1983.

LK201 arrows W3rsk-s300
LK201 arrows
DEC VT220 terminal LK201 keyboard 2JWcQ-s250
DEC VT220 + LK201, 1983

left down up right

First is probably ADM-3A terminal, 1976

ADM-3A keyboard arrows 6gZ8H
ADM-3A Terminal keyboard [image source https://vintagecomputer.ca/lear-siegler-adm-3a-terminal/]

up down left right

DEC VT100 arrow keys 2013-08-30 ZB5qT
DEC VT100 Terminal arrow keys year 1978

left right down up

apple keyboard arrows t6t4J
Arrow keys on Apple IIe, 1983
Apple IIe w monitor 5b7bd-s217x289
Apple IIe, 1983
Apple IIe Platinum-s277x226
Apple IIe Platinum, 1987
Apple_Standard_Keyboard_M0116_3cygw-s397x157
Apple Standard Keyboard M0116, 1987

Cross

arrow xerox 1109 lisp kbd 2019-11-16 v7tzv
Arrow keys of LISPM Keyboard Year ?
Panasonic FS-A1 MSX 83b67-s320x195
MSX, 1983
Ergonomixx Mykey DSC 0018 zpsfb3ff210 s307x204
Mykey, 1994

Diamond

Sharp_MZ-700_PC_6aca9-s250
SHARP MZ-700 PC, Year 1982
SORD M5 PC 7fa71
SORD M5 PC, 1982 [image source twitter GameRunHk]
SEGA SC-3000 PC QB3bk
SEGA SC-3000 PC, year 1983 [image source twitter GameRunHk]
Nintendo Family Computer HVC-007 f8JxF
Nintendo Family Computer HVC-007 (1985?) https://twitter.com/Daihuku0015/status/1296749692118654977
arrows NEC PC-9801 z44pg-2
arrow keys of NEC PC-9801 Keyboard, 1992
arrows ms natural elite grzcr
arrows on Microsoft natural elite, 1998 to 2004 see Microsoft Natural Keyboard

Horizontal Diamond

truly ergo keyboard 40563 s302x207
Truly Ergonomic 2016

Arrows Square

Atari 800 Computer FL arrows sdVnG
Atari 800 Computer FL arrows, year 1979
Atari_800_Computer_FL_Kd5WK-s250
Atari 400/800, 1979
IBM 3276 keyboard sdCCp
keyboard from IBM 3276 Display Station. Year 1979? [image source https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=1113]

Split Arrows

Kinesis top view 194406-s289x217
Kinesis, 1991

Efficiency of Arrow Keys Arrangement

Arrow Keys Efficiency: vim HJKL vs IJKL

[history of the inverted T arrow key arrangement on keyboard By Jim Burrows. At http://www.eldacur.com/~brons/NerdCorner/InverseT-History.html ]

2018-07 thanks to Marcin Wichary

2018-07-12 to read [The Keys To Success. A lot of early video game consoles secretly wanted to be home computers, too: Their makers either sold keyboard add-ons or failed miserably in the process. By Ernie Smith. At https://tedium.co/2017/04/27/video-games-keyboards-intellivision/ ]

Keys

modifier keys 20200721 Fhswv
Modifier Keys
the day i lost control
Control Key
menu key 78f06
Menu Key
compose key
Alt Graph, Compose, Dead Key
keyboard spacy spacebar 2-s250
Space Bar
wnm keyboard home cluster2
Home End
big ass return and 1u backspace nuwc6-s289x217
Big Fat Enter Key
Havit keyboard home end 20200721 J73hS-s250
Page Up/Down
LK201 arrows W3rsk-s300
Arrows
escape key 20200721 wR9TS
Escape Key
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Backspace
Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 backspace bzT69-s250
Delete Key
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Function Keys
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SysRq ScrLk Pause Break
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Volume Wheel
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Zoom Button
key_symbols_2021-05-30
Keyboard Symbols ⌘ ⏎ ⌫
Keyboard Enter/Return Key Symbol
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