Arrow Key Configurations on Laptop Keyboards

Abstract

Over the years, many configurations of the navigation arrow keys have been developed and implemented. As laptops have become smaller, keyboard sizes have followed suit. Consequently, arrow key configurations have been looked at to help free up real estate on the keyboard. The most common configuration currently is the inverted-T; however, the modified-T is being investigated as a possible solution to provide more space on laptop keyboards. This study sought to understand how the inverted-T and the modified-T compare in terms of performance and user preference. Performance was defined by accuracy and speed of use on a series of tasks, where accuracy was measured by number of errors and speed was measured by task completion time. User preference was evaluated using the System Usability Scale. Results showed that user performance and preference did not differ significantly between the two keyboard designs. This has practical implications for laptop keyboard design.