94 Learning the Basics

Using the keyboard

Keep liquids, including cleaning fluid, out of the computer’s
keyboard, speaker, and other openings. Never spray cleaner directly
onto the computer and/or display. Never use harsh or caustic
chemical products to clean the computer.
Character keys
Typing with the character keys is very much like typing on a
typewriter, except that:
❖The space bar creates a space character instead of just passing
over an area of the page.
❖The lowercase letter l (el) and the number 1 are not
interchangeable.
❖The uppercase letter O and the number 0 are not
interchangeable.
Ctrl, Fn, and Alt keys

(Sample Illustration) Ctrl, Fn, and Alt keys
The Ctrl, Fn, and Alt keys do different things depending on the
program you are using. For more information, see your program
documentation.
Function keys
The function keys (not to be confused with the Fn key) are the 12
keys at the top of the keyboard.

(Sample Illustration) Function keys
F1 through F12 are marked with icons and are called function keys
because they execute programmed functions when pressed. For
more information, see “Hot key functions” on page 179.