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Retrocomputing

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    "anything less powerful would be too weak to run a keyboard" -- I don't think one can make that claim without evidence. Commented Jun 17 at 12:02
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    Why is a keyboard such a demanding computing workload? Typical PC keyboards would scan the whole keyboard once every 3ms, then process debouncing and rollover...it's not very much work for it. Commented Jun 17 at 22:41
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    How much did keyboards cost in those days? They may have been a non-negligible fraction of the cost of a computer. Commented Jun 17 at 23:48
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    The question is missing an important bit. Microcontrollers or processors are normally used in keyboards that are separated from the main PCB and communicating with a serial protocol.Many home computers had the keyboard integrated in the casing, often connected and decoded on the main PCB. Commented Jun 18 at 5:39
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    In some active retro-computing communities there are cases of an "inversion", because modern keyboards or DIY adapters based on Arduinos are connected to old 8-bit machines. :^D These keyboards have a lot more CPU power than the computer. Commented Jun 18 at 5:53