The @ Key

[IggyB]

How long has the @ key appeared on standard computer keyboards, and was it used as anything else before to took on it current meaning?

[smorodina]

It's always been there, it was on typewriter keyboards and it's always meant 'at'. It was used in quantity pricing in expressions like '100 screws @ 3 pence per screw'.

[Hippy]

I have an ancient typewriter (about 1915) with this symbol on it. It was always used to mean "at" for example, six items that cost 15 shillings each would be written:
6 widgets @ �0.15.00 �4.10.00

I think the semi geographical "at" as in email adresses came much later.

[Pinotage]

"I think the semi geographical "at" as in email adresses came much later." - it did, and it was selected because it was already an accepted symbol representing 'at'.

.

"Ray Tomlinson, who invented email, tells a similar story of many years earlier choosing the "@" for email - it made linguistic sense, as "at" was the english preposition which typically connects a person and their address. Hence [email protected] and so on." from Tim Berners-Lee FAQ at http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/FAQ

[David H]

In English, it's official name is a 'commercial at' but in other languages it has all sorts of colourful names like snail etc.