INPUT AND OUTPUT

Input Devices 

 

An input device lets you communicate with a computer.  You can use input devices to enter information and issue commands.  A keyboard, mouse, scanner, digital camera, touch pads and joystick are examples of input devices. 

Some Common Computer Input Devices:

 

Keyboard

• Used to type data into the computer
• Most common input device today
• Has special keys for giving the computer commands
• Commands tell the computer to do something, like save the file
• These special keys are called command or function keys

 

Pointing Devices

• Pointing devices move some object on the screen and can do some action
• Common pointing devices
• Mouse - most common pointing device 

 

                Track ball - basically an upside down mouse 

 

               Joystick 

              Game controller 

Scanner

A scanner allows you to scan documents, pictures, or graphics and view them on the computer.  You can also use software to edit the items you scan.

• Used to put printed pictures and text into a computer
• Converts an image into dots that the computer can understand

To scan text, optical character recognition (OCR) software is needed.

 

Digital Camera

• Used to take electronic pictures of an object
• The pictures taken by a digital camera can be used directly by a computer

 

Microphone

• Used to put sound into a computer
• Need sound recording software

CD-ROM/DVD-ROM

• Can be used to put both sound and images into a computer

Use a laser to read a Compact Disk (CD) or a DVD disk

 

Video Capture Card

• Usually place inside the computer's case
• Use to put video into a computer
• Need a video source, either a video camera or video recorder

  
  

  
  

  Source : http://dragon.ep.usm.edu/~it365/module/Basics/input.htm