Introduction To Information Technology Turban, Rainer and Potter John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Introduction To Information Technology Turban, Rainer and Potter John Wiley & Sons, Inc
n Supercomputers
n Mainframe Computers
n Midrange Computers
n Workstations
n Microcomputers
Mouse Handheld device used to point cursor at point on screen, such as an icon; user clicks button on mouse instructing computer to take some action.
Optical mouse Mouse is not connected to computer by a cable; mouse uses camera chip to take images of surface it passes over, comparing successive images to determine its position.
Trackball User rotates a ball built into top of device to move cursor (rather than moving entire device such as a mouse).
Touchpad User moves cursor by sliding finger across a sensitized pad and then can tap pad when cursor is in desired position to instruct computer to take action (also called glide-and-tap pad).
Joystick Joy stick moves cursor to desired place on screen; commonly used in workstations that display dynamic graphics and in video games.
Touchscreen Users instruct computer to take some action by touching a particular part of the screen; commonly used in information kiosks such as ATM machines.
Stylus Pen-style device that allows user either to touch parts of a predetermined menu of options or to handwrite information into the computer (as with some PDAs); works with touchsensitive
screens.
Voice-recognition Converts voice wave sounds into digital input for computer; critical technology for
physically challenged people who cannot use other input devices.
Point-of-sale terminals Computerized cash registers that also may incorporate touch screen technology and
barcode scanners (see below) to input data such as item sold, price, etc.
Barcode scanners Devices scan black-and-white barcode lines printed on merchandise labels.
Optical mark reader Scanner for detecting presence of dark marks on predetermined grid, such as multiplechoice test answer sheets.
Magnetic ink character reader Read magnetic ink printed on checks which identify the bank, checking account, and check number.
Optical character recognition Software that converts text into digital form for input into computer.
Sensors Collect data directly from the environment and input data directly into computer;
Cameras Digital cameras capture images and convert them into digital files
Retinal scanning displays Projects an image, pixel by pixel, directly onto a viewer’s retina; used with mobile devices;
Liquid crystal Flat displays that have liquid crystals between two polarizers to form characters and images on a backlit screen.
display (LCDs)
Organic light- Displays that are brighter, thinner, lighter, cheaper, faster diodes (OLEDs), and take less power to run than LCDs.
emitting
Retinal scanning Project image directly onto a viewer’s retina; used in medicine, air traffic control, and controlling industrial machines.
displays
Printers
Impact Slow, noisy, subject to mechanical failure, but inexpensive.
Nonimpact:
Laser Use laser beams to write information on photosensitive drums; produce high-resolution text and graphics.
Inkjet Shoot fine streams of colored ink onto paper; less expensive than laser printers, but offer less resolution quality.
Plotters Use computer-directed pens for creating high-quality images, blueprints, schematics, drawing of new products, etc.