Information Sheet 1.

1-2
Categories of Computer Hardware

Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:
1. differentiate various categories of computer hardware;
2. enumerate the 5 categories of computer hardware;
3. identify specific devices on which category of computer hardware
they belong; and
4. create example list for all the categories of computer hardware.

In previous lesson in Core Aspects of Computer Technology, you learned

to differentiate the various core aspects, identify the differences between the
types of software, distinguish features of solid state drives and hard disk drive,
and create example list for each core aspects. In this session, we will discuss
the different categories of computer hardware.

Categories of Computer Hardware

Categorization or labeling helps peopleware identify faster the specific
device whenever they needed it. Hardware are categorized into 5. These are
the following:
• Input Device • Storage Device
• Output Device • Accessory Device
• Processing Device
All devices on whichever category they belong needs drivers to work
properly.
Device Drivers
The sole purpose of a device driver is to instruct a computer on how to
communicate with the input/output device (I/O) by translating the operating
system's I/O instructions into a language that a device can understand. There
are various types of device drivers. Think of device drivers like translators
between a program you're using and a device that that program wants to
utilize somehow. The software and the hardware were created by different
people or companies and speak two completely different languages so a
translator (the driver) allows them to communicate.
There is also virtual device drivers (VxD), which are device driver
components that enable direct communication between a hardware device and
an application. Virtual device drivers help to manage the data flow to enable
multiple applications to access the same hardware without a conflict.
 It is essential that a computer have the correct device drivers for all its
parts to keep the system running efficiently. When first turning on a
computer, the OS works with device drivers and the basic input/output
system (BIOS) to perform hardware tasks. Without a device driver, the OS
would not be able to communicate with the I/O device.

Input and Output Devices

Some I/O devices are Plug and Play. It is sometimes, abbreviated PnP,
is a catchy phrase used to describe devices that work with a computer system
as soon as they are connected. The user does not have to manually
install drivers for the device or even tell the computer that a new device has
been added. Instead the computer automatically recognizes the device, loads
new drivers for the hardware if needed, and begins to work with the newly
connected device. For example, if you connect a Plug-and-Play mouse to
the USB port on your computer, it will begin to work within a few seconds of
being plugged in. A non-plug-and-play device would require you to go through
several steps of installing drivers and setting up the device before it would
work. While Plug and Play usually refers to computer peripheral devices, such
as keyboards and mice, it can also be used to describe internal hardware. The
only difference is that internal components usually require the computer to
be turned off when they are installed, while external devices can typically be
installed while the computer is running.

Input Devices

The device which are connected to computer and they are used to send
the data to the computer internally, are known as the input devices. Following
are some input devices:

Mouse is the one of the most common device that one would find in a
desktop. It was considered as “miracle device”, for a very reason that the
number of computer users drastically increased when mouse was introduced.
It is a small handheld input device usually sized of a palm that controls a
computer screen's cursor or pointer in conjunction with the way it is moved
on a flat surface. It is normally Plug and Play (PnP), plugged with the USB
connection. It would be connected through the PS/2 port which is located on
the back of the computer. In older system, one might find the serial port which
was used to move the move around. The three main mouse device types are:

Mechanical. Built with a trackball underneath

the mouse and mechanical sensors, allowing
easy movement in all directions
 Optomechanical. Similar to the mechanical
type but uses optical, rather than mechanical,
sensors to detect trackball movement

Optical. The most expensive. Uses a laser to

detect mouse movement, has no mechanical
parts and reacts more precisely than other
types.

Keyboard is the famous device that is being used today and it is

connected through a USB connection at the back of the computer, wired or
wireless, or via Bluetooth. Old keyboards used to have the Mini DIN PS/2
connection with them. Keyboards are one of the many different types of input
devices, and one of the most common. Most, if not all, keyboards are set up in
an alphanumeric key arrangement, also referred to as a “qwerty keyboard”.
For the most part, all keyboards are similar to one another, some may have
extra keys for games and others may have a numerical keypad built into the
board itself. Keyboards now a day are Plug and Play.

Keyboard is considered the main input device. Early years, there are no other input device aside from keyboard.

Scanner has the ability to turn the paper's

image into a digital one hence sending the
data from one place to another while
keeping the same paper with us is now an
easy task and the data can be sent more
easily through the internet. The scanners
are now used a lot and one can simply scan
Portable scanner for travel purpose
a paper and save it in any format he wants
to. The two main types of scanners are
flatbed and portable scanners. A flatbed
scanner is the most common type of
scanner, and it is designed to scan flat
objects. A portable scanner is designed for
travel purposes.
Here is an example of flatbed scanner
 A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick
that pivots on a base and reports its angle or
direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also
known as the control column, is the principal control
device in the cockpit of many civilian and military
aircraft, either as a center stick or side-stick. It often
has supplementary switches to control various
Typical example of aspects of the aircraft's flight.
mechanical joystick

Joysticks are often used to control video games, and

usually have one or more push-buttons whose state
can also be read by the computer. A popular variation
of the joystick used on modern video game consoles is
the analog stick. Joysticks are also used for controlling
machines such as cranes, trucks, underwater
unmanned vehicles, wheelchairs, surveillance
cameras, and zero turning radius lawn mowers.
Video game joystick
elements: 1. stick, 2. base, 3.
Miniature finger-operated joysticks have been adopted
trigger, 4. extra as input devices for smaller electronic equipment such
buttons, 5. autofire
switch, 6.throttle, 7. hat switch as mobile phones.
(POV hat), 8.suction cup.

Light pen consists of a stylus connected by a cable to the computer

terminal and accompanied with a tablet. Nowadays, modern light pens are
wireless. When the stylus is brought into contact with the screen, a dot
appears there on the screen. By moving the stylus on the screen, lines and
curves can be drawn on the screen that can be stored and used as input.

A Light Pen utilizes a light-sensitive detector

to select objects on a display screen. A light pen is
similar to a mouse, except that with a light pen
you can move the pointer and select objects on the
display screen by directly pointing to the objects
with the pen.
Cabled/wired light pen

Trackball was originally built into the

keyboard. Running a hand over the trackball
made the cursor on the screen to move. The
cursor is used to make selection from a menu
displayed on the computer screen. The advantage
of trackballs over mouse is that the trackball is
stationary so it does not require much space to
use it. In addition, you can place a trackball on
any type of surface, including your lap. For both
these reasons, trackballs are popular pointing
Trackball can be placed in any surface,
so it is preferably used together with
devices for portable computers.
portable computers
 A webcam – short for ‘web camera’ – is a
digital camera that’s connected to a computer.
It can send live pictures from wherever it’s
sited to another location by means of the
internet. Many desktop computer screens and
laptops come with a built-in camera and
microphone, but if yours doesn’t, you can add
a separate webcam at any time.

There are various types. Some are plugged into computers through USB ports,
but others are wireless (wifi). Other features might include:
• an integral microphone
• the ability to pan and tilt
• in-built sensors that can detect movement and start recording
• a light that, when on, will let you know that the camera is in use.
There’s a wide range of things that you can do with a webcam. The most
common is to video chat over the internet using Skype – see our Skype guides
for all the information you need to get going.

A microphone, sometimes abbreviated as mic is a

hardware peripheral originally invented by Emile
Berliner in 1877 that allows computer users to
input audio into their computers.

Below is a short list of all the different uses a

microphone could be used for on a computer.
• Audio for a video
• Voice recorder
• VoIP
• Voice recognition
• Computer gaming
• Online chatting
• Recording voice for dictation, singing, and
The picture is an example of Blue
Microphones Yeti USB Microphone - podcasts
Silver Edition and an example of a
high-quality computer microphone. • Recording musical instruments

The barcode reader uses an optical scanner to read

product code and converts it into electrical pulses.
The device is connected to a computer and the
information read is passed to the computer in
digital form for automatic bill generation and
updating of files. Thus, it is a direct data entry
device and there is no need for an operator to key
in sales transaction data.
The picture is an example
portable bar code reader
 Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)
is an input device which uses highly stylized
character shapes printed in a special ink
containing particles that can be magnetized. This
ink induces a current in a reading circuit, which is
proportional to the area of ink being scanned. The
patterns of the varying currents can be compared
with and selected as bit patterns of the selected
number e.g., the number on a cheque). The MICR
reader can only identify characters. Banking
industry uses this device for sorting of cheques.
The MICR codes read from the cheques are
The picture is an example Magnetic
Ink Character Recognition (MICR
transmitted to an online computer for sorting and
processing automatically.

There are lots of innovation which revolutionized various input devices. These
innovations gave birth to different gaming devices such as the following:

Digital Gun – A gun shaped input device which

provides better gaming experience. It allows the
users to input commands by holding a gun
shaped input device.

Digital Stirring Wheel – An input device which

look like a real car stirring wheel, which allows
user to experience a simulated driving
experience. It sends data to computer by
control the wheels which is also accompanied
by other car manipulating parts

Digital Dance Pad – An input gaming device,

which allows user to input data by stepping on
the pad. It is preferably use for a better dance
game experience.

Output devices
Output devices are those devices which do not send the data into the
computer, in fact through these devices, the computer communicates with the
user. They contain the devices like displays, printers etc. These devices
provide output/results of what users provided in the data. The output is
considered as a processed data or simple called as information. Since they are
very vital part of the computer system, so one should have enough knowledge
about them. Some of these output devices are as follows;
Monitors
Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit (VDU), are the main
output device of a computer. It forms images from tiny dots, called pixels that
are arranged in a rectangular form. The sharpness of the image depends upon
the number of pixels.

Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor

The CRT display is made up of small picture
elements called pixels. The smaller the pixels, the
better the image clarity or resolution. It takes
more than one illuminated pixel to form a whole
character, such as the letter ‘e’ in the word help.
The picture is an example CRT Monitor

Flat-Panel Display Monitor

The flat-panel display refers to a class of video
devices that have reduced volume, weight and
power requirement in comparison to the CRT. You
can hang them on walls.

The flat-panel display is divided into two

categories −

a. Emissive Displays − Emissive displays are

devices that convert electrical energy into
light. For example, plasma panel and LED
(Light-Emitting Diodes).

b. Non-Emissive Displays − Non-emissive

displays use optical effects to convert sunlight
or light from some other source into graphics
patterns. For example, LCD (Liquid-Crystal
Device).
A digital projector is an output device that can
take images generated by a computer or Blu-ray
player and reproduce them onto a screen, wall, or
other surface. Typically, the surface projected onto
is large, flat, and lightly colored. For example, you
could use a projector to show a presentation on a
large screen so that everyone in the room can see
it. Projectors can produce either still (slides) or
moving images (videos). A projector is often about
the size of a toaster and weighs only a few pounds. Projectors can be placed at the table or
hanged at the ceiling

Printer. Printer is an external hardware output

device that takes the electronic data stored on a
computer or other device and generates a hard
copy of it. Printers have various types and the
laser printers are the most famous type since they
print really good. For printers, there is much
software and one must install the appropriate
drivers to get them work. The configuration of the
printer can be done manually once it is connected
to the computer.

Dot Matrix Printer. In the market, one of the

most popular printers is Dot Matrix Printer.
These printers are popular because of their
ease of printing and economical price. Each
character printed is in the form of pattern of
dots and head consists of a Matrix of Pins of
size (5*7, 7*9, 9*7 or 9*9) which come out to
form a character which is why it is called Dot
Matrix Printer.
Dot Matrix Printer is an old type printer, but
still use in present time

Laser Printers. These are non-impact page

printers. They use laser lights to produce the
dots needed to form the characters to be
printed on a page.

Laser Printer is used by most printing company,

because it can print faster than other types of printers
 Inkjet printers are non-impact character
printers based on a relatively new
technology. They print characters by
spraying small drops of ink onto paper.
Inkjet printers produce high quality output
with presentable features.

Early years, inkjet printers are commonly used by

home users, but in present time it became a regular
printer for most Filipino computer rental/printing shop

Speakers are one of the most common

output devices used with computer systems.
Some speakers are designed to work
specifically with computers, while others can
be hooked up to any type of sound system.
Regardless of their design, the purpose of
speakers is to produce audio output that can
be heard by the listener.
Speakers are transducers that convert
electromagnetic waves into sound waves.
The speakers receive audio input from a
device such as a computer or an audio
receiver. This input may be either in analog
or digital form. Analog speakers simply
amplify the analog electromagnetic waves
into sound waves. Since sound waves are
produced in analog form, digital speakers
must first convert the digital input to an
analog signal, then generate the sound
The generic computer speakers always come in pair. waves.
Headphones (or head-phones in the early
days of telephony and radio) are a pair of
small loudspeaker drivers that are designed
to be worn on or around the head over a
user's ears. They are electroacoustic
transducers, which convert an electrical
signal to a corresponding sound in the user's
ear.
Earphones are hardware output device that
either plug into your computer line out or
your speakers to privately listen to audio
without disturbing others.
Headphones and earphones are now included with a microphone which made
them set. Headphones with microphone is called headset and the earphones
with microphone is now called as earset. They can be considered both input
and output device.
A plotter is a special kind of output device that like a printer produces images
on paper but does so in a different way. Plotters are designed to produce large
drawings or images, such as construction plans for buildings or blueprints for
mechanical objects. A plotter can be connected to the port normally used by
a printer.
An array of different colored pens in a clip rack and a robotic arm is part of
plotter. The instructions that a plotter receives from a computer consist of a
color, and beginning and ending coordinates for a line. With that information,
the plotter picks up the appropriate pen through its arm, positions it at the
beginning coordinates drops the pen down to the surface of the paper and
draws to the ending coordinates. Plotters draw curves by creating a sequence
of very short straight lines.
Plotters usually come in two designs:
1. Flatbed
2. Drum
Flatbed
Plotters of small size to be kept on table with restriction of paper size.

Flatbed plotters are commonly used for small sized tarpaulin/posters.

Drum
These plotters are of big size using rolls of paper of unlimited
length.

Drum plotters are commonly used for big sized tarpaulin/posters.