INPUT & OUTPUT

DEVICES
By: Lully, Bidadari and Leila
 Input Devices
An input device is a piece of hardware that is
used to enter data into a computer.
There are many different kinds of input
devices - so many in fact, that we have had to
split this section into two separate mini
websites. This one is about manual input
devices. The second mini website is about
automatic input devices.
Keyboard Concept Keyboard

A concept keyboard is a flat board

that contains a grid of buttons. Each
button can be programmed to do
whatever you want. Concept
keyboard are usually used in
restaurant and etc.

Keyboard is made up of buttons

called 'keys’. There alphabet keys,
function or F keys (F1, F2, F3)&
etc. Most keyboards are called
'QWERTY' keyboards. This name
comes from the first six letters on
the top row of the alphabet keys.
 Joysticks were originally used by
Mouse pilots as part of an airplane's
controls& the technology was
developed to let computer gamers
experience a more realistic game
environment. They have one or more
buttons whose position when pushed
can be read by the computer.

A mouse is also called a

'pointing device' because it
enables you to control what
happens on the screen by
moving the mouse on your
desk and pointing, clicking and
selecting items on the screen.

Joystick
Graphics Tablet Touch Screen

Graphics tablets are often used by

graphics designers& illustrators. Using
a graphics tablet, a designer can
produce much more accurate
drawings on the screen than they
could with a mouse or other pointing
device.

A touch screen is the only device

which works as both an input& an
output device. You view the options
available to you on the screen
(output) and you then use your finger
to touch the option that you have
chosen (input).
Touch pad Digital Camera
A digital camera records images
electronically on a memory card
rather than on film as did the older
models of camera. Most digital
cameras let you view the image as
soon as you have taken the picture;
if you don't like what you see, it can
be deleted.

A touchpad is an input device which

is usually found on a laptop
computer. A touchpad can be used
in place of a mouse. There are
usually two buttons next to the
touchpad which are used to replace
the left and right mouse button
 Scanners
Microphone
A microphone can be used to input
sound. The sound is detected by the
microphone and an electrical signal is
transmitted to the computer. Special
hardware is used to convert this
analogue data into digital data so it can
be stored and manipulated.
The most popular type is the flatbed
scanner. This is probably the one that
you use at school. They can scan
larger images and are more accurate
than handheld scanners.

Handheld scanners are usually only a

few inches wide and are held in the
hand whilst they are rolled across the
document to be scanned.
Output Devices
 Monitors TFT monitors used to be very
expensive but now the price has come
down they are beginning to replace all
of the old CRT monitors. They are
Cathode Ray Tube easier to damage than CRT screens. A
few sharp pokes at the screen with a
CRT monitors are becoming pencil can cause lasting damage.
outdated, although you will probably
remember using them at school not
very long ago. They are large and
bulky& have a glass screen which
makes them fairly robust and difficult
to damage.

Thin Film Transistor

Laser Printer Ink-Jet Printer

Laser printers are used in many Ink-jet printers have been

workplaces because they are quiet, popular for a long time because
they print a large number ofsheets they are relatively cheap to buy
very quickly& they produce high and most of them can combine
quality documents. They print in both black and white and colour
the same way as photocopiers printing at the same time.
Dot-Matrix Printer Plotter

Plotters are a specialist type of printer

which is able to draw high quality images
on very large pieces of paper, for example
3 foot wide by 10 foot long. They are used
by engineers, architects& map-makers to
draw plans of buildings, diagrams of
machines or large scale maps.

They are called 'impact printers'. The

print head contains a grid of pins&
different combinations of pins are
pushed out to form different
characters. These were the first type of
printers to be used in homes& schools
but they are not used much nowadays.
Speakers Light

Computers can also be fitted with

a sound card which will enable
sound to be output through
external speakers. These usually
produce a much higher quality
sound than the internal speaker.

Lights such as LEDs (Light

Emitting Diodes) can be
connected to a computer&
respond to electrical signals
which tell them to switch on
and off.