Input Devices

A peripheral device used to input data and instructions into the computer to perform specific tasks. Computer would be only a display device and will not let users to interact with it if there is no input device.

Types of Input Devices

These are the different types of input devices

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Touch pad
• Touch screen
• Joystick
• The light pen
• Digital camera
• Micro phone
• Webcam
• Scanner

• Keyboard

A peripheral device through which we can enter data into computer .it’s a human interface device which is represented as a layout of buttons. We can input numbers, letters and commands into a computer. It facilitate user to type alphabet, symbols as well as numbers into computer. Keyboard normally has 104 keys. Arrangement of keys on keyboard is known as layout.

Extensively used Keyboard layouts

• QWERTY
• QWERTZ
• AZERTY
• DVORAT

A standard keyboard can be divided into the following categories.

• Alphanumeric keys
• Function keys
• Numeric keys
• Cursor control /navigation keys

Alphanumeric keys

Alphanumeric keys are the collection of numbers. letters as well as punctuation keys. Also possess some special keys such as

• The tab
• Caps lock
• Bach space
• Shift
• Enter
• Ctrl
• Alt etc.

Function keys

These are used for particular purposes depending upon software we are using for instance by pressing F1 key we can open help screen in windows.

Numeric keypad

Numeric keys positioned on the right side of keyboard and hold digit keys as well as mathematical operator keys such as

• +
• _
• *
• /

Navigation keys /cursor control key

It comprised of different keys such as

• Arrow keys
• Insert
• Delete
• Home
• Page up
• Page down
• End

These keys are used to move cursor within the text.

• Mouse

It’s a pointing device ( indicates the function to be performed by controlling the movement of a pointer on the screen.) that is used to point at the object and use to confer  commands .it has two or three buttons and scroll wheel on the top. Mouse serves the function of making it easier to do many things like

• To point, click and drag objects on the screen.
• We can select and manipulate different information with the help of mouse. Like select, open, delete and copy the items, files and folders.
• It’s a pointing device that signifies the function to be performed by controlling the movement of a pointer on the screen.

• Touch pad

Touch pad is an input device and alternate to the mouse. it consists of a small ,flat surface with buttons around the edge. With the user finger movement and pushing downward pressure it works. And it’s frequently used in laptop computers. Touch pad is used for performing a range of activities like

• Move the cursor
• Open and execute program
• Select ,drag and drop and scroll objects

• Touch screen

Touch screen is used as input as well as output device. It’s an electronic display screen that senses contact through human touch or by some special device like stylus. It enables us to interact directly with what is displayed on the screen and it does not necessitate any other device for getting the desired outcomes. Touch screen is covered with a plastic or glass layer. Touch screen are extensively used because it supply the desired outcome in an easy way by merely use the screen than pressing keys.

Touch screen are frequently used in different things like

• Cell phones
• PDAS
• ATM machines
• Video games etc etc.

• Joystick

It’s a cursor control device that consists of a vertical lever                              mounted on a base. The lever is moved in different directions for the sake of movement of cursor. Joystick is widely used for particular purposes like

• Used in computer games
• To control robots
• Used in flight simulation program

• The light pen

An input device that let user to point to different kinds of displayed objects as well as draw objects on screen. Its look like normal pen and it is connected to the computer. The user can go for different kinds of items and options from menus obtainable on the screen with the help of light pen. Generally engineers and graphic designers used them.

• Digital camera

It’s an input device that captures still images. With the assist of digital camera images are recorded digitally on the disk or in the memory of the camera .images can be viewed instantly in the digital camera .digital camera use memory card to store the images in digital format.

• Microphone

A peripheral device also called as micro or mic used to record and creates data in the form of sounds and voices. It’s an input device that takes voice as input. Different kinds of microphone are listed below used for different purposes.

• Dynamic Mics
• Condenser Mics
• Bass Mics
• Ribbon Mics
• USB Mics
• Boundary Mics ete etc.

• Webcam

A device connected to computer which enables the users connected through internet to view still images as well as motion video of the users or objects. its an image capturing device connected to the computer and used for the sake of record videos and send over the internet. it record the moving pictures and sound and permit users to send them over the internet. It is also used in different application such as training software and games etc.

• Scanners

An input device that is used to read and understand the printed data and change it into digital form. It convert the different types of data either it’s a printed or handwritten, text, photograph or diagrams into digital form. The digital images can then be used and can be edited by different application programs. Following are most frequently used scanners

• Flatbed scanner
• Handheld scanner
• Sheetfed scanner