Input Devices

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Input Devices

Input devices are the equipment that you use to input text and graphics and give instructions to the computer. The keyboard and mouse are input devices that come with every computer system.

Keyboard

The keyboard is set up exactly like typewriters were - alpha and numeric keys are in the same place. In addition to the alphanumeric keys, the keyboard has function keys; those are the F keys, usually across the top row, that have certain tasks assigned to them by the application you’re working on.

There are movement keys - arrows, page up and page down, home and end; editing keys, backspace and delete; and the numeric keypad, which makes numerical data entry much simpler.

Ergonomics

Ergonomic input devices are the current trend. Typing away at a computer may not look like an activity that could cause much physical damage. But gazing at a monitor for hours, pounding a keyboard thousands of times, sitting hunched over a desk all day - these stresses can cause fatigue and, in some cases, even long-term debilitating injury.

Which brings us to ergonomics - the science of fitting the job to the worker. Researchers now know the position, lighting, technique and routine that can help computer users avoid injury. Follow these tips for safe keyboarding:

Adjust the height of your chair and desk so forearms are parallel with the floor and wrists are level with keyboard.
Keep your wrists straight and aligned with your forearms - don't bend them sideways or arch your fingers up to hit the keys. Don't type with your wrists resting on the desktop.
Don't pound the keyboard or clutch the mouse - use a light touch.
Don't look up at the screen. The top of the monitor should be no higher than eye level.
Avoid glare and reflection on the screen. Use curtains or shades, or reposition the monitor at a better angle.
Posture counts. Sit upright, with your feet on the floor.
Take breaks. Looking away from the monitor for a couple of seconds every few minutes can help prevent eye-strain. Stand up and stretch periodically.

Be Comfortable when you’re keyboarding!

Mouse

The mouse is a device about the size of your hand that you roll around on a flat surface to quickly move the computer’s cursor (pointer). As the mouse moves, it relays signals that move the cursor on the computer screen.

Scanner

Another way to input information into the computer is through the use of a scanner. A scanner is a device that can read text or illustrations printed on paper and translate the information into a form the computer can use.

Modem

Information can be received by the PC via a modem. The word modem is an acronym for modulator-demodulator. A modem is a device that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms.

Touch Screens

Instructions can be input into the computer using a touch screen. A touch screen is a type of display screen that has a touch-sensitive transparent panel covering the screen. Instead of using a pointing device such as a mouse or light pen, you can use your finger to point directly to objects on the screen.

Pointing Devices

Pointing devices select items to give commands. A mouse, as discussed previously, is a pointing device that inputs information into the computer.

Light Pen

Another pointing device is a light pen. A light pen is an input device that utilizes a light-sensitive detector to select objects on a display screen

Trackball

A trackball, like the mouse and the light pen, is a pointing device. Essentially, a trackball is a mouse lying on its back. To move the pointer, you rotate the ball with your thumb, your fingers, or the palm of your hand. There are usually one to three buttons next to the ball, which you use just like mouse buttons.

Voice Recognition

Voice recognition is the field of computer science that deals with designing computer systems that can recognize spoken words. Note that voice recognition implies only that the computer can take dictation, not that it understands what is being said. Comprehending human languages falls under a different field of computer science called natural language processing. What voice recognition does is eliminate, or greatly reduce, the need to input commands via the keyboard.

Digital Camera

With a digital camera, you can transfer images directly from the camera into the computer.

A digital camera works the same way as a regular camera. But instead of film, it captures the image on a light-sensitive computer chip called a charge-coupled device (CCD). Most of the CCD's in today's cameras are capable of capturing images in true color. That means the CCD recognizes 16.7 million colors.

The quality of a digital image is determined by the resolution at which the CCD captures the image. Resolution is measured in terms of dots per inch (dpi). This refers to the number of dots (also called pixels) that make up an image.

A low dpi number indicates low resolution; a high dpi number indicates high resolution. The higher the resolution, the sharper and more detailed the image appears. So, for example, a camera that shoots with a resolution of 768 by 576 will produce a higher quality image than one that shoots at 320 by 240.

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