What are Input Devices?

Input Devices is put information into the computer. It allows you to communicate with a computer. "Through which device the data and instructions are being entered to the computer acceptable form that is known as Input device."

Input unit performs the following operations:

·        It takes data and instructions from you/outside of computer.

·        Convert these into computer understandable form.

·        Send these data and instructions for further processing.

Examples: a keyboard, mouse, scanner, digital camera, touch pads and joystick are some examples of input devices.

Typical input devices are listed below:

1)    Keyboard 2)    Mouse 3)    Joystick 4)    Digitizing Tablets 5)    Touch sensitive screen 6)    Light pen 7)    Space mouse 8)    Digital Still camera 9)    Magnetic Ink Character Recognition(MICR) 10) Optical Mark Reader(OMR) 11)  Image Scanner 12)  Fingerprint Scanner

13) Bar codes 14) Magnetic Reader 15)  Smart cards 16)  Voice data entry 17)  Video Capture 18)  3D Scanner 19)  Micro phone 20)  Punch Card Reader 21)  Sensors 22)  Sonar Imaging Devices  23)  Web Cam 24)    Medical Imaging Devices

1} Keyboard: A computer keyboard is the most common input device. That looks similar to the electronic typewriter. It allows you to input letter, numbers, special keys. It can serve as commands or be used to type text.

A keyboard has following keys,

Function keys: That keys are from F1 to F12. That are known as hotkeys. That are located at the top of the computer keyboard or laptops.

Escape key:  the Esc key (named Escape key in the international standard series ISO/IEC 9995) is a key used to generate the escape character. It is placed at the left most portion of any keyboard.

Numeric keys: A set of keys which consist numbers from 0 to 9 is known as numeric keys. In a computer keyboard or laptop keyboard it exists in right most part that area or pad is known as numeric key pad. Some times in a computer it situated in below the  function keys.

Alphabetical Keys: As you know, alphabetic key are 28 that are from A to Z or a to z. when we want to write capital keyword than we use Caps lock key to Capitalize the keywords.

Windows key: Although the common use for the Windows key is to open the Start menu.

Arrow Keys: There are four arrow keys on a keyboard that are either programmed or designated to move the cursor in a specified direction and that are also used in gaming. It is also known as cursor movement keys.

A keyboard has also Tab Key, Caps Lock Key, Shift Key, Control(Ctrl) keys, Alt key, Print Screen Keys, Scroll Lock Keys, Home Keys ,End Key, Insert Key, Page Up Key, Page Down Keys, Delete Keys etc.

On the basis of keys arrangements there are four major keyboards layout being used worldwide QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ, and HSESAR but they being classified in different categories.

ERGONOMIC Keyboard

ADB Keyboard

MINI PS/2 Keyboard

MULTIMEDIA Keyboard

INTERNET Keyboard

WIRELESS Keyboard

MEMBRANE Keyboard

IBM/PC Keyboard

·         Original IBM PC Keyboard (1981) - 83 keys

·         Updated IBM PC Keyboard (1984) - 84 keys

·         AT Keyboard - 84 keys

·         AT Enhanced Keyboard - 101 keys

·         US Traditional Keyboard- 101 keys

·         Enhanced European Keyboard- 102 keys

·         Windows Keyboard - 104 keys

·         Windows-based Laptop Keyboard - 86 keys

Apple Keyboard

·         Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad - 109 keys

·         Apple Wireless Keyboard- 78 keys

·         Apple MacBook Air laptop - 78 keys 

2}MOUSE: A mouse is also a pointing and GUI input device. Itis a hand-held pointing device that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a surface. It controls a cursor in a GUI and can move and select text, icons, files, and folders. It was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963 while working at Xerox PARC.

Function of Mouse are, 

v Move the mouse

v Open or execute a program 

v Selection

v Drag-and-drop 

v Scroll 

v Perform other functions

Types of computer mouse:

v Cordless (Wireless)

v Foot mouse

v IntelliMouse (Wheel mouse)

v J-Mouse

v Mechanical

v Optical

v Touchpad (Glidepoint)

v Trackball

v Track Point

3} Joystick: 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. It allows the user to control a character or machine in a computer program, such as a plane in a flight simulator. It is also used in gaming. The first joystick was invented at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory by C. B. Mirick and patented in 1926.

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