Input devices
• An input device converts data that humans
can understand into a form that the
computer can process.
The Key Board
The Keyboard is the primary input device
used to communicate with the computer.
A computer keyboard closely resembles a
conventional typewriter keyboard with the
addition of numerous keys that are used
specifically for computing functions.
Adjustable Key Board
Keyboard
Pointing Devices
• They can be used to move an onscreen
pointer (usually an arrow or pointing hand)
and select objects located on the screen.
• To move the pointer, the device is either
moved along a surface or, alternatively a ball
on top of the device is rotated with a finger
or thumb.
• To select objects, usually a button on the
device is pushed.
Examples include……
• Mouse
• Electronic pen
• Touch Screen
• Joystick
• Game pad
• Trackball
Mouse
• A mouse is an input device which sends a
signal to the computer giving the position in X
and Y coordinates of a ball which is being
rolled by the operator over the surface of a
table.
• It is also capable of signaling when either of
two or three buttons on it have been pressed.
Mouse Operations
• Click (pressing and releasing the mouse button)
• Right Click (pressing and releasing the right mouse
button)
• Left Click (pressing and releasing the left mouse
button)
• Double Click (pressing and releasing the left mouse
button twice, in rapid succession)
Mouse Operations cont…
• Drag and Drop (when pointer is over an object,
press and hold down the left or right mouse
button, drag the object to the appropriate
location on the screen, then release the mouse
button)
• Scroll wheel/Button (if your mouse has a wheel
or button on top of it, use it to scroll the
displayed document)
Mouse
Electronic Pens
• An electronic device, resembling an ordinary
pen used for computer input.
• It is used as an alternative to the mouse to
select objects, draw, or write on the screen.
• When the tip of the pen is placed close to the
screen, the display device can identify its
position.
Electronic Pen
Joy Stick
• It provides input through a grip that looks like a
car’s gear shift.
• It is often used with computer games.
• The speed, direction and distance at which the
joystick is moved determines the movement of
the onscreen pointer.
Joystick
Trackballs
Optical Scanner
• A scanner is an input device which is capable
of reading the image from a piece of paper and
transferring the information into a computer
where a program can store and interpret it.
• Using the Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
software, the scanner can convert printed text
into an electronic format that can be later edited
using standard word processing program.
• Without the (OCR) Optical Character
Recognition, software text documents are
scanned as images and the text cannot be
edited.
Examples of scanners
• Flatbed scanner : inputs one page at a time and works like a
photocopier
• Sheetfed scanner:- works like the flatbed scanner only that
documents are inserted into the top of the scanner similar to
fax machine
• Handheld scanner:- used for input small amounts of data
• Drum scanner:-
• Three dimensional scanner:- Scans images in 3D form and
inputs it into a modeling or other type of computer graphics
program.
Scanner
Multimedia Input Devices
• Multimedia is the combination of sound and
images with text and graphics. Thus to
capture sound and image data, special input
devices are required.
• Examples include;
• Digital Camera
• Video Cameras
Digital Cameras: -
• They record photographs in the form of digital
data that can de stored on a computer. No
chemical based film is used. Some digital
cameras are portable and look similar to
traditional film cameras. Other digital cameras
are stationary and are connected directly to a
computer
Video Camera
• It is used to input Video data in the
computer.
• Video data requires tremendous amounts
of storage space, which is why video
segments in personal computer application
are often limited to only a few seconds
Audio Input Devices
• Microphones
• Etc.
