- Input Unit
- Output Unit
- Processor
- Control Unit
- Arithemetic and Logic Unit
- Registers
- Data Bus
- Address Bus
- Control Bus
- Primary Memory
- Secondary Memory
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An input device is any hardware device that sends data to the computer, without any input devices, a computer would only be a display device and not allow users to interact with it, much like a TV. In the picture to the right, is a Logitech trackball mouse and an example of an input device.
Below is a complete listing of all the different computer input devices that can be used on a computer.
Keyboard: One of the main input devices used on a computer, a PC's keyboard looks very similar to the keyboards of electric typewriters, with some additional keys. Below is a graphic of the Saitek Gamers' keyboard with indicators pointing to each of the major portions of the keyboard. Finally, today most users use the QWERTY style keyboards. Below is a graphic illustration of where each of the keys are on a U.S. QWERTY style keyboard.Mouse: A hardware input device that was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963, who at the time was working at the Stanford Research Institute, which was a think tank sponsored by Stanford University. The mouse allows an individual to control a pointer in a graphical user interface (GUI). Utilizing a mouse a user has the ability to perform various functions such as opening a program or file and does not require the user to memorize commands, like those used in a text-based command line environment such as MS-DOS. In the picture to the right, is a picture of a Microsoft IntelliMouse and is an example of what a computer mouse may look like.The Mouse was originally referred to as an X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System. Xerox later applied the mouse to its revolutionary Alto computer system in 1973. However, because of Alto's unfortunate success, it was first widely used in the Apple Lisa computer. Today, a pointing device is found on virtually every computer.Barcode reader: A barcode reader or scanner, also known as a point of sale (POS) scanner is a hardware device capable of reading a barcode and printing out the details of the product or logging that product into a database. A perfect example of a barcode reader is a super market barcode scanner that reads and logs the price of a product. In the picture to the right, is an example of a Barcode reader from HP.Digital camera: A camera that stores the pictures or video it takes in electronic format instead of to film. There are several features that make digital cameras a popular choice when compared to film cameras. First, the feature often enjoyed the most is the LCD on the digital camera. This display allows users to view photos or video after the picture or video has been taken, which means if you take a picture and don't like the results, you can delete it; or if you do like the picture, you can show it to other people. Another nice feature with digital cameras is the ability to take dozens, sometimes hundreds of different pictures. In the picture to the right, is a Casio QV-R62, a 6.0 Mega Pixel digital camera used to help illustrate what a digital camera may look like.Joystick: An input device that looks similar to a control device you would find on an arcade game at your local arcades. A joystick allows an individual to move an object in a game such as navigating a plane in a flight simulator. In the picture to the right, is of the Logitech Freedom 2.4 joystick and an example of what a Joystick may look like.Touch screen: A monitor or other flat surface with a sensitive panel directly on the screen that registers the touch of a finger as input. Instead of being touch-sensitive, some touch screens also use beams across the screen to create a grid that is interrupted by the presence of a finger near the screen.A touch screen allows a user to interact with a device without a mouse or keyboard for input and is often used in a public environment where the user may only need to access general information, such as directions to a room in a building. In the picture to the right, is an example of a smart phone with a touch screen, this phone has no physical keyboard and all data is inputted using a finger.Scanner: Hardware input device that allows a user to take an image or text and convert it into a digital file, allowing the computer to read or display the scanned object. A scanner is commonly connected to a computer USB, Firewire, Parallel or SCSI port. In the picture to the right, is an example of a flatbed photo scanner, the Epson V300.Other scanners include: sheetfed scanner, which is a scanner that scans paper fed into it, handheld scanner, which is a scanner that is held and drag over a page to scan it, and a card scanner, which is a small scanner capable of scanning business cards.Light gun: A pointing input device that detects light using a photodiode in the gun barrel. When the player of the game pulls the trigger on the gun, the screen is blanked out for a fraction of a second, which allows the photodiode to determine where the gun is pointed. Light guns were most widely used with early console gaming systems such as the NES Zapper light gun, as shown in the picture to the right. Using this gun the player could play games where they were required to point the gun at the screen and shoot targets, such as ducks in the popular Duck Hunt game. |