Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
2014
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HARDWARE
In computer technology refers to the physical parts of the computer.
These are the actual pieces that you can see or touch.
INPUT DEVICES
These are devices used to enter data from the outside world into
primary storage
Commonly used input devices:
1. Keyboard devices
allow data entry into a computer system by pressing a set of
keys (labeled buttons) neatly mounted on a keyboard connected
to a computer system
11-keys QWERTY keyboard is most popular
Types of keyboards and keyboard features
1.1
Standard keyboard
the most basic form of keyboards
QWERTY keyboards are the most common and have the six
alphabets Q, W, E, R, T, and Y in the first row,
1.2
Ergonomic keyboard
Ergonomics refers to the study of methods that can reduce
stress on muscles to avoid repetitive strain injury.
Ergonomic keyboards are designed in such a way that typing can
be done putting the least amount of stress on the fingers and
wrist.
1.3
Wireless keyboard
As the name suggests, these keyboards do not need to be
connected to the computer via a wire.
This makes it very convenient for the user to use the keyboard
comfortably.
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1.4
Compact keyboard
Compact keyboards are slim and usually do not have the numeric
keypad that is present on the right side of other keyboards.
These are typically used in laptops, where sizing issues make it
difficult to accommodate a standard keyboard.
1.5
Internet keyboard
The Internet is one of the main reasons why a majority of the
people use computers these days.
Internet keyboards have special keys, called hot keys, which
perform functions related to Internet usage.
Typical hot keys have functions like:
a. back
b. forward
c. bookmarks list
d. e-mail inbox
e. Google search
f. YouTube
g. shopping online, etc.
1.6
Gaming keyboard
As the name suggests, gaming keyboards are designed
specifically for gamers.
They include features meant to enhance gaming experience, as
well as provide convenient usage for gamers.
They include features like:
1.6.1 volume control,
1.6.2 key lighting,
1.6.3 programmable keys,
1.6.4 interchangeable keys,
1.6.5 touch screens to customize the keyboard
Hardware and Software
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1.7
Virtual keyboard
Virtual keyboards are software devices that let you input data just
like a hardware keyboard.
They open up as an application and can be controlled by a mouse
or via a touch screen.
They are mainly used in devices which do not necessarily require
a keyboard, like a tablet or a smart-phone.
2. Point-and-draw devices
used to rapidly point to and select a graphic icon or menu item from
multiple options displayed on the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a
screen.
used to create graphic elements on the screen such as lines, curves,
and freehand shapes
Some commonly used point-and-draw devices are:
2.1 Mouse
o commonly used in personal computers and workstations
2.2
Trackball
o commonly used in laptop (notebook computers
2.3
Joystick
o commonly used for video games, flight simulators,
training simulators, and for controlling industrial
robots.
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Light pen
o pen-based point-and-draw device
o used to directly point with it on the screen to select menu
items or icons or directly draw graphics on the screen
o can write with it on a special pad for direct input of written
information to a system
o Pressure on tip of a side button is used to cause same
action as right-button-click of a mouse
2.5
Touch screen
o most simple, intuitive, and easiest to learn of all input
devices
o enables users to choose from available options by simply
touching with their finger the desired icon or menu item
displayed on the screen
o most preferred human-computer interface used in
information kiosks (unattended interactive information
systems such as automatic teller machine or ATM)
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A flat-bed Scanner
A hand-held Scanner
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4. Digitizer
input device used for converting (digitizing) pictures, maps and
drawings into digital form for storage in computers
commonly used in the area of Computer Aided Design (CAD) by
architects and engineers to design cars, buildings, medical
devices, robots, mechanical parts, etc.
used in the area of Geographical Information System (GIS) for
digitizing maps available in paper form
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OUTPUT DEVICES
What are output devices?
supply results of processing from primary storage to users
Types of output
1. Softcopy output
o not produced on a paper or some material that can be touched
and carried for being shown to others.
o temporary in nature and vanish after use
o Examples are output displayed on a terminal screen or spoken
out by a voice response system
2. Hardcopy output
o produced on a paper o some material that can be touched and
carried for being shown to others
o permanent in nature and can be kept in paper files or can be
looked at a later time when the person is not using the
computer
o Examples are output produced by printers or plotters on paper
Commonly used output devices:
1. Monitors
1.1 Cathode-ray-tube (CRT) monitors
o look like a television and are normally used with nonportable computer systems
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2. Printers
Most common output devices for producing hardcopy
output
2.1 Dot matrix
o character printers that form characters and all kinds of
images as a pattern of dots
o print many special characters, different sizes of print and
graphics such as charts and graphs
o Impact printers can be used for generating multiple
copies by using carbon paper or its equivalent
o slow, with speeds usually ranging between 30 to 600
characters per second
o cheap in both initial cost and cost of operation
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2.2 Inkjet
o character printers that form characters and all kinds of
images by spraying small drops of ink on to the paper
o print head contains up to 64 tiny nozzles that can be
selectively heated up in a few micro seconds by an
integrated circuit register
o To print a character, the printer selectively heats the
appropriate set of nozzles as the print head moves
horizontally
o can print many special characters, different sizes of
print, and graphics such as charts and graphs
o Non-impact printers. Hence, they cannot produce
multiple copies of a document in a single printing
o can be both monochrome and color
o slower than dot-matrix printers with speeds usually
ranging between 40 to 300 characters per second
o more expensive than a dot-matrix printer
2.3 Laser
o page printers that print one page at a time
o consist of a laser beam source, a multi-sided mirror, a
photoconductive drum and toner (tiny particles of
oppositely charges ink)
o To print a page, the laser beam is focused on the electro
statically charged drum by the spinning multi-sided
mirror
o Toner sticks to the drum in the places the laser beam
has charged the drums surface
o Toner is then permanently fused on the paper with heat
and pressure to generate the printer output
o Laser printers produce very high quality output having
resolutions in the range of 600 to 1200 dpi
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2.4 Thermal
o uses heat elements to produce images on heat-sensitive
paper
2.5 Plotter
o are an ideal output device for architects, engineers, city
planners, and others who need to routinely generate
high-precision, hardcopy graphic output of widely
varying sizes.
2 commonly used types of plotters are:
2.5.1 Drum plotter
o In which the paper on which the design has to be made
is placed over a drum that can rotate in both clockwise
and anti-clockwise directions
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2.2
Magnetic disk a common secondary storage medium; with bits
represented by magnetized areas. It is coated with iron oxide; they can
be thin steel platters or mylar film.
2.3
2.4
Compact Disc Read-Only Memory(CDROM)- a common form of
optical disc on which data, after it has been recorded, cannot be
modified.
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2.5
Digital versatile disc(DVD) a storage medium used to store
digital video or computer data.
2.6
Memory cards-
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SOFTWARE
It is a set of instructions written in a code that computers can
understand. It directs computers to perform specific tasks. Another name
for the set of instructions is program.
Without software, a computer would be useless collection of
electronic circuitry. Since it is literally inconceivable to think of all possible
ways a computer could be used, the amount of software that could be
written is similarly inconceivable and unlimited. There are 2 types of
software:
1. Application software performs useful work on general
purpose tasks such as word processing and spreadsheet
programs. Application software can be:
a. Package software is a program written by professional
programmers that are typically offered for sale.
b. Custom-made software is a program written for a specific
purpose for a specific organization.
2. System Software - it enables the application software to
interact with the computer. A system software is consist of:
a. Bootstrap loader - is a program that loads the operating
system from the hard disk into memory.
b. Diagnostic routines it test primary storage, the CPU, and
other parts of the system to make sure the computer is running
properly.
c. Basic input/output system (BIOS) it enables the
computer to interpret keyboard characters and transmit those
to the monitor
d. Operating system it takes care of a lot of internal matters.
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