HARDWARE

The physical, touchable parts of the computer.

- the machines, wiring, and other physical components of a computer or other electronic
system.
Input and output devices are collectively known as peripherals.
A peripheral device is defined as a computer device, such as a keyboard or printer, that is not
part of the essential computer (i.e., the memory and microprocessor). These auxiliary devices are
intended to be connected to the computer and used.
HARDWARE COMPONENTS SYSTEM
1. INPUT DEVICES
2. OUTPUT DEVICES
3. STORAGE DEVICES
Input devices
- Allows data to be entered into a computer
An input device is any hardware device that sends data to a computer, allowing you to interact
with and control the computer.
The most commonly used or primary input devices on a computer are the keyboard and mouse.
However, there are dozens of other devices that can also be used to input data into the computer.
An input device can send data to another device, but it cannot receive data from another device.
Examples of an input device include a computer keyboard and mouse, which can send data
(input) to the computer, but they cannot receive or reproduce information (output) from the
computer.
Examples: Mouse, Keyboard, Microphone, Web Camera, Scanner, Joystick, Barcode
reader, Graphics tablet,etc.
Output devices
An output device is any peripheral that receives data from a computer, usually for display,
projection, or physical reproduction.
An output device can receive data from another device, but it cannot send data to another
device. Examples of an output device include a computer monitor, projector, and speakers,
which can receive data (output) from the computer, but they cannot send information (input) to
the computer.
Examples: Printer, Headphones, Speaker, Projector, Monitor, etc.
Two types of output:
1. SOFT-COPY OUTPUT – A soft copy is an electronic copy of some type of data, such as
a file viewed on a computer's display or transmitted as an e-mail attachment. Output
which is not produced on a paper
2. HARD-COPY OUTPUT –A hard copy is a printed copy of information from a
computer. Sometimes referred to as a printout , a hard copy is so-called because it exists
as a physical object. Output which is produced on a paper
INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE
An input/output (I/O) device is a hardware device that has the ability to accept inputted,
outputted or other processed data. It also can acquire respective media data as input sent to a
computer or send computer data to storage media as storage output
An input/output device can send data to another device and also receive data from another
device. Examples of an input/output include a computer CD-RW drive and USB flash drive,
which can send data (input) to a computer and also receive data (output) from a computer.
Examples: CD, DVD, USB, Graphics tablet, Digital Camera, Modem
Storage devices
A storage device is used in the computers to store the data.
There are two types of storage devices used with computers: a primary storage device, such
as RAM, and a secondary storagedevice, like a hard drive. Secondary storage can
be removable, internal, or external storage
1. Primary Storage - Also known as main memory.
2. Secondary Storage - It is not directly accessible by the CPU. Computer usually uses its
input/output channels to access secondary storage and transfers the desired data using
intermediate area in primary storage.
Optical storage devices
It uses lasers and lights as its method of reading and writing data.
Data is recorded by making marks in a pattern that can be read back with the aid of light, usually
a beam of laser light precisely focused on a spinning optical dis
Examples: CD, DVD and Blu-ray disc
Flash memory devices
Flash memory is an electronic (solid-state) non-volatile computer storage medium that can be
electrically erased and reprogrammed
Examples: USB flash drive, Memory card, Memory stick, SSD
Magnetic storage devices
Today, magnetic storage is one of the most common types of storage used with computers and is
the technology that many computer hard drives use.
Magnetic storage media and devices store data in the form of tiny magnetised dots. These dots
are created, read and erased using magnetic fields
Examples: Floppy disk, Hard drive, Magnetic strip, Tapa casette