Input Devices

What is input?
Everything we tell the computer is input.
There are many input devices you may see in use
with a typical PC.
This section looks at some of them.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

Input Devices
The first input device we will look
at is the keyboard. This is the most
often used input device. The layout
of the keys was borrowed from the
typewriter with a number of new
keys added. Several variations are
popular. The keyboards shown put
the function keys in different
places. The ‘Enter’ and ‘Backspace’
keys are different shapes and
sizes. Some have arrow keys while
others do not.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

Input Devices
Mouse
A ball underneath rolls as the mouse moves across the
mouse pad. The cursor on the screen follows the motion of
the mouse. Buttons on the mouse can be clicked or double-
clicked to perform tasks, like to select an icon on the screen
or to open the selected document.
Advantage
• moves cursor around the screen faster than using keystrokes.
Disadvantage
• requires moving hand from keyboard to mouse and back.
Repeated motion can lead to carpal tunnelsyndrome.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

Input Devices
Trackball
Instead of moving the whole mouse around, the user rolls the
trackball only, which is on the top or side.

Advantage
• does not need as much desk space as a mouse
• is not as tiring since less motion is needed.

Disadvantage
• requires fine control of the ball with just one finger or thumb
• repeated motions of the same muscles is tiring and can cause
carpal tunnel syndrome.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

Input Devices
Game Devices
Cursor motion controlled by vertical stick (joystick) or arrow buttons
(gamepad)
Advantage
• a joystick gives a more natural-feeling control for motion in games,
especially those where you are flying a plane or spaceship
• both have more buttons for special functions than a mouse and can
combine buttons for even more actions.
Disadvantage
• more expensive
• bulky
• better ones require an additional peripheral card for best performance.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

Input Devices
Pen input
Used especially in Personal Digital Assistants (PDA)
Pen Input is used for
• data Input – by writing PDA recognises your handwriting
• functions like a mouse in moving a cursor around the screen and clicking by tapping the
screen
• gestures – issuing commands by moving pen in patterns. So a certain kind of swirl would
mean to save the file and a different kind of swirl could mean to open a new file.
Advantage
• can use handwriting instead of typing
• can use gestures instead of typing commands
small size.

Disadvantage
• must train device to recognize handwriting
• must learn gestures or train device to recognize the ones you create
• can lose the pen which is not usually attached to the device.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

Input Devices

Touch screen
Make selection by just touching the
screen.
Advantage
• it's natural to do – reach out and touch
something.
Disadvantage
• it's tiring if many choices must be made
• it takes a lot of screen space for each
choice since fingers are bigger than cursors.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

Input Devices
Digitizers and
graphics tablets
Converts drawings, photos, etc to
digital signal.
The tablets have special commands
Advantage
• don't have to redraw graphics already
created.
Disadvantage
• expensive.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

Input Devices
Scanners
These enable both pictures and text to be input into a
computer. Scanning text in order to recognise the words
and letters requires special software.
The most common type of scanner is the flat bed, but
smaller and cheaper hand-held scanners are also
available.

ICT Tools: Input Devices

In this section

• you will become more familiar with different input

devices

• you can use this knowledge to help you choose the

peripherals that match your needs.

ICT Tools: Input Devices