List of Input Devices on a Computer

Computer Devices

By Mike Southern

There was a time when the only way to get data into your computer was by typing. That is no longer true. The number of ways to input data -- indeed, the variety of data that can be manipulated by a computer -- seems to be growing by the day. And new input devices are being created to handle these new needs. - Computer Devices

Keyboards

Keyboards are the most familiar and commonly-used input devices, as well as the earliest available for desktop computers. They look like a typewriter keyboard and are used for the manual entry of alpha-numeric data. - Computer Devices

Mice

With the introduction of graphic user interfaces (GUIs), the mouse quickly caught on as an input device. Mice allow you to control an on-screen pointer, called a cursor, which commonly looks like an arrow. When the arrow is properly positioned, you can use it to perform various tasks by pressing buttons on the mouse. - Computer Devices

Graphics Tablets

Tablets allow you to write directly into the computer. Using a pen-like object called a stylus, you write on the tablet surface as if it were a sheet of paper. Some tablets (as well as the stylus) include buttons, allowing you to use them like mice. Newer tablets, and some desktop models, allow the use of fingers instead of a stylus. - Computer Devices

Joysticks

Joysticks are most commonly used when playing games. Originally, they consisted of a single movable stick and a button or two, allowing you to control a game character's movements. Modern joysticks group a number of sticks and buttons together, allowing you to control complex movements with a couple of finger flicks. - Computer Devices

Headsets

Headsets are a combination of an earphone and a microphone. Combined with voice-recognition software, headsets allow you to dictate data and commands directly into other software programs on your computer. Using a headset means you can keep your hands free for other tasks while using your computer. - Computer Devices

Scanners

Scanners work much like photocopiers. You position the document you wish to copy on the scanner's surface, then activate it. A digital image of the document is created that can be saved in the computer's memory, then printed or saved. Note that this is an image, and must be edited in a graphics program. If you wish to convert this image to text for manipulation in a word processor, you need OCR (optical character recognition) software to make the conversion. - Computer Devices

Cameras

Though often not recognized as such, cameras are also a computer input device. They can be anything from a regular handheld camera to a digital video camera to the inexpensive webcam clipped to the top of your monitor. Cameras are a quick and easy way to get a lot of graphic information into a computer. - Computer Devices

Video Capture Hardware

Video capture hardware hooks up to your TV and allows you to copy TV programs directly into your computer, such as a digital video recorder. Once stored, you can edit the video files just like your own home videos. Video capture requires a great deal of storage space and a fast computer. - Computer Devices

And More

There are also input devices available for very specialized purposes. You can get specialized scientific equipment such as microscopes and telescope tracking controllers, for example. One company is even marketing a headset that claims to convert brainwaves into digital signals. - Computer Devices

References

# School's List of Input Devices
# The Emotive EPOC Neuro-Tech Headset
# Basic Input Devices

Resources

# The Future of Input

Computer Devices

Computer Basics - Computer and Device Interaction - Computer Devices

Computer Devices

By Josh H. Burton

A basic computer system comes with a computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. There are also tons of accessories and peripherals that can be added. Let's take a look at how they all work together.

If you were to make an analogy to the human body, the computer would be like the brain, the monitor - the mouth, the keyboard and mouse - eyes and ears... The computer controls all the functionality in the system. The other devices are there to give the computer inputs and to provide it with outputs (computer devices).

Let's run through an example, let's say the user presses a keyboard key - ESC. The keyboard passes that input on to the computer (the brain). The computer then decides on what to do with this signal - which depends on what the computer is currently doing. Say the computer decided that ESC means that it should exit out of whatever application it is currently in. It exits the application and sends a signal to the monitor (output) to show a new picture, one where that application is closed.

There are tons of other devices (computer devices) that can be plugged in to the computer, some of them are input devices, some output devices, and some are both. An all in one printer/scanner can be both an input and an output device, print(output) and scan(input).

Sometimes the separation of devices (computer devices) isn't all that clear, like in a laptop. The computer, monitor, and keyboard are all in the same box. But the separation of components still exists, even if they don't have space between them. Inside the laptop, the computer is still separate from the keyboard and from the monitor, and it still considers them to be input/output devices that it can communicate with.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_H._Burton

Computer Devices

External Hard Disk - What is This Computer Device?

Computer Devices

By Josh K.

An external hard disk can be attached to a computer, such as a desktop, laptop, netbook, etc., and be used for a variety of purposes. In this article, some of these potential uses are discussed, along with additional details about the device. The external hard disk can be a reasonable option for some people who will get more beneficial use out of it due to its nature, as compared to an internal version which has different benefits and drawbacks. It can be connected to different types of interface ports, depending on what specifications the particular drive was built for.

If an individual needs additional storage for files on his computer, and does not want to open up the tower (or other type of computer) in order to place a new internal hard drive inside, this option might be useful. Adding more storage capacity is a common reason for getting a new hard disk, whether external or internal in nature. Using this separate drive to hold backups of important data is also a common use. Whether it be business files, years of family photos and videos, or other information, having a second copy can protect against the possible loss of these files should they be deleted, the data become corrupted, or the hard drive be physically damaged.

These are not the only uses that can be had from an external hard disk, and as they are becoming larger in size (at least up to 4 TB commonly available), and cheaper per amount of capacity, these drives may be useful to a number of people looking for that extra flexibility.

To read more about the external hard disk, including additional usages, more details on capacity, potential price ranges, and other information, please visit ExternalHardDisk.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_K.

Computer Devices

Driver Updates - Why You Need to Update Your Computer Device Drivers? - Computer Devices

Computer Devices

By Mars Wade

Some people don't have the habit of updating their computer drivers regularly. Actually, like Windows updates, it is necessary for you to update device drivers periodically. Because they are also important parts of a Windows system and have a great effect on PC performance.

What is Device Driver?

Device driver is a special system program which allows Windows system to connect with the device on a computer. Only with it, can Windows system give orders to a device and make the device implement operations. Without a driver, you will not be able to use your printer, camera, scanner or other hardware on your PC. You can see how important it is.

Why Need to Update Drivers?

A lot of hardware manufacturers release updates of drivers for their products frequently for the purpose of fixing some bugs or improving the performance of the hardware. Some drivers, like software, have bugs or errors more or less. And some cannot make the most of devices and even prevent the hardware from achieving high performance.

And driver files are easily corrupted or deleted by some invalid operation by you or virus. When one of them is corrupt or missing, the device will not be able to work properly. In such a situation, you will need to reinstall the driver to make the device work properly.

How to Update Device Drivers?

You can go to the websites of the manufacturers to check if there are any updates and download the latest version. Please note that for a specific hardware model there can be several versions for different Windows systems! You need to make sure the driver you download is for the model of your device and the Windows system that you are using. If you install a wrong one, not only will the device not be able to work properly but also your system can crash down.

And checking and download the updates are time-wasting. The safest and easiest way is to click here to use a driver update software to help you. And you can click her e to visit my website to learn more tips to update windows drivers and make your computer run faster.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mars_Wade

Computer Devices