INPUT DEVICES
Barcode
Lines of different widths and sizes representing data, that when read will determine what the scanned object is. Barcodes are often used to help organize and index information or prices about an object. Barcodes used by the U.S. postal service that helps speed the delivery of mail is another perfect example of how a barcode could be used. In the picture to the right, is an example of what a barcode for an address may look like.
Barcode readers and scanners
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.
Today many smart phones with the proper apps are also capable of scanning and reading barcodes.
Barcode Printers
A hardware device capable of printing out adhesive barcodes that can be attached to a product. This helps identify the product or a company keep track of its inventory.
Digital camera
A
camera that stores the
pictures or
videoit 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
LCDdisplay 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 easily 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.
Digital cameras have become the camera solution for most users today as the quality of picture they take has greatly improved and as the price has decreased. Many users however are hesitant in buying a digital camera because of the inability of getting their pictures developed. However, there are several solutions in getting your digital pictures developed. For example, there are numerous
Internetcompanies capable of developing your pictures and send you your pictures in the mail. In addition, many of the places that develop your standard cameras film now have the ability to develop digital pictures if you bring them your camera,
memory stick, or pictures on
CD.
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.
Fingerprint
1. When referring to computers and security, a
fingerprint refers to any trace of information left by someone. Often, if someone has gained unauthorized access to a computer or network, an administrator or security agent may look for any fingerprints left by the attacker, such as IP addresses, host names, etc. This can be compared to a crime scene detective looking for fingerprints at a crime scene.
2. When referring to computer hardware, a
fingerprint scanner or
fingerprint readeris a hardware device that verifies a user or enters password information by scanning their finger. In the picture to the right, is an example of a fingerprint scanner by
Microsoft. Computers that do not already include a fingerprint scanner can connect devices such as these to their computer
USBports.
Gamepad
A
gamepad is a peripheral device designed to be connected to a computer or console gaming system. It has multiple buttons and may have one or two mini joysticks. A gamepad is used for playing video games of many types, including sports, first-person shooters, role-playing, and others. In the picture to the right, is an example of the XBOX360 controller for Windows and what a Gamepad may look like.
Gamepads are the primary peripheral device used on console gaming systems like the
XBox360,
PlayStation 3 and Nintendo
WII. Some portable gaming systems have a gamepad built into the gaming device itself, like the Sony PSP.
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 easily 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.
Paddle
1. More commonly known as a
game paddle or
gamepad, a
paddle is an input device commonly used with games that may contain various buttons used to steer and utilize different options in a game. All console game systems utilize a paddle or gamepad for control. In the picture to the right, is an example of a game paddle used with the Atari 2600.
2. The term
paddle may also be used to describe various handheld devices that are capable of controlling a function on a computer or electronic device.
Graphics tablet
Alternatively referred to as a
drawing tablet and
pen tablet, a
graphics tablet is a highly accurate
hardwareinput device that enables an artist to draw or sketch easier than they would be able to do with a standard computer mouse. In the picture to the right, is an example of a Pen Tablet from
Wacom and a great example of these devices.
Keyboard
One of the main input devices used on a computer, a PC's
keyboardlooks 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.
Microphone
Sometimes abbreviated as
mic, a
microphoneis a hardware peripheral originally invented by Emile Berliner in
1877 that allows computer users to
input audio into their computers. In the picture to the right, is an example of a
USBheadset from
Logitech with a microphone. A popular solution for computer gaming.
MIDI
Short for
Musical Instrument Digital Interface,
MIDI is a standard for digitally representing and transmitting sounds that was first developed in the 1980s. The MIDI sound is played back through the hardware device or computer either through a synthesized audio sound or a waveform stored on the hardware device or computer. The quality of how MIDI sounds when played back by the hardware device or computer depends upon that device's capability.
Many older computer
sound cards will have a MIDI port, as shown in the top right picture. This port allows a musical instrument devices to be connected to the computer, such as a MIDI keyboard or a synthesizer. Before connecting any of these devices to the computer, you will need to purchase a separate cable, which takes the MIDI/Game port connection into the standard 5-pin DIN midi connector or a USB to MIDI converter. If you do not have a MIDI port the most common way today to connect a MIDI device to a computer is to use a
USB to MIDI port cable.
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
mouseallows 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.
Computer mice- Cordless
- Footmouse
- Glidepoint
- IntelliMouse
- J mouse
- Joystick
- Mechanical
- Optical
- Touchpad
- Trackball
- TrackPoint
- Wheel mouse
How a mouse may interface with a computer
- Bluetooth
- Infrared
- PS/2 Port
- Serial Port
- USB
Remote
1. When referring to a connection a
remote connection or to connect remotely is another way of saying
remote access.
2. A
hardware device that allows a user to control a device or object in another location. For example, the TV
remoteallows a person to change the channel, volume, or turn on and off the TV without having to get up and press the buttons on the front of the TV. In the picture to the right, is an example of a remote, the Harmony One Universal Remote from
Logitech.
Optical 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.
Webcam
A camera connected to a computer that allows anyone connected to the
Internet to view either a still
pictures or motion
video of a user or other object. In the picture to the right, is a
LogitechQuickCam Express and an example of what a webcam may look like. Today, most webcams are either embedded into the display with
laptopcomputers or connected to the
USB or
Firewireport on the computer.
VR
Short for
Virtual Reality, VR is a computer-generated artificial environment that allows a user to view, explore, and manipulate the environment. Virtual Reality is commonly manipulated and explored using various input devices such as goggles, headphones, gloves, or a computer. Using these devices a user can browse throughout a virtual world or pickup and manipulate virtual objects. In the picture to the right, is a Nas a employee using a VR system.
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