Input & Output Devices

Input Devices
 An input device captures data and sends it to a
computer system.

 Input devices convert physical movement, such as

key pressing, or environmental data, such as
temperature, sound or light into electrical signals.

 There are two types of input device: manual and

automatic.
 Manual Input Devices
 A manual input device requires a human hand to
control it…
Keyboard
Mouse

Camera

Scanner
 Manual Input Devices
 A manual input device requires a human hand to
control it…

Tracker ball

Joystick Graphics tablet

 Manual Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages

The most common People are familiar Incorrect use or

input device with keyboards, so over-use can cause
they don’t need to RSI
You press keys to
be trained
input data into the Many people cannot
computer Skilled typists can type and look at
work very quickly the screen at the
Keyboard The most common same time, so
type of keyboard A lot of different
typing can be time
is the QWERTY keyboards are
consuming
keyboard available, e.g.
ergonomic
They are very
reliable and cheap
 Manual Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages

Simplified keyboard Very quick and Have to change

used in fast food simple to use the overlay sheet,
restaurants and when the menu
Overlay can be
other businesses, changes
wiped clean easily
where a waterproof
You would need to
Concept keyboard and Overlay makes
increase the
Keyboard simplified choices the keyboard
number of keys to
makes serving waterproof, so
increase the
customers much safer for food
number of options,
quicker restaurants
so not very flexible
Used on computer-
style toys for small
children
 Manual Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages

A graphics tablet User can get much Large models are

consists of a pad more control, very expensive
and a special pen similar to the
Need a large desk
natural way of
It allows artists and area
drawing
Graphics graphic designers
Holding a pen for a
Tablet to draw naturally Advanced models
long time is more
as though they detect subtle
tiring than holding
were drawing changes in
a mouse
on paper pressure, to
enable thicker
The image is
lines to be drawn
instantly converted
to digital data The user can
zoom in to an area
of the drawing for
higher accuracy
 Manual Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Most common Combines well Prolonged use can
pointing device with a keyboard lead to RSI
Mouse Used to point and Fast and accurate Need a flat surface
click on icons or to use them
Most people are
menus
skilled at using a For an optical
mouse, so no mouse, the laser
training is needed does not work well
on all surfaces
A tracker ball is User can get great Some people find
Tracker ball basically an upside pointing accuracy, that the thumb
down ball mouse. without moving gets painful with
the hand prolonged use
The user runs
their thumb over Useful where desk Ball can get
the ball to control space is limited greasy and dirty
the on-screen
pointer
 Manual Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Originally They give a more Some people find
Joystick designed for realistic gaming them difficult to
pilots to control experience when operate, especially
aeroplanes playing games in 3-d
such as flight environments
Used to control
simulators
wheelchairs and
for playing games Many different
types available

Used to convert Even cheap Pictures can use a

printed images or scanners produce lot of memory
Scanner text into a file of quality images The quality of the
digital data Any printed image final image is
There are two can be inserted dependent on the
types: handheld into a document original image
and flatbed Images can be Issues of copyright
edited before use protection
 Manual Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Used for taking You can preview When the drive is
still images which the image before full, images need
Digital can be uploaded pressing the to be uploaded to
to a computer for shutter button a computer or
Camera
permanent deleted
No film needed or
storage
development costs High resolution
camera does not
Unwanted images guarantee good
can be deleted images
A pointing device, Portable - built Takes practice to
Touchpad built into a laptop into the laptop master
or for convenience
Don’t need to Some people find
Fingerpad carry extra them very fiddly
equipment around
Fingers need to be
Small movements clean and free of
needed to move grease
the cursor
 Automatic Input Devices
 An automatic input device inputs data without the
need for human intervention (once the device has
been set up), e.g. MICR, OMR, barcode reader,
webcam, microphone, sensor.
Microphone
Barcode reader

Webcam
 Automatic Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Banks print Very quick and Expensive to
important data on accurate produce and print
the bottom of processing of data magnetic ink, and
cheques using – very low error the card reader is
magnetic ink rate. Humans also expensive
could not achieve
This ink is then Banks are the
MICR the same accuracy
read by a computer main user – very
Magnetic Very secure as any few other
Ink attempt to change applications
Character the numbers on a
Recognition cheque will be
ignored as the
reader only
recognises
magnetic ink in
the same font
 Automatic Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Used when you Very fast method Sometimes
OMR mark the numbers of reading data, incomplete marks
Optical
with a pencil on which reduces are not read
Mark correctly
a lottery ticket queuing time for
Recognition lottery tickets
Also used to mark Only pre-prepared
multiple choice More accurate forms can be
exam papers, and than human scanned into the
paper-based school data entry computer
registers
Uses a scanner to Quicker than Sometimes it is
scan text, then typing in the text not very accurate
OCR software converts
Optical Latest software Documents need
the text into a word
Character can recognise to be proof-read
processor file
Recognition tables and even after scanning
Used to read post handwriting
Only worth doing
codes, as part of
Reduces the cost for large amounts
the sorting process
of posting a letter of text
 Automatic Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Used to identify Very quick and All barcodes need
products in shops accurate way to to be programmed
Barcode enter data – suits into the computer
The code is read by
Readers a barcode scanner
busy shops in advance
which identifies the Prices changes are The reader may
product name, made on the not be able to read
manufacturer and database, not the the barcode on
country of origin barcode – more wrinkled packaging
flexible system

Magnetic Found on the back Simple, cheap and Magnetic stripe

Stripe of bank cards and effective can get scratched
Reader store loyalty cards The data on the Not much data
The stripe holds card can be can be stored
information, such altered if needed Thieves can read
as the account data on cards then
‘Chip n’ Pin’ has use the cards
number and the PIN
increased security themselves
 Automatic Input Devices
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Used to input Very cheap piece Computer can
sound into the of equipment misread voice
Microphone computer instructions due to
Helpful for people
natural variations
Used to give the with additional
in people’s voices
computer needs or for busy
commands, or to people who need Generally, the
dictate letters very quick letters sound quality from
directly to a word a PC microphone is
processor poor
Used to input Very cheap piece The image quality
Webcam moving images of equipment from most
into the computer webcams is poor
Enables people to
for use in online The moving
see each other
communication picture tends to
whilst they chat
flicker due to
current limitations
in data transfer
Output Devices
 Output Devices
 An output device is used to display or use
information that comes out of a computer system.

 Output devices convert electrical signals from a

computer system into…
 Sound (speakers or headphones)
 Images & Text (screen or printer)
 Movement (actuator, electric motor)
 Output Devices

Monitor Speakers Printer

Headphones

Plotter
 Output Devices

Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages

Thin Film Transistor Take up very little Easy to damage
TFT monitors are more space
Colour contrast on
Monitor commonly known
Run very quietly cheaper models is
as flat screens or
and produce little not as good as
LCD screens
heat CRT monitors
Use about a third You may get ‘dead’
of the energy of pixels
a CRT monitor

Cathode Ray Tube Robust and Large, bulky and

CRT is very old difficult to damage unsightly
Monitor technology.
Reliable Can be heavy
Almost completely
replaced by flat Last for a very Produce a lot of
screen monitors long time heat
Old technology
 Output Devices

Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages

When connected to Can help blind Speakers are not
a computer through people use the useful in a network
a sound card, computer room, as everyone
music can be would disturb each
Speakers A presentation can
played other
& be more powerful
Headphones Gives feedback to with sound Headphones can be
user during general Games are a lot uncomfortable with
computer use more involving extended use
and realistic
with sound
These are specialist Very high quality Slower than
Plotter printers that can printouts normal printers
produce high
Almost any size Expensive to
quality printouts
paper can be used purchase and run
on large pieces
of paper
 Printers
There are 3 main types of printer…
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Inkjet General purpose Cheap to buy Ink cartridges can be
use for family or very expensive
Latest models
home office
can be very fast Print quality not
always very good

Laser Business use for Quality printing More expensive to

letters, Good for large buy than inkjets
stationery and areas of colour Toner cartridges
images
Quiet & Quick are expensive

Business use Can make a Noisy and rather old-

Dot Matrix
for duplicate carbon copy fashioned technology
documents Can print on Poor quality and only
continuous prints in black ink
rolls of paper