Input Devices

Input is the data and commands that are entered into the computer using input devices.
Some input devices are:

 Mouse – handheld device that is moved on a surface to control the pointer on the
screen. It is commonly used to select menu commands and icons. There are two
basic types:

o Mechanical – moving parts such as a ball and scrollers controls the movement
of the pointer on the screen

o Optical – uses the reflection of light from the surface on which it is moved
and translates this to the movement of the pointer of the screen.

 Keyboard – mainly used for data entry and typing documents.

 Joystick – a device which is mainly used when playing games. It consists of a

vertical stick that is moved in many directions to control an object on the screen. It
also consists of buttons for selecting options and performing various tasks.

 Source Document Readers – these are input devices that use information on
documents that have already been created as input. Examples of these are:

o Optical Character Reader (OCR) – a device that senses the presence of

text by recognising the characters. A document is scanned and each character
found on the document is compared to the shapes of characters already stored
within the device. If the character shapes match then the OCR recognises the
character and therefore can produce an electronic representation of the
character on the screen. If the shape does not match then character on the
document is not recognised and is therefore not represented. An OCR is used
to:

 Capture data from airline tickets, telephone and electricity bills

 Reading postal codes

o Optical Mark Reader (OMR) – a device that senses the presence of pencil
and pen marks that are made on special forms. A person is asked to fill out the
form by shading circles for the correct options. This is then compared to a
pattern that is previously stored of the correct answers, a match means that
the answer is correct and therefore a mark is awarded. This type of device is
mainly used for marking multiple-choice papers, and recognising information
entered on a questionnaire or registration form.

o Magnetic Ink Character Reader (MICR) – documents such as cheques

have information written on them using a special magnetic ink. These
characters usually represent information such as bank numbers, account
numbers and cheque numbers. The MICR is used to read this information
from the document by scanning it and recognising the presence of the
magnetic ink.
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 Scanner – a device that is used to scan images and text. There are two basic types,
the handheld and the flatbed. The image or text is scanned by a photoelectric device
and an electronic representation of the object being scanned is stored on the
computer.

 Bar Code Scanner – a scanning device that is used to scan bar codes. These bar
codes are parallel lines of varying thickness that is used to identify the item that it is
found on. These devices are used in supermarkets and retail stores.

 Point of Sale Terminal (POS) – terminals to which an online input device is

connected that processes transactions as soon as the data is read. When a transaction
such as the sale of an item is done, the information about the product is retrieved and
updated to reflect the sale of the item.

 Light Pen – a light sensitive device that looks like a pen. As the pen is moved across
the screen its position is detected and this allows the user to write on the screen, or
to make a selection from a menu.

 Touch Screen – a light sensitive screen that detects when an object touches it.
Usually a pen like device called a stylus or the finger is used. The area being touched
is detected because the light at that point is blocked. The system uses that location to
determine the correct option that was selected. Touch screens are used in ATMs,
fast-food outlets and theatres.

 Microphone – a device that is used to allow voice and sound to be entered into the
computer. One application of the microphone is Voice Data Entry, the process of
speaking to the computer through the microphone as a means of inputting data. The
Voice recognition software then converts the spoken word(s) into text.

 Graphics Tablets and Pads – these are pressure sensitive surfaces that are
commonly used in Computer Aided Design (CAD). A stylus or a puck is used to
draw on the pressure sensitive surface; this is then converted to a electronic
representation on the computer. This device is usually used by Architects and
Engineers.

 Digital Camera – this device allows for data in the form of pictures to be captured
and entered into the computer for storage or processing. The quality of the image to
be stored is dependent on the resolution of the camera. The resolution refers to the
number of pixels (picture elements) that are used to display the image. Pixels are
dots that are used to form an image.

 Biometric Systems – a technological system that uses information about a person

(or other biological organism) to identify that person. Biometric systems rely on
specific data about unique biological traits in order to work effectively. A biometric
system will involve running data through algorithms for a particular result, usually
related to a positive identification of a user or other individual.

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Output Devices

After the data that was inputted into the computer is processed, then the computer
needs to give some feedback or results on the processing. This result or feedback is
called output, and is given to us, the user, by the use of an output device. Output can be
given in two basic forms:

 Hard Copy – permanent and tangible form of output

 Soft Copy – temporary and intangible

Some examples of output devices are:

 Visual Display Unit (VDU) – commonly referred to as the monitor or

screen. It uses pixels to form text and images on the screen, which needs to be
displayed. There are various types of monitors, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

 Printer – this output device is used to produce hardcopy output. There are
various types of printers such as:

o Impact printers – printers that produce an output by striking the paper

with the printing mechanism. For example:

 Line printers – prints an entire line at a time

 Character printers – also called Serial Printers, prints one character

at a time. For example:

 Daisy Wheel Printers

 Dot Matrix Printer

o Non-Impact Printers – these printers produce an output without their

printing mechanism touching the surface of the paper. For example:

 Inkjet Printers – small drops of ink sprayed on the paper in order

to produce text and images.

 Laser Printers – this type of printer uses a laser beam, toner and a
photoconductive rotating drum in order to produce images and
text. Also called page printers because the print an entire page at a
time.

 Thermal Printers – produces print by using heat. Uses heat

sensitive paper; one area of the paper is heated to produce the
desired text or image. Some fax machines uses this technology.

 Graphics Plotters – this printing device uses pens to produce images and text.
Plotters are used to create very precise high-quality diagrams at fast speeds. They
are mainly used by engineers and architects.

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 Speakers – speakers are used to produce output in the form of sound.

 Computer Output on Microfilm (COM) – data to be stored is loaded into a

microfilm recorder and a high-speed camera is used to capture the data on
microfilm.

o A microfilm is a 16mm roll of film.

o A microfiche is a rectangular card that is made of the same material as the

microfilm. This type of storage is usually used for archiving schematic
diagrams of objects, for example car parts or special equipment.

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 SOFTWARE COMPONENTS
Software is a sequence of instructions that are given to the computer in order for it to
complete a particular task.

Some examples of software are as follows:

 System Software – a program that controls the operation of the computer and its
devices. One example of a system software:

o Operating Systems – a set of programs that coordinate all activities among the
hardware resources (components). Some examples of operating systems are:

 Microsoft Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP

 Microsoft Disk Operating System (MSDOS)

 UNIX

The operating system sometimes referred to as the OS has the following

functions:

 Booting the computer

 It controls and coordinates all communication between the

different parts of the computer system.

 The operating system allows the transfer of data between the

peripheral devices and main memory

 It controls the transfer of data to and from peripheral devices

 It allows the user to perform file management such as file backup,

deleting, copying, moving and formatting a disk etc.

 Application Software – software that is used to solve user specific needs. Application
software can be categorized as follows:

o General Purpose – software that is mass-produced and is relatively cheap.

These are also sometimes referred to as off-the-shelf software and are not
used for any specific task. Some examples are:

 Database Software

 Spreadsheet Software

 Word Processing Software

o Custom Written – software that is written specifically for an organization or

an individual. This is created to fit the users’ specific needs. A software
programmer is usually contracted to create such software.

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 o Specialized – software that is created to perform specific tasks within a
particular industry. For example ACCPAC, an accounting software is created
for only that use.

o Customization of general purpose software (Customised) – software may be

able to perform many tasks that will satisfy a user’s needs, but many times
some things are not allowed by the software. This software can therefore be
modified so that it is able to perform the user’s task.

User Interfaces

A user interface is a method or a display that enables the user to interact with the system
software or the application software. Listed below are some types of interfaces:

o Command Line – allows the user to interact directly with the computer
system by typing in commands (instructions) into a screen which looks similar
to the one below:

o Menu Driven– lets you interact with a computer or device

by working your way through a series of screens or menus.
For example: Mobile/Smart device and ATMs are good
examples of menu driven interface.

o Graphical User Interface (GUI) – A GUI (pronounced gooey) is also known as

a WIMP interface because it makes use of:

(i) Windows - a rectangular area on the screen where the commonly used
applications run

(ii) Icons - a picture or symbol which is used to represent a software

application or hardware device

(iii) Menus - a list of options from which the user can choose what they
require.

(iv) Pointers - a symbol such as an arrow which moves around the screen as
you move your mouse; helps you to select objects.