Lesson 4

Input Devices
OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. Name the input devices.
2. Point out the use of each device.
3. Discover the use of input devices.

Data
Processing
Cycle

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 What is Input?
The process of entering data in the computer is called input.

Types of Input

Data is the raw facts given to the computer.

Programs are the sets of instructions that direct the computer.

Commands are special codes or key

words that the user inputs to perform a
task. These can be selected from a menu
of commands like "Open" on the File menu.
They may also be chosen by clicking on a
command button.

User response is the user's answer to the

computer's question, such as choosing OK,
YES, or NO or by typing in text, for example
the name of a file.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The first input device we will look at is the keyboard. Keyboard allows
the user to enter text and numbers in the computer. Several
variations and special designs are used by the users.

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 POINTING DEVICES

A variety of pointing devices are used to move the cursor on the

screen. The most commonly used ones have two or three buttons to
click and for special functions.

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.
There are new mice that don't have a ball. They use a laser to
sense the motion of the mouse instead. High tech!

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 tunnel syndrome.

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. It is

not as tiring since less motion is needed.

Advantage: Can use gestures instead of

typing commands and small in size.

Disadvantage: Must learn gestures or train

device to recognize the ones you create.

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 Glidepad

It uses a touch sensitive pad for controlling the cursor. The user slides
finger across the pad and the cursor follows the finger movement.
For clicking there are buttons, or you can tap on the pad with a
finger. The glide pad is a popular alternate pointing device for
laptops.

Advantage: Does not need as much desk space as a mouse and

can readily be built into the keyboard. It has finer resolution. It has
the same cursor movement on screen. It takes less movement of
the finger on the glidepad than mouse movement.

Disadvantage: The hand tires faster than with a mouse since there
is no support/ palm rest. Some people don't find the motion as
natural as a mouse.

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. Both have more buttons for special functions
than a mouse and can combine buttons for even more actions.

Disadvantage: More expensive and bulky. Better ones require an

additional peripheral card for best performance.

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 joystick gamepad

Pen Input

Used especially in Personal Digital Assistants (PDA).

Pen Input is used for:

Data Input - by writing. PDA recognizes your handwriting.

Pointing Device - Functions like a mouse in moving a cursor

around the screen and clicking by tapping the screen.

Command Gestures - You can issue 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.

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 Advantage: Can use handwriting instead of typing. It can use
gestures instead of typing commands. The device is small size.

Disadvantage: Must train the device to recognize your

handwriting. Must learn gestures or train device to recognize the
ones you create.

Touchscreen

Make selection by just touching the screen.

Advantage: It's natural to do - reach out and touch something.

Disadvantage: It is tiring if many choices must be made.

It takes a lot of screen space for each choice since fingers are
bigger than cursors.

Digitizers and Graphics Tablets

It converts drawings, and photos, to digital signal. The tablets have

special commands.

Advantage: Don't have to

redraw graphics that are already
created.

Disadvantage: Expensive.

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 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

A. Draw if the sentence is true; draw if the sentence is false.

______1.Program is sets of instructions that direct the computer.

______2. Keyboard allows you to type letters and numbers.

______3.Mouse is the raw facts given to the computer.

______4.Commands are special codes or key words.

______5. Pointing device is the user's answer to the computer's

question.

B. Color the input devices with the color RED.

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