Input devices

Informatics

2022

We explain what a computer input device is and what it is for. Also, examples of this type of devices and differences with output devices.

The keyboard and the mouse are two of the most used input devices.

What are input devices?

In computing, are known as input devices or power devices (input) to the devices that allow information to be entered into the computer system, either from the user or from another computer. For example, him keyboard, the mouse or the microphone.

The various input devices translate the data into electrical impulses, which are then transmitted to the computer for processing and storage in central or internal memory. These devices are essential because they allow the user to use the computer and interact with it.

Input devices are distinguished from output devices, which are devices that connect to a computer and extract information.

In addition, some input devices are also output devices (I/O or mixed devices) because they input and extract information from the system. For example: a touch monitor.

Input device characteristics

Some characteristics of input devices are:

  • Allow access to the computer information in different formats, such as audio, image, text, among others.
  • They translate the information provided by the Username to data that is readable by the computer.
  • They are part of hardware from the computer and can be connected wirelessly or via a cable.
  • They adapt according to the different technological developments.
  • They are essential for the user to use the computer and are easy to use.

Examples of input devices

Some examples of input devices are:

  • Keyboard. It is a board made up of keys or buttons with letters, numbers and symbols. This device connects to the computer wirelessly or via a cable (in the case of laptops, it is built-in) and allows the user to enter information or perform functions. The most popular keyboard is the QWERTY.
  • mouse or mouse. It is a device that is used to enter information into the system and that translates the movements that the user makes with the device into specific instructions. There are different types of mouse and the most common one has an oval shape and moving it moves a pointer on the screen. Laptops often come with a built-in touchpad, which is a touchpad that performs the same function as the mouse.
  • Microphone. It is a device that captures the sound and translates it into electrical impulses that can then be encoded, stored, transmitted, and reproduced. The microphone introduces a spoken message, music or any other type of sound into the system.
  • Camera. It is a device that captures an image, using a system of lenses and photosensitive components, and then digitizes it and transmits it to the system. These cameras can take photos or videos that are transmitted or reproduced later.
  • Scanner. It is a device that digitizes documents or images and inserts them into the computer. These files can then be stored, sent or edited.
  • Code bar scanner. It is a device, which can be a gun, base or bar, that works as an optical reader that recognizes a barcode (black lines on a white background) in which the information of a product is contained.
  • Joystick.It is a device that is usually used for video games, which consists of a lever that the user moves to execute actions on the computer. Its name comes from the English: joy (fun) and stick (bar, stick).
  • Optical pencil. It is a pencil-shaped device used on touch media, such as monitors and screens, to enter information into the system.
  • Graphic tablet. It is a flat digital base on which the user draws graphs and drawings that are then captured on the computer screen.

Output and input/output devices

In order for the user to be able to use the computer, he needs both input and output devices. The output devices are those that translate the data coming from the computer into information that can be understood by the user.

In most cases, this information is presented in the form of image, sound, text, among others. The most important output devices are: the screen or monitor, the speakers and the printer.

In addition, there are some devices that function both as input devices (because they input information to the system) and output devices (because they extract information from the computer). These devices are called input/output or mixed and among the most prominent are:

  • Multifunction printers. They are devices that when they print they work as an output device and when they scan they work as an input device.
  • Touch monitors. They are devices that work at the same time as input and output because they show the information to the user and also allow the person to enter directives by pressing the screen.
  • modems. They are devices that convert digital signals into analog (and vice versa) and allow the connection of a device to the internet.
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