What is Input Device | Definition & Examples of Input Devices
Definition of Input device -: “Input device is the device that performs the task of delivering instructions and messages given by the user to the computer system. “
In simple words, the Input Device is a device that accepts the instructions given by the external user and converts it into an accepted form of the computer and gives it to the computer system. So that the request made by the user can be further processed by the computer system.
Before knowing more about the input device of a computer, we know why we need input devices…?
Why is an input device required?
In earlier times, ie. in the early days of computers, when computers came into the world, the users used Input Devices like ‘Punch Card’, ‘Paper Tape‘, and ‘Magnetic Tape‘ to give instructions to the computer
Also, only programmers were able to use such Input Devices. This was beyond the normal user’s understanding, due to which other ordinary users were unable to do their work from the computer.
Therefore, because of the increasing utility of the computer and the problems of the user, computer manufacturers created Computer Input Devices so that other users can also do their work on the computer.
Therefore, we can say that without Input Devices, we cannot work on the computer as we wish. We need Input Devices in the computer to do the work we want.
Types of Input Devices
There are two types of input devices -:
- Pointing input devices
- Non Pointing input devices
# 1. What is Pointing Input Devices
A pointing input device is a device through which we perform any particular process or task by clicking or pointing to a particular place in the computer monitor. Under this, devices such as Mouse, Joystick, Trackball, Touch screen, are included.
# 2 What is Non-Pointing Input Devices?
The non-Pointing input device is a device through which we cannot directly point to a particular process or program. With these types of devices, we input instructions like text, images, or media into the computer system. Under these, Keyboard, Scanner, OCR, MICR, Microphone input devices are included.
Now let’s see some examples of Computer Input Devices.
10 Examples of Input Devices
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Joystick
- Touch screen
- Light pen
- Magnetic Ink Character Reader (MICR)
- Optical Character Reader (OCR)
- Barcode reader
- Scanner
- Microphone
Let’s know in detail about all the input devices like Keyboard, Mouse, Light pen, etc. which have been discussed above.
#1. Keyboard
It is a peripheral non pointing input device which is the most commonly used in computers to input text. With the help of keyboard we input the characters in the computer.
The keyboard consists of 105 keys. At the top of the keyboard, there are twelve keys from F1 to F12 which are used to perform a particular task. Immediately below this, are special characters keys, some of which are Comparison keys, Logical keys, and Arithmetic Operator keys.
In the center of the keyboard are Keys from A to Z, which are used to write text. To the right of the keyboard are Numeric Keys, and Control Keys. Apart from this, the keyboard has some special keys .. such as ctrl key, alt key, tab key, backspace key, and enter key, which perform special tasks.
#2. Mouse
The mouse is the second most used Input Device after the keyboard. The mouse is a pointing input device. With the help of a mouse, we can select any object on the monitor and perform a task in it. The mouse is placed on a smooth surface and due to this, we are able to select an object and perform the task in it.
the size of mouse is like a small box, which consists of two buttons (Right and left), and a scroll button. On pressing the right button of the mouse, the drop-down menu opens with the help of which we can perform certain tasks for that object and with the left button of the mouse we select an object and perform a task on it.
Apart from this, the scroll button helps in scrolling a web page or document page up-down.
#3. Joystick
The Joystick is a pointing input device. Which is a flat rectangle in size. It consists of a stick such as a gear. With the help, we input the instructions into the computer. Mainly it is used in Gaming ie gameplay.
The Joystick is the same as the mouse, but if we move and leave the Joystick Stick, it keeps moving in the same direction. To prevent this, we have to reverse the stick and bring it back to the first position, whereas in the mouse it does not.
#4. Touch screen
A Touch Screen is a pointing input device, which is a boxed flat thin device with a Transparent sensitive touch panel covering the top surface.
There is a special type of mechanism in the Touch Screen, which inputs the instructions given by the user into the computer system. when the user selects an object through his fingers and gives instructions to perform a task on it, this touch panel converts that instruction into a computer acceptable form and gives it to the system so that the system Could be performed that task.
The use of touchscreen can be seen mostly nowadays, the touch screen is nowadays used to make mobile phones. And the use of Touchscreen is increasing day by day.
#5. Light pen
The light pen is a pointing input device that looks like a pen. It is a light-sensitive device whose light comes out from the tip. It is similar to a touch screen but the ability to select and perform a task on it is more effective than a touch screen. The light pen is more reliable than a touch screen.
The light pen is used to select objects from the display screen and to design graphic and draws graphics. It is mostly useful for CRT monitors but can also be used in LCDs.
#6. Magnetic Ink Character Reader
The MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Reader) is a non-pointing input device, also known as magnetic ink character reader or magnetic ink character recognition.
MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Reader) is mostly used in banks. This reads the check paper filled by the bank user and reads the coordinates and instructions of the magnetic chip on the ATM card in the ATM machine and gives all instructions to the system so that the system shows the user his bank details.
#7. Optical Character Reader
The OCR (Optical Character Reader) is a non-pointing input device, similar to a small printer or small rectangle box. It is capable of reading mostly printed text, any file written in hand, and any type of document which is handwritten or a hand-drawn picture.
OCR (Optical Character Reader) is used to check the answer sheet filled by students in most competitive examinations. It can read 2600 characters per second. Using it saves time and at the same time, it is quite reliable.
#8. Barcode reader
Barcode reader is a non-pointing input device, which is almost similar to an OCR input device but it mostly reads ‘QR Code’ and ‘Bar code’ ie it is used to read instructions written in QR code and Bar code. It gives this instruction to the computer system, by which the computer system performs the instructions.
Barcode reader is mostly used in the Whole Cell. With the help of this, the seller makes a bill by scanning the bar code of the products and extracting the MRP of the products, which saves time and gets the job done easily.
#9. Scanner
A scanner is a non-pointing input device that you can mostly see in the Computer Choice Center. It is like a flat rectangle thin box. It works reading any type of printed document and images.
The scanner is equipped with transparent sensitive glass, on which the document is placed. A sensitive light beam emits inside the scanner which falls through the glass on the document file placed on top of the glass, By which this light is reflected back into the scanner. So that the system of the scanner is able to read that document.
Scanner returns the location from which the light returns to reflect (it means 1s) and from where the light does not reflect, converting it to dark (means 0s), gives it to the computer system from which the computer system reads that document And performs the task accordingly and gives us the result.
#10. Microphone
The microphone is a non-pointing input device, which is being used mostly these days. It is mainly used to do voice search in mobiles as well as it is also used in Loudspeaker.
A microphone is a small device that first converts our Voice into electric Signals and then transfers these Signals to the Receiver System which again converts these Signals into Voice Signals. The system then releases these changed Signals to do further tasks.
A microphone is a Human Sensitive Device that instantly converts and processes the instruction given by us into Signals. This is faster than other input devices.
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Conclusion
Friends, in this post, we got a lot of things related to the input device, out of which these are some of the main points -:
- What is Input Device
- Why the need for input devices
- Types of Input Device
- 10 Examples of Input Devices
Friends in this post, we have explained all these topics above in detail.
If you want a complete tutorial on Computer Fundamentals, then see this article Computer Fundamentals Tutorial. Here you will get all the topics of Computer Fundamentals step by step.
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