Computer systems

Computer systems

1. Input devices

   • Keyboard
     • When a key is pressed the letter, or number, is typed on screen provided you are using a program that allows it to do so.
   • Mouse
     • A user moves the mouse on a surface which then moves the curser on a screen provided the mouse is connected to the screen in some way.
   • Controller
     • When playing a game a user can press certain buttons and make their character move or do something else.
   • Microphone
     • A user can speak or make a sound into the microphone and depending on what the microphone is plugged into it will record it or it will play it through a speaker to make it louder.
   • Scanner
     • A scanner captures images from printed pictures. It does this by shining a light at the object or document and directing the reflected light onto a photosensitive element

2. Output devices

   • Monitor
     • Monitors display what the user inputs, so if a user is in a word document and presses a key the letter or number will be displayed on the document.
   • Speaker
     • A speaker takes the sound file it has received and plays it out as loud as the user wants it to.
   • Printer
     • When a document from a connected device is sent to a printer it deciphers what colour ink goes where and then prints it onto a piece of paper.
   • Headphones
     • Headphones are like mini speakers but you wear them on your ears and they play the sound directly into your ears.
   • Projector
     • A projector displays what the device is displaying just bigger so it is easier to see from further away.

3. Storage devices

   • Software
   • USB stick
     • A USB stick collects data when saved to it and then stores it. The USB stick can then input this data into another computer so long as there is a socket for the USB to plug into. USBs are also a type of solid state storage.
   • These store data until the data is needed.
     • Cassette tapes are a type of magnetic storage.
     • CDs, DVDs, Blue ray discs, Laser discs are all types of optical storage devices.
     • Floppy discs are a type of magnetic storage.
     • Hard drives are a type of magnetic storage.
     • SDHC cards, Solid state drives, are a type of solid state storage
     • Record discs are a type of optical storage.

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