Input and output devices

Input and output devices

1. input

   • mouse- you use a mouse on a flat surface
   • keyboard- used to input data by typing.
   • Trackball-To operate it the user rotates the ball which moves the pointer on screen.
   • Joystick -Joysticks used to be popular with gamers but have slowly been replaced by other types of game controller.
   • Scanner- A scanner can be used to digitise images.
   • Graphics tablet -A graphics tablet consists of a flat pad (the tablet) on which the user draws with a special pen.
   • Video digitiser -A video digitiser takes an image from a video camera or television and digitises it so it can be read by, and stored on, a computer.
   • Microphone -Microphones are used to input sound.

2. Output

   • Monitor- The most common output device is the monitor or VDU.
   • speakers
   • projectors
   • buzzers
   • Plotters -A plotter can be used to produce high quality, accurate, A3 size or bigger drawings.
   • Laser printers are quite expensive to buy and run but produce a high quality output and are quiet and fast.
   • Ink-jet printers offer black and white or colour printing with reduced levels of quality and speed.
   • Colour ink jet printers are cheaper to buy than colour laser printers. Dot matrix printers are not so common today.