Components of Computer
By Engr. Salman Ashraf
Input
• Any thing given to
the computer is
known as input
such as instructions
or data
• Converts raw data
into electronic form
Input Devices: Giving Commands
Keyboard
Mouse
Stylus
• Input devices are types of hardware that enable you to get programs,
data, commands, and responses into the computer’s memory
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Keyboard
• Traditional
– Looks like typewriter with
extra keys
• Non-traditional
It is used for specific purpose
– Fast food restaurants
– Each key represents a food
item rather than a character
Keyboard
Main Keyboard
• Typewriter keys
• Special command keys
Keyboard
• Numeric Keys
– Num Lock – toggle
– On – numeric data & math
symbols
– Off – cursor movement
• Cursor Movement Keys
Function Keys F1-F12
• Give commands
• Software specific
• F1 is the help key in most programs.
Keyboard
Special Keys
Shift
Caps Lock
Ctrl
Alt
Esc
Enter
Windows
Shortcut
Shift:
Output a capital letter or symbol when pressed along
with an alphanumeric key.
Select text for editing when pressed along with cursor
movement keys.
Ctrl:
Produces different results depending on the program
you are using.
Ctrl key combinations provide shortcuts for menu
commands.
Alt:
Produces different set of results
In windows, Alt key combinations enable you to navigate
menus and dialog boxes without using mouse.
Pointing Devices
• A mouse is a small, lightweight input device.
• It is also called pointing device
• Position a pointer / cursor on the screen
• Controls drawing instruments in graphics
applications
Pointing Devices
Mouse
• Types
– Mechanical
– Optical
– Wireless
• Features
– Palm-sized
– 1 or 2 buttons
– Wheel
Mechanical
1. Contain a small rubber ball.
2. Ball rolls inside the case when you move the mouse on
a flat surface.
3. Rollers and sensors send signals to the computer,
telling distance, direction and speed of ball.
Optical
1. Emits a beam of light from its underside.
2. Uses the light’s reflection to judge the distance,
direction and speed of its travel.
Wireless
1. Give computer users cordless accessibility to their mice
and to interact with their computer.
Other Types of Pointing Devices
Trackball Touch
Screen
Pointing
Stick Joystick
Touch Pad Pen
12
Other Pointing Devices
• Trackball
– Upside-down mouse
– Ball on top
– Roll ball with hand
– Requires less space than
mouse
– Laptop computers
• Touchpad
– Pressure-sensitive pad
– Cursor moves as you slide
your finger
– Laptop computers
Other Pointing Devices
Joystick
• Short lever
• Handgrip
• Distance and speed of movement control pointer
position
Touch Screens
• Human points to a selection on the screen
• Touch Screen is a video display screen that
receives input from touch of finger.
• Types
– Senses finger pressure
– Light pen for pointing
Touch Screens
– Self-help stations
– Easy to use
– Where found
• Malls
• Government offices
• ATM
• Fast food restaurants
• Drug stores
Pen-based Computing
• Small hand-held devices
• Electronic pen (stylus)
– Pointer
– Handwritten input
• Personal Digital
Assistants (PDA)
Optical Scanners
• Optical recognition
• Light beam scans input data
• Most common type of source input
• Document imaging – converts paper documents to
electronic form
• Converts scanned picture into characters – OCR
• Exact computer-produced replica of original
Types of Scanners
• Handheld
– Least expensive
– Least accurate
– Portable
– Wide document causes problems
Bar Code Readers
• Read barcodes which are patterns of printed bars
appear on product packaging.
• Barcodes identify product and provide information
about product such a price.
• BCR emits a beam of light that is reflected by the bar
code image.
• Light sensitive detector identifies barcode image by
recognizing bars.
• BCR converts printed bars into a code the computer
can understand.
• Reader then feeds the data into the computer.
Voice Input
• Speech Recognition
– Translating voice to text is a capability
known as speech recognition.
• Speech recognition devices
– Input via a microphone
– Voice converted to binary code
• Problems
– Speaker-dependent
– Voice training
Voice Input
• Discrete work systems
– Understand isolated words
– Pause between words
– Difficult for dictation
• Continuous work systems
– Normal speaking pattern
– Easy to use
– Faster and easier to dictate
Digital Cameras
• Photos stored in electronic form
• No film
• Point and shoot
• Edit
Webcam
• A digital camera designed to
take digital photographs and
transmit them over the internet.
• (WEB CAMera) A video camera
that attaches to a computer
typically via USB or that is built
into a laptop or desktop screen.
It is used mostly for
videophoning over networks
such as Skype as well as to
continuously monitor an activity
and deliver the video to a Web
server for public or private
viewing.
