Input Device:

In computing, an input device is a piece of equipment used to provide data

instructions to CPU for processing. Examples of input devices
include keyboards, mouse, scanners, cameras, joysticks, and microphones.

a) Keyboard:

A keyboard is one of the primary input devices used with a computer. Similar to an
electric typewriter, a keyboard is composed of buttons used to
create letters, numbers, and symbols, and perform additional functions. The
keyboard is also called QWERTY keyboard because its first six alphabets are
QWERTY. A keyboard allows a person to enter letters, numbers, and other
symbols (these are called characters in a keyboard) into a computer. It is one of
the most used input devices for computers. Using a keyboard to enter lots of data
is called typing.

b) Mouse:

A mouse is a hand-held pointing device that detects two-dimensional motion

relative to a surface. This motion is typically translated into the motion of
a pointer on a display, which allows a smooth control of the graphical user
interface of a computer.
The first public demonstration of a mouse controlling a computer system was in
1968. Mice originally used a ball rolling on a surface to detect motion, but modern
mice mostly have optical sensors that have no moving parts

C) Micro phone:
A microphone, also called a mic or mike is a device that converts sound into
an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such
as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public
events, motion picture production etc. They are also used in computers for
recording voice, speech recognition, VoIP

Output Devices:
An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment which converts
information into human read able form. It can be text, graphics, tactile, audio, and
video. Some of the output devices are Visual Display Units (VDU) i.e. a Monitor,
Printer graphic Output devices, Plotters, Speakers etc.

VDU (Visual Display Unit):

A VDU displays images generated by a computer or other electronic device. The
term VDU is often used synonymously with "monitor," but it can also refer to
another type of display, such as a digital projector. Visual display units may
be peripheral devices or may be integrated with the other components.

1. CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) Monitor:

CRT is the technology used in traditional computer monitors and televisions. The
image on a CRT display is created by firing electrons from the back of the tube to
phosphors located towards the front of the display. Once the electrons hit the
phosphors, they light up and are projected on the screen. The color you see on the
screen is produced by a blend of red, blue, and green light, often referred to
as RGB.

1. Less expensive
Although LCD monitor prices have decreased, comparable CRT displays still cost
less.

2. Better color representation

CRT displays have historically represented colors and different gradations of color
more accurately than LCD displays

3. More Durable

Historically, CRT monitors have had fewer problems with ghosting and blurring
because they redrew the screen image faster than LCD monitors

4. Multiple resolutions
If you need to change your display's resolution for different applications, you are
better off with a CRT monitor because LCD monitors don't handle multiple
resolutions as well.

2. LCD

A liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor is a computer monitor or display that uses
LCD technology to show clear images, and is found mostly in laptop computers and
flat panel monitors. With the introduction of better LCD technology and its
continuous improvement, LCD is now the clear leader over CRT. It has better color
and picture quality.

Require less power

Power consumption varies greatly with different technologies. CRT displays are
somewhat power-hungry, at about 100 watts for a typical 19-inch display. The
average is about 45 watts for a 19-inch LCD display. LCDs also produce less heat.

Smaller and weigh less

An LCD monitor is significantly thinner and lighter than a CRT monitor, typically
weighing less than half as much. In addition, you can mount an LCD on an arm or a
wall, which also takes up less desktop space.

More adjustable

LCD displays are much more adjustable than CRT displays. With LCDs, you can
adjust the tilt, height, swivel, and orientation from horizontal to vertical mode. As
noted previously, you can also mount them on the wall or on an arm.

Less eye strain

Because LCD displays turn each pixel off individually, they do not produce a flicker
like CRT displays do. In addition, LCD displays do a better job of displaying text
compared with CRT displays.

LED (Light-Emitting Diode):

 An LED is an electronic device that emits light when an electrical current is passed
through it. Early LEDs produced only red light, but modern LEDs can produce
several different colors, including red, green, and blue (RGB) light. Recent
advances in LED technology have made it possible for LEDs to produce white light
as well.
The energy efficient nature of LEDs allows them to produce brighter light than
other types of bulbs while using less energy. For this reason, traditional flat
screen LCD displays have started to be replaced by LED displays.

Advantages of LED:
 Energy efficient – LED’s are now capable of outputting 135 lumens/watt
 Long Lifetime – 50,000 hours or more if properly engineered
 Rugged – LED’s are also called “Solid State Lighting (SSL) as they are made of solid
material with no filament or tube or bulb to break
 No warm-up period – LED’s light instantly – in nanoseconds
 Not affected by cold temperatures – LED’s “like” low temperatures and will
startup even in subzero weather
 Directional – With LED’s you can direct the light where you want it, thus no light is
wasted
 Excellent Color Rendering – LED’s do not wash out colors like other light sources
such as fluorescents, making them perfect for displays and retail applications

3. Plasma display:

A plasma display is a computer video display in which each pixel on the screen is
illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma or charged gas, somewhat like a tiny neon light.
Plasma displays are thinner than cathode ray tube ( CRT ) displays and brighter
than liquid crystal displays ( LCD ). Plasma displays are sometimes marketed as
"thin-panel" displays and can be used to display either analog video signals
or display modes digital computer input.

Advantages of Plasma Display:

 Excellent brightness: Because plasma displays use the direct lighting of phosphors
(instead of a backlighting system in LCDs), they can have an extremely bright and
crisp picture.
 High resolution: Most plasma these days is at least 720p capable and many are
1080p capable.
 PC monitor-capable: Most plasma displays can be plugged directly into any PC.
 Progressive by nature: All the pixels on the screen are lit up simultaneously. So
progressive video sources display progressively on any plasma system.
 A wide viewing angle: Plasma displays have a good picture even when you are
sitting “off axis” (not perpendicular to the screen surface). In a smaller room,
where some of the seating might be at an acute angle from the screen, the wide
viewing angle can be a big plus.

Printer:

A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data
stored on a computer or other device and generates a hard copy. For example, if
you created a report on your computer, you could print several copies to hand out
at a staff meeting. Printers are one of the most popular computer peripherals and
are commonly used to print text and photos.

Types of Printer:

a) Impact Printer:

An impact printer is a type of printer that operates by striking a metal or plastic

head against an ink ribbon. The ink ribbon is pressed against the paper, marking
the page with the appropriate character, dot, line, or symbol. Common examples
of impact printers include dot matrix, daisy-wheel printers, and ball printers.

b) Non Impact Printer:

Non-Impact printers don't use any direct contact between ink ribbon and paper.
They use laser, xerographic, electrostatic, and chemical or inkjet technology.
These printers are less noisy and don't have mechanical moving parts to
conduct printing. Examples: Inkjet printers and Laser printers.

Differences between Impact and Non- Impact Printer:

Sr. Key Impact Printers Non-Impact Printers
No.

Concept Characters, graphics Characters, graphics are

1 are printed on a paper printed on a paper without
by striking. striking.

Concept Printing is done by Printing is done by depositing

2 hammering a metal pin ink on paper in any form.
or character dye.

Mechanical Electro-mechanical No electro-mechanical device

3 devices are used for is used for printing.
printing.

Speed Fast. Covers 250 words Slow. Covers a page in 30

4
per second. seconds.

5 Noise Noisy Silent.

Examples Dot-matrix printers, Inkjet printers and Laser

6 Daisy-wheel printers, printers.
and line printers.

Scanner:

A scanner is an input device that scans documents such as photographs and pages
of text. When a document is scanned, it is converted into a digital format. This
creates an electronic version of the document that can be viewed and edited on a
computer.
Most scanners are flatbed devices, which means they have a flat scanning surface.
Another type of scanner is a sheet-fed scanner, which can only accept paper
documents. Most scanners include basic scanning software that allows the user to
configure, initiate, and import scans.

Touch Panel (Touch screen)

A touch screen is a computer display screen that is also an input device. The
screens are sensitive to pressure; a user interacts with the computer by touching
pictures or words on the screen.

There are three types of touch screen technology:

 Resistive: A resistive touch screen panel is coated with a thin metallic

electrically conductive and resistive layer that causes a change in the electrical
current which is registered as a touch event and sent to the controller for
processing.
 Surface wave: Surface wave technology uses ultrasonic waves that pass over the
touch screen panel. When the panel is touched, a portion of the wave is
absorbed.
 Capacitive: A capacitive touch screen panel is coated with a material that stores
electrical charges. When the panel is touched, a small amount of charge is
drawn to the point of contact.
Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR):
It is a character-distinguishing technology that makes use of special magnetized
ink. It is largely used in banks and other organizations where security is a high
priority. Important documents such as checks and vouchers are printed using
magnetic ink. A laser printer with MICR toner can print magnetic ink. When a
document (such as bank checks and drafts) containing this magnetic ink is to be
processed, it is passed through a machine which magnetizes the ink, and then
special character information is extracted and translated in the form of characters.

OBR (Optical Bar Code Reader):

A barcode reader is a hand-held or stationary input device used to

capture and read information contained in a barcode.
A bar-code reader consists of a a lens, light source and a light sensor
which translates optical impulses into electrical ones. Moreover, nearly all
barcode readers consists of a decoder circuitry that analyzes the
barcode’s image data provided by the sensor and sends the barcode’s
content to the scanner’s output port.

Optical Mark reading (OMR):

It is a method of entering data into a computer system. Optical Mark Readers
reads pencil or pen marks made in pre-defined positions on paper forms as
responses to questions or tick list prompts. The OMR data entry system contains
the information to convert the presence or absence of marks into a computer data
file.
The OMR technology could be used if data is to be collected from a large number
of sources simultaneously, a large volume of data must be collected and processed
in a short period of time, and information mainly comprises the selection of
categories or "tick box" answers to multiple- choice questions.