Page 49 - CLOUDCOM SERIES: ICT HAND-OUT FOR J.H.S 1

BASIC INPUT AND OUTPUT DEVICES

Input is the data that we feed into the computer to enable it process into useful information.
Therefore,

Input device is a computer hardware device that is used to feed the computer with data and
commands. The data fed into the computer can be a text, a sound, a picture or any other form
of data.

Commands are special messages that you give to the computer to perform certain functions.
These include clicking on a button to close a window, double clicking a file icon to open the file
and so on. The types of input devices are: keyboard, scanner, mouse, light pen etc.

TYPES OF INPUT DEVICES

1. Keyboard: a computer keyboard is an input device that is mainly used to enter text into
the computer. It looks like typewriter but with more keys for performing special
functions. E.g. of keyboard are: traditional, ergonomic, flexible, wireless and P.D.A
keyboard.
Keyboard can be categorized based on the arrangement of keys on it.

i. The QWERTY keyboard: it gets its name from the first six letters in the top-left row
of alphabetic keys on the keyboard. The QWERTY layout was originally designed for
typewriters, not computers and was meant to slow down typists to prevent
typewriter keys from jamming. QWERTY is therefore considered inefficient because
it slows typing speeds.
Now that technology can keep up with faster typing, other keyboards are being
considered.