Page 51 - CLOUDCOM SERIES: ICT HAND-OUT FOR J.H.S 1

-Touch pad or Track pad: this is a small rectangular surface that you can move your
finger on it to control the movement of the mouse pointer on the computer screen.
Example is the laptop or note pad mouse.
-Pointing stick or track point; is a device that looks like a pencil-top eraser in the
middle of the keyboard of laptops computer.
-Game pad; a game pad is an input device that has buttons, thumb sticks and
directional pad for playing computer and video games. They usually come in pairs or
two set of controls.
-Joystick; is an input devices that is used mainly for playing computer games. It has
vertical handled. It also has buttons for performing various actions. It is used in
racing and flying games.

Importance of mouse:

-for double clicking
-for selecting/highlighting
-for clicking
-for pointing.

4. Light Pen; it is an input device resembling the ordinary pen. It has a cord at the tail end.
When connected, it becomes sensitive and allows the user to write directly on or point at a
special pad or the screen of a pen-based computer.

Importance of input devices

1. They are used to enter or key data into the computer. E.g. keyboard
2. They are used to issue commands into the computer. e.g. mouse
3. They change human readable language into machine readable form.

OUTPUT DEVICES

An output is the process through which information is brought to the user. The information
displayed on the monitor is termed as SOFT COPY because it cannot be touched. The
information printed on paper is termed as HARD COPY because it can be felt and touched.

An Output Device is any hardware device that the computer uses to communicate to the user.

TYPES OF OUTPUT DEVICES

1. MONITOR
2. SPEAKER
3. HEAD PHONE