BASICS OF COMPUTER ANATOMY
INPUT DEVICE VS. OUTPUT DEVICE VS. STORAGE DEVICE
INPUT DEVICE
OUTPUT DEVICE
STORAGE DEVICE
Device for entering
information into a
computer. Input devices
include keyboards,
joysticks, mice, light pens,
touch-sensitive screens,
scanners, graphics tablets,
speech-recognition devices,
and vision systems. The
input into an electronic
system is usually through
switches or sensors.
Any device for
displaying, in a form
intelligible to the user,
the results of processing
carried out by a
computer. Electronic
output devices can be
mechanical, audio, or
visual. Examples include
speakers, monitors,
printers, projectors.
Computer data storage,
often called storage or
memory, refers to
computer components,
devices, and recording
media that retain digital
data used for
computing for some
interval of time.
HARDWARE VS. SOFTWARE
HARDWARE – A component of the
computer that you can physically
touch
Video card
Mouse
Hard Drive
“That’s a hardware problem” means
something is broken
WIKIPEDIA:
“the physical interconnections and
devices required to store and execute
(or run) the software”
SOFTWARE – Programs that have been
installed on the computer
i.e. Windows XP, Halo 3, Microsoft Office,
Drivers for your printer
Software tells the hardware how to
work (especially the O/S and drivers)