Chapter 5 – Input
What are the two types of input?
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Data – is a collection of unprocessed text, numbers, graphics, images, audio and video.
Instructions - are the steps that tell the computer how to perform a particular task.
o Program – is a series of instructions that tells a computer what to do and how to do it.
o Command – is an instruction that causes a program to perform a specific action.
o User response – is an instruction a user issues by replying to a question displayed by a program
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Input Device – is any hardware component that allows users to enter data and instructions into a computer.
How is the keyboard divided?
 Keyboard – is an input device that contains keys users press to enter data and instructions into a computer. Desktop computer keyboards typically have 101 to 105 keys.
o Typing Area – includes letters of the alphabet, numbers, punctuation marks, and other basic keys
o Numeric Keypad – includes numeric numbers and basic operators (like a basic calculator).
o Function Keys – which are labeled with the letter F followed by a number, are special keys programmed to issue
commands to a computer.
 Enhanced Keyboard – has 12 function keys along the top; it also has two CTRL keys, two ALT keys, and a set of arrow
and additional keys between the typing area and numeric keypad
 Toggle key – is a key that switches between two states each time a user presses the key. Example: NUM LOCK key.
 Windows Key – when pressed, it displays the Start Menu
 Application Key – when pressed, it displays an item shortcut menu.
What is the insertion point?
 Insertion Point – is a symbol on the screen, usually blinking vertical bar, that indicates where the next character you
typed will be displayed.
What is a cordless keyboard?
 Wireless or Cordless Keyboard – is a battery-powered device that transmits data using wireless technology, such as radio
waves or infrared light waves.
 A typical notebook computer has only 85 keys.
 Ergonomic Keyboard – has a design that reduces the chances of wrist and hand injuries. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) –
an injury in wrist and hand when spending a lot of time typing on a keyboard.
What is an optical mouse?
 Pointing device – is an input device that allows a user to control a pointer on the screen.
 Pointer – is a small symbol on the screen whose location and shape changes as a user moves a pointing device.
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Mouse – is a pointing device that fits under a palm of your hand comfortably. The mouse is the most widely used pointing
device on desktop computers.
 Mouse Types
o Mechanical Mouse – has a rubber or metal ball on its underside. When the ball rolls in a certain direction, electronic circuits in the mouse translate the movement of the mouse into signals the computer can process.
o Wireless Mouse or Cordless Mouse – is a battery-powered device that transmits data using wireless technology,
such as radio waves or infrared light waves.
o Optical Mouse – uses an optical sensor or a laser.
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What are common mouse operations?
 Point – position the pointer on the screen
 Click – select and deselect items on the screen or start a program a program or program feature
 Right–Click – display a shortcut menu
 Double – Click – start a program or a program feature
 Triple-Click – select a paragraph
 Drag – move an object from one location to another or draw pictures
 Right-Drag – display a shortcut menu after moving an object from one location to another
 Rotate Wheel – scroll vertically
 Press Wheel Button – scroll continuously
 Tilt Wheel – scroll horizontally
Other Pointing Devices
 Trackball – is a stationary pointing device with a ball on its top or side. The ball in most trackball is about the size of a PingPong ball.
 Touchpad – is a small, flat, rectangular pointing device that is sensitive to pressure and motion.
 Pointing stick – is a pressure-sensitive pointing device shaped like a pencil eraser that is positioned between keys on a keyboard.
 Joystick – is a vertical lever mounted on a base. You move the lever in different directions to control the actions of the simulated vehicle or player.
 Wheel – is a steering-wheel-type input device.
 Light pen – is a handheld input device that can detect the presence of light.
 Touch screen – is a touch-sensitive display device.
What is a stylus and a digital pen?
 Pen input – users write, draw and tap on a flat surface to enter input. The surface maybe a monitor, screen, or a special type
of paper. Two device used for pen input.
o Stylus – is small metal or plastic device that looks like a tiny ink pen but uses pressure instead of ink.
o Digital pen – slightly larger than a stylus, is available in two forms.
 Pressure sensitive
 Built in digital cameras.
o Handwriting recognition software – software that translates the handwritten letters and symbols into a character that
the computer or device can process.
o Graphic tablet – is a flat, rectangular, electronic plastic board. Architects, mapmakers, designers, artist and home users create a drawings and sketches by using a pressure-sensitive pen or a cursor on a graphic tablet.
How does voice recognition work?
 Voice input – is the process of entering input by speaking into a microphone.
 Voice Recognition – also called speech recognition, is the computers capability of distinguishing spoken words.
 Speaker dependent software – the computer makes a profile of your voice, which means you have to train the computer to
recognize your voice.
 Speaker independent software – has a built in set of word patterns so do not have to train a computer to recognize your
voice.
o Discrete speech – which means you have to speak slowly and separate each word with a short pause.
o Continuous speech – allow you speak in a flowing conversational tone.
What is a MIDI (musical instrument digital interface)?
 Audio input – is the process of entering any sound into the computer such as speech, music and sound effects.
 MIDI device - External device, such as electronic piano keyboard, to input music and sound effects
How is a data entered into a PDA?
 With a basic stylus, which is the primary input device
 Built in mini keyboard
 Portable keyboard – is a full sized keyboard you conveniently use with PDA or other mobile device.
 Speak data and instructions into the device
 Cameras built in to take photographs and view them on a PDA.
Methods of entering data and instructions into a smart phone
 Text messaging – users can enter and send typed messages
 Instant messaging – communicate with computer users of the same Instant Messaging service
 Picture messaging – users can send graphics, video clips, and sound files, as well as short text messages to another
smart phone with a compatible picture messaging service.
What is a Tablet PC
 Mobile computer that includes handwriting recognition software
 Primary input device is a pressure-sensitive digital pen
What is a digital camera?
 Allows you to take digital pictures and store the photographed images digitally, instead of a traditional film.
 Three basic type of digital camera
o Studio camera – the most expensive and highest quality digital camera, which is a stationary camera
used for professional studio work.
o Field camera – is a portable camera that has many lenses and other attachments. A field camera can be
quite expensive.
o Point-and-shoot camera – is much more affordable and lightweight and provides acceptable quality
and photographic images for the home and small business users.
What is resolution?
 One factor that affects the quality of a digital camera is its resolution.
 Resolution – is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in a display device.
 Pixel (short for picture element) is single point in electronic image.
 The higher the resolution, the better the image quality, but the more expensive the camera
 Greater the number of pixels, the better the image quality
 Optical resolution – the actual photograph resolution.
What is video input?
 Video input – is the process of capturing full motion images and storing them on a computers storage medium such
as a hard disk or DVD.
 Video capture card is adapter card that converts analog video signal into digital signal that computer can use
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Digital video (DV) camera records video as digital signals instead of analog signals.
What are a PC video camera and a Web cam?
o PC video camera, or PC Camera —is a type of Digital Video camera that enables a home or small business user to capture video and still images, send e-mail messages with video attachments.
o Web cam—is any video camera whose output displays on a Web page
What is video conferencing?
 A video conference – is a meeting between two or more geographically separated people who can use a network or the internet to transmit audio and video data.
 Whiteboard – is another window on the screen that displays notes and drawings simultaneously on all participants screens.
What is a scanner?
 Source document – the original form of the data.
 Scanner (optical scanner) – is a light sensing input device that reads printed text and graphics and then translates the results into a form the computer can process.
 Four types of scanners
o Flatbed scanner – works in a manner similar to a copy machine except it creates a file of the document in
memory instead of a paper copy. Scanning mechanism passes under the item to be scanned, which is placed on
a glass surface.
o Pen – move pen over text to be scanned, then transfer data to computer
o Sheet-fed – item to be scanned is pulled into a stationary scanning mechanism
o Drum – item to be scanned rotates around stationary scanning mechanism
 Many scanners include OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software – which can read ad convert text documents into
electronic files.
What is an optical reader?
 Optical Reader – is a device that uses a light source to read characters, marks, and codes and then converts them into a
digital data that a computer can process.
o Two technologies used by optical readers.
 Optical Character Recognition (OCR) – is a technology that involves reading typewritten, computerized, or hand printed characters from ordinary documents and translating the images into a form that
the computer can process.
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Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) – is a technology that reads hand-drawn marks such as small circles or rectangles. A person places these marks on a form, such as a test, survey or questionnaire answer sheet.
What is a turnaround document?
o Document that you return to the company that sent it
 Portion you return has information printed in OCR characters
What is a bar code reader?
o Bar Code Reader or Bar Code Scanner – is an optical reader that uses laser beams to read bar codes by using light
patterns that pass through the bar code lines.
What is a bar code?
o Bar Code – is an identification code that consists of a set of vertical lines and spaces of different widths.
o Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code – uses in retail and grocery stores
What is an RFID reader?
 RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) – is a technology that uses radio signals to communicate with a tag placed in
or attached to an object, an animal, or a person
 RFID tags, which contains a memory chip and an antenna, are available in many shapes and sizes and sometimes embedded in glass, labels or cards.
 RFID Reader – reads information on the tag via radio waves. RFID readers can be handheld devices or mounted in a
stationary object such as a doorway.
What is a magnetic stripe card reader?
 Magnetic stripe card reader – often called a magstripe reader, reads magnetic stripe on the back of credit cards, entertainment
cards, bank cards, and other similar cards.
 Exposure to a magnetic field can erase the contents of a card’s magnetic stripe
 The stripe, which is divided in three horizontal tracks, contains information identifying you and the card issuer.
What is a magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR) reader?
 MICR (Magnetic-ink character recognition) devices read text printed with magnetized ink.
 An MICR reader converts MICR characters into a form the computer can process. The banking industry almost exclusively
uses MICR for check processing. Each check in your checkbook has precoded MICR characters beginning at the lower-left
edge.
What is a data collection device?
 Data collection device – obtains data directly at the location where the transaction or event takes place.
 For example: employees use bar code readers, PDAs, handheld computers or other mobile devices to collect data wirelessly.
These types of data collection devices are use in restaurants, factories, warehouse, outdoors, or other locations where heat,
humidity and cleanliness are not easy to control.
What is Terminals?
 Terminal – consists of a keyboard, a monitor, a video card and a memory.
o Three basic categories of terminals
 Dumb terminal – has no processing power; thus it cannot function as an independent device. Users enter data and instruction in a dumb terminal and then transmit the data to a host computer over the network. The host computer processes the input and then, if necessary, sends information (output) back
to the dumb terminal.
 Smart terminal – has a processor, giving it the capability of performing some functions independent of
the host computer.
 Special purpose terminal – performs specific tasks and contains features uniquely designed for use in a
particular industry.
 Two widely used special purposed terminal.
o Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminals – most retail stores use, to record purchases, process credit or debit cards and update inventory.
o Point of Sale (POS) – the location in a retail or grocery store where consumer
pays for goods and services.
o Automated Teller Machine (ATM) – is a self service banking machine that connects to a host computer through a network.
What is biometrics?
 Biometric – is the technology of authenticating a persons identity by verifying personal characteristics.
 Biometric devices – grants users access to programs, systems or rooms by analyzing some biometric identifier.
o Biometric identifier – is a physiological or behavioral characteristics, examples include fingerprints, hand geometry, facial features, voice, signatures, and eye patterns.
 Biometric device – translates a personal characteristic (the input) into a digital code that is compared with a digital code
stored in the computer.
o Fingerprint scanner – the most widely used biometric scanner today, captures curves and indentations of a
fingerprint.
o Face recognition system – captures a live face image and compares it with a stored image to determine if the
person is a legitimate user.
o Hand geometry system – biometric device that measures the shape and size of a person’s hand.
o Voice verification system – compares a persons live speech with their stored voice pattern.
o Signature verification system – recognizes the shape of your handwritten signature, as well as measures the
pressures exerted and the motion used to write the signatures.
o Iris recognition system – uses iris recognition technology to read patterns in the iris of the eye.
o Biometric data is sometimes stored on smart card, which stores personal data on microprocessor embedded in
card
What are recommended input devices for home users?
 Enhanced keyboard or ergonomic keyboard
 Mouse
 Stylus for PDA or smart phone
 Joystick or wheel
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30-bit 600 × 1200 ppi color scanner
2-megapixel digital camera
Headset that includes a microphone
PC video camera
What are recommended input devices for small office/home office users (SOHO)?
 Enhanced keyboard or ergonomic keyboard
 36-bit 600 × 1200 ppi color scanner
 Mouse
 2-megapixel digital camera
 Stylus and portable keyboard for PDA or smart
 Headset that includes a microphone
phone, or digital pen for Tablet PC
 PC video camera
What are recommended input devices for mobile users?
 Wireless mouse for notebook computer
 Trackball, touchpad, or pointing stick on notebook
computer
 Stylus and portable keyboard for PDA or smart
phone, or digital pen for Tablet PC
 2- or 3-megapixel digital camera
 Headset that includes a microphone
 Fingerprint scanner for notebook computer
What are recommended input devices for power users?
 Enhanced keyboard or ergonomic keyboard
 Mouse
 Stylus and portable keyboard for PDA or smart
phone
 Pen for graphics tablet
What are recommended input devices for large business users?
 Enhanced keyboard or ergonomic keyboard
 Mouse
 Stylus and portable keyboard for PDA or smart
phone, or digital pen for Tablet PC
 Touch screen
 Light pen
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48-bit 1200 × 1200 ppi color scanner
5- or 6-megapixel digital camera
Headset that includes a microphone
PC video camera
42-bit 1200 × 1200 ppi color scanner
OCR/OMR readers, bar code readers, MICR reader,
or data collection devices
Microphone
Video camera for video conferences
Fingerprint scanner or other biometric device
What input devices are available for those with physical limitations?
 Keyguard allows users to rest hands on keyboard without accidentally pressing keys
 Head-mounted pointer controls pointer on screen
 New developments include gesture recognition and computerized implant devices