Computer Input Devices Easy Explanation -TOP 15

The devices by which you can give input and interact with the computer are input devices.

For example keyboard and mouse are two main computer input devices.

What’s in it for me?

1. What is an input device?
2. All types of input devices(explanation).
3. How input devices work.
4. History of input devices.
5. First input device.
6. FAQ.

What is an input device?

Before directly jumping into an input device let me first clear you what is an input. So, the input is any kind of data given to the computer by the use of any medium, therefore this medium is called an input device.

For example – if I am giving data from keyboard to computer the data will be called input and the device(keyboard) is called an input device.

Computer input devices helps us to interact with the computer and makes it easy to control it. So, there are two primary input devices without them you can’t run a computer,the mouse and keyboard

Input devices are divided into two categories.
It is connected to the computer with wire or wirelessly.

Direct input devices –

Simply this type of input device doesn’t need to translate their data in any other form of code. For example – scanner and microphone

Indirect computer input devices

This data is first converted or translated into machine-readable language as a result it makes data easily understood by the computer.

For example – a keyboard and a joystick.

Let’s jump into computer input devices.

All types of computer input devices (explanation)

1. Mouse
2. Keyboard
3. Joystick
4. Light Pen
5. TrackBall
6. Scanner
7. Graphic Tablet
8. Microphone
9. MICR ( Magnetic Ink Character Recognition)
10. OCR ( Optical Character Reader)
11. Barcode Reader
12. OMR (Optical Mark Reader)
13. WEBCAM
14. Punch card reader
15. Gamepad

MOUSE

Let’s start with the mouse, If you use a computer you definitely know what a mouse is and how it looks. Most important thing is it was invented by Douglas Engelbart.

A mouse is also called a pointing device and it’s an indirect input device. A normal mouse has mainly 3 buttons left, right, and scroll. The left button is the primary button of the mouse.

The working of the scroll is to up and down the page, It works on 90 degrees. I hope so, You are understanding. Also, it comes in the category of pointing computer input devices.

Keyboard

Well, we are all aware of the keyboard, whether it is an android mobile keyboard the one you used to search this question, or the physical one in which I am writing this blog. It is an indirect input device.

The most important thing is the keyboard was invented by Christopher Latham sholes. The first inventor of the keyboard is QWERTY therefore, the keyboard we are using is called the “QWERTY“ keyboard.

TYPES OF KEYS IN A KEYBOARD –

• TOGGLE KEYS – Caps lock, Scroll Lock and Num lock who indicates an led on top of the keyboard are toggle keys
• MODIFIER KEYS – These keys are also known as combination keys. This has ALT, CTRL, and SHIFT.
• NAVIGATIONAL KEYS – These keys lie between Numpad and alphabetical keys these have home key, end key, page up key, page down, and arrow keys. You definitely use arrow keys to play games.
• SPECIAL KEYS – These keys are also known as symbol keys. These have $#@%^&* in it.
• FUNCTIONAL KEYS – This has F1 to F12 all these keys are called functional keys.
• NUMERIC KEYPAD – All the keys aligned right to your computer which looked like a dial pad are called numeric keypad from 1234567890.
• There are so many keys but there are not in any categories like the longest key SPACEBAR The Double space key TAB KEY.

JOYSTICK

I love to play games, do you? Well joystick is a device that is used to play games of course video games and it’s also a pointing device

In other words, Joystick looks similar to gear on cars. You will definitely use a joystick if you play claw games in shopping malls. It is used to control the picker.

LIGHT PEN

A light pen is also a pointing device it allows the user to display objects and draw on it when the user touches the screen by the pen. It comes in both wired or wireless.

For example – you definitely see this if you attend a digital class on youtube. Also, this is the one that the instructor used to draw and write.

TRACKBALL

A trackball is used to enter motion data into a computer.

For example – in spacecraft. Also, you definitely use it if you ever used a blackberry curve 9320, phone, or in some Nokia e series phone, they both have a trackball in it.

It rotates in whole 360′ therefore, it is used in 3d editing where the object is in 360″ it is also a pointing device.

SCANNER

Did you ever use a scanner? Definitely if you photocopied something. The most important thing is Scanner is used to scan the document or paper it converts hard copy to soft copy.

In short, the scanner is an input device used to input data into the computer in image format and shows it to you on the monitor screen. It’s a direct input device. computer input device.

GRAPHICS TABLET

This tablet is used by graphics designers and is basically used in photoshop illustrator to make vector art and editing images. The most important thing is It’s also a pointing device because it also has a cursor.

It is controlled by one that comes with it. Pen also has two control keys that work the same as your mouse left and right-click.

MICROPHONE – Audio Computer Input Device.

It is also a direct input device. MIC is used for audio input. It works similarly like your ears work for you. You definitely use a microphone if you are using a phone to read this article. audio computer input devices.

MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Reader)

It is used to read characters printed by magnetic ink as its name suggests. Also, this is a direct input device. It also used for cheque verification. Do you ever deposit a cheque to your bank? For example in the banking sector for reading cheque.

Yes, its the machine that cheque collected puts cheque in it and the machine swipes the cheque from left to right and makes an entry of cheque no in their data.

It is used to read the cheque MICR code printed by magnetic ink.

OCR (OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION)

It is used for direct text entry used to read government bonds in India and also for passport verification. It just reads the text on the paper and converts it to the computer text by recognizing it.

You use it if you are a student you definitely use an app called camscanner used to scan paper. But the difference is camscanner uses a digital camera to recognize the text.

BAR CODE READER

A barcode reader is an optical scanner that is used to read printed barcodes. Ever wonder vertical lines in products, yes that’s the barcode lines like this.” |||||||||||| ”

Used to identify the products using a barcode to make easy maintenance to store products in the warehouse.

Ever you visited a shopping mall? the machine that the vendor used to enter products to make the bill on the billing counter. Yes, that is the barcode readers.

So the Bar code readers are computer input devices that are used for entering bar code data.

OMR (OPTICAL MARK READER)

This is used to read the OMR answer sheet. It simply uses light to pass between paper. For example, you ever give a govt exam in which you fill the MCQ with a pencil by circling on it.

OMR is a computer input devices that is used to check answer sheets.

WEBCAM

It’s a digital camera for the computer. That is used to take a picture. Also, for video calls and live streaming. It comes built-in with the laptop. Also, it just works as same as your mobile front camera.

You can also use your phone as a webcam by connecting it to the PC with USB.

webcams are computer input devices.

Punch card reader

A punch card is basically a paper in which holes are punched to enter the data in binary form. Works similar to memory cards. Although, this technology is owned by IBM. But, this used in the first generation of computers.

A punch card reader used light to pass in this punched holes gets easily passed light and therefore, not punched area blocks the light that was used during 1870.

Punch card are computer input devices.

GAMEPAD

A gamepad is used to play games. I truly loved to play games, do you? Of course, you can play games like Super Mario and PUBG using a PlayStation to play games. Then you know how the gamepad works.

How input devices work.

In the working of the computer input devices, we are taking the example of a keyboard. So, in the keyboard when you press any button the button acts similarly as your home electricity switches.

It joins the circuit and sends a signal to the computer. In a keyboard, if you press (A) then the signal is first converted into Unicode then the computer understands it that you pressed (A).

History of input devices input

The computer input device uses a punch card during 1850 by the brand IBM. afterward keyboard then we develop the ball mouse. After that, the optical mouse then touch screens light pens and now in the future.

First Computer input devices

You know I have been talking about it for a long time. Yes, punch cards. So the punchcard use to feed data in 12 rows.

The first two rows have x and y and then 0 to 9.first 5 rows are for reference.

After that, 6th is for a special symbol and 7 to 72 is for a program statement, and from 73 to 80 is for the serial number.

In short for 1 statement is one punch card is used. One punch card has 80 columns and 12 rows. A keypunch machine is used to write data in it.

Complete detailed guide on computer input devices.

FAQ –

Also read – computer memory types