Chapter 5

Input and Output

Learning Objectives
 Identify several types of input and output devices
and explain their functions.
 Describe the characteristics of the input equipment
that most users encounter regularly—namely,
keyboards and pointing devices.
 Explain what source data automation is and discuss
how scanners and other devices can be used to
accomplish it.
 List several types of multimedia input devices and
discuss their purposes.
Learning Objectives, cont’d.
 Describe the characteristics of the output equipment
that most users encounter regularly—namely, display
devices and printers.
 Discuss several types of multimedia output
equipment.
 Explain what a multifunction device is and list some
advantages and disadvantages of using such a
device.
Overview
 This chapter covers:

 Equipment designed primarily for input of

programs and data into the computer system, or
for output, or for both.

 Many other types of input/output devices exist, but

this chapter covers a good sampling of the most
widely used ones.
Input and Output
 In put dev ices convert data and programs that
people can understand into a form comprehensible to
the CPU.

 Out put dev ice s convert the strings of bits used by

the computer back into a form that people can
understand.
Keyboards
 Keyboards can differ in number of keys, key
arrangement, types of special keys, and touch.

 Function keys enable software packages to be

customized to meet a user's applications needs.

 The numeric keypad makes it easy to enter numbers

quickly.
Pointing Devices: Mouse
 Older mechanical mice move a ball on the bottom of
the mouse.

 Newer optical mice are completely sealed and don’t

require cleaning.

 Common mouse operations are clicking, scrolling,

and dragging and dropping.
Pointing Devices: Electronic Pens
 Ele ctr onic p en: an alternative to the mouse to
select objects or to write or draw on the screen

 Devices that use pen input:

 Graphics tablets

 Signature capture devices

 Pen-based computers
Pointing Devices: Touch Screens
 Touch scree ns are
used:

 When other input

devices are impractical

 When consumer input

is required, as in
consumer kiosks
Other Pointing Devices
 Joystick
 Trackball
 Pointing stick
 Touch pad
Scanners and Related Devices
 Source data automation involves collecting data in
machine-readable form as soon as it is generated.

 Source data automation is used to convert source

documents into digital form and commonly utilizes
some type of scanner.
Optical Scanners
 Opt ical scan ne r: converts hard-copy images of
text pages, photographs, and drawings into digital
form

 Types of image scanners:

 Flatbed

 Sheet-fed

 Hand-held

 Drum

 Three-dimensional
Optical Readers

 Optical marks

 Optical characters

 Optical codes
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
Reader
 Mag net ic i nk ch ar act er reco gniti on is used
primarily with processing checks.
 Readers can read the special magnetic characters, as
well as sort documents by their codes.
Multimedia Input: Digital Cameras
 Dig it al came ras record data onto digital media
instead of film.

 The camera is either connected to a port on the PC

or media is inserted into a reader attached to the PC.

 Software that comes with the camera then allows

you to transfer images to the PC and erase media so
more photos can be taken.
Multimedia Input: Video Cameras
 Video cameras can be used to either record or send
images over the Internet.

 Video input can also be obtained by using special

hardware to transfer conventional video images to
the computer.
Multimedia Input:
Audio Input Devices
 Vo ice- inpu t sys te ms convert spoken words to
digital data.

 Music-input systems can record musical input for use

with a multimedia presentation or to be edited or
combined with other input.

 Telephony is the process of performing telephone-

oriented tasks using a computer.
Display Devices
 Disp lay dev ices are the most common type of
output device.

 PC displays are commonly called mo ni tors.

 The cursor, or insertion point, indicates where editing

or typing will appear on the display screen.
Size

 Most monitors today are about 17 inches wide,

measured diagonally.

 The actual viewing area is typically less than the

stated size.
 Resolution
 Resolution refers to the sharpness of the screen
image.

 Images are formed

by lighting up tiny
dots on the screen
called pixel s.
Graphics Standards
 Computer graphics standards specify such
characteristics as the possible resolutions and
number of colors that can be used.

 Video cards connect the monitor to the PC and

support a particular graphics standard, such as
SVGA.

 Video cards typically contain video RAM to support

the number of colors and resolutions allowed, as well
as to help speed up image display.
Color vs. Monochrome Displays
 Most color displays are of the RGB type.
 RGB displays combinations of red, blue, and green
light to form other colors.
CRT vs. Flat-Panel Displays
 Most desktop display devices use CRT technology,
similar to conventional television technology.

 Fl at -pan el di sp la ys are compact, lightweight, and

consume little power.
 Ideal for notebook computers

 Most use liquid crystal display (LCD) technology

HDTV
 HDTV is a new type of television that supports high-
resolution digital broadcasts.

 All broadcasting is expected to eventually be high

definition.
Characteristics of Printers
 Print resolution is commonly measured in dots per
inch (dpi).

 Impact printers use metal hammers to strike a ribbon

or paper.

 The large majority of the printers sold today are

nonimpact printers.
 Do not depend on the impact of metal hammers;

contain fewer moving parts

Personal Printers: Laser
 Laser pri nter s often cost between $200 and $400
and print 5 to 12 pages per minute (ppm), at
resolutions of at least 600 dpi.

 Work similarly to photocopy

machines.

 Are usually black and white,

though color laser printers
are available.
Personal Printers: Ink-Jet
 In k-jet prin ter s produce images by spraying
thousands of droplets of electrically charged ink onto
a page.

 Technology of choice for home users who want to

produce affordable, hard-copy color output from
desktop systems.
Network Printers
 A network printer is shared by several people over a
local area network.
 Line printers print a whole line at a time rather than
just a character.
 Page printers can produce a page of output at a
time.
 Network laser printers are faster and hold more
paper than personal versions.
Special Purpose Printers
 Photo printers  Portable printers

 Bar-code printers  Plotters

 Label printers  Wide-format ink-jet printers

Multimedia Output Devices
 Speakers

 Data and multimedia projectors

 Voice-output systems
Multifunction Devices
 A multifunction device offers some combination of:

 Printing

 Copying

 Scanning

 Faxing