Hardware Components

• Input Devices

• Output Devices
 Input Devices - Consist devices that translate data into a
form the computer can process

Keyboard
• is a device that converts letters, numbers, and other
characters into electrical signals that can be read by the
computer’s processor.

2 types

1. Traditional computer keyboard (104 - 105 keys)

2. Specialty keyboards and terminals (touch tone

telephone keypads to keyboards featuring pictures of food
for use in fast-food restaurants
TRADITIONAL KEYBOARD SPECIALTY KEYBOARD
 Pointing devices
Control the position of the cursor or pointer on the screen
1. mouse and its variants:

small, hand-held device is used to move the cursor to a specific location on the screen
• trackball – a movable
ball, mounted on top
of a stationary device,
that can be rotated
using your fingers or
palm
• pointing stick –
looks like a pencil
eraser protruding
from the keyboard
between G, H, and B
keys
• touch pad – a small,
flat surface over
which you slide your
finger
2. touch screen – a video display screen that has been
sensitized to received input from the touch of a finger
3. Pen Input:
• Pen-based computer system
– allows users to enter
handwriting and mark onto a
computer screen by means of
a penlike stylus rather than
typing on a keyboard (ex.
handheld and digital notebook)
• Light pen – a light-sensitive
penlike device connected by a
wire to the computer terminal
• Digitizer – uses a mouselike
copying device called a puck,
or an electronic pen, which
can convert drawings and
photos to digital data. (ex.
digitizing tablet)
Source Data-Entry Devices
Data are entered directly from the source. It creates machine-readable
data on magnetic media or paper or feed it directly into the computer’s
processor

• 1. Scanning devices.
Scanners use light-
sensing equipment to
translate images of text,
drawings, photos, and
the like into digital forms.
• a. Imaging System
b. Bar-code reader
c. Mark-recognition and Character-recognition devices.

c.1 Magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR)

c.2 Optical-mark recognition (OMR)
c.3 Optical-character recognition (OCR)
d. Fax machines

d.1 Dedicated fax machines

d.2 Fax modem
Source Data-Entry Devices
2. Webcam – a camera that attaches to a computer to record moving images that can
then be posted on a website in real time
3. Digital cameras – electronic camera that uses a light-sensitive processor
chip to capture photographic images in digital form on a small diskette
inserted in the camera or on flash-memory chip.
4. Human biology-input devices.
Characteristics and movements of VOICE
the human body, when interpreted by RECOGNITION
sensors, optical scanners, voice
recognition, and other technologies,
can be form of input.
a. Biometric system.
b. Line of sight systems

HAND SCANNER
FINGER SCANNER

EYE SCANNER
 Output Devices
Consists of devices that convert machine-readable
information, obtained as a result of processing, into people-
readable form

2 types
• 1. Softcopy – data that is shown on a display screen or is in audio
or voice form

• 2. Hardcopy – printed output

• Other Outputs
 Softcopy
• a. Display screen – also called as monitors

2 Types
• a.1 Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)- is a vacuum tube used as a display
screen in a computer or video display terminal
•a.2 Flat-panel displays
are made up of two plates
of glass separated by a
layer of a substance in
which light is manipulated
(ex. Liquid crystal display
(LCD)
Hardcopy
. Impact Printer- forms characters or images by striking a mechanism such as a print
a
hammer or wheel against an inked ribbon. (ex. Dot matrix)
b. Nonimpact Printers form characters and
images without direct physical contact
between the printing mechanism and
paper.

3 Types
b.1 Laser Printer
b.2 Ink-jet Printer
b.3 Bubble-jet Printer
b.4 Thermal Printer
c. Plotters.
3 Types
c.1 Pen
c.2 Electrostatic
c.3 Large-format
d. Multifunction
Other Output: Sound, Voice, and Video

• 1. Sound Output devices – produce digitized sounds, ranging from beeps

and chirps to music. (ex. speaker)
•2. Voice Output Devices – convert digital data into speech-like
sounds. (ex. in telephone answering machine, cars, toys and games)
•3. Video Output – video consists of photographic images, which are played
at 15-29 frames per second to give the appearance of full motion.