What Makes Up a PC?

Objectives

At the end of this session, you will be able to:• List the various input devices

Input Devices

Input Devices

• Some of the important computer input devices are:

• Mouse• Keyboard• Scanner • Microphone• Web camera

Mouse

• Used to point to and select options displayed on the monitor

• Connected to the system unit by means of a long wire

• May have two or three buttons • Left button is the most frequently used button

Mouse (Contd..)

• Scroll mouse comes with a wheel between the left and right buttons

• Optical mouse is a pointing device that detects movement by sensing changes in reflected light

Mouse (Contd..)

• When you move the mouse on a flat surface, you will see an arrow moving on the screen

• This arrow is known as the mouse pointer • A mouse pad is a small mat with a plastic

surface and a rubber or plastic-base cushion on which you can move a mouse

Keyboard

• Used for typing text into the computer• Also known as the standard input device • Most commonly available computer keyboard

has 104 keys

Keyboard (Contd..)

There are different types of keys on the keyboard:

• Alphanumeric keys– They include letters and numbers

• Punctuation keys– They are the colon (:), the semicolon (;), the question

mark (?), single quotes (‘) and double quotes (“)

• Special keys– They are Arrow keys, Control keys and Function keys

(F1 to F12)

Keyboard (Contd..)

• Function keys – They are special keys that are used to perform

specific functions– They are labelled as F1, F2, F3 and so on till F12 – The F1 key in most software is to provide help on the

software

Keyboard (Contd..)

The insertion point is the blinking line that indicates the position on the screen where the text will appear as it is being typed

Scanner

• Used to make an exact copy of a picture or a photograph

Microphone

• Is a device used to record sound • Converts sound waves into audio signals

Web Camera

• A device that captures images and records in the computer

Activity 2.3.1

1. Identify and list the input device(s) for the task that you have described in Activity

2.2.1. Share the results with your partner.

Activity 2.3.1 (Contd..)

2. Notepad is used to type text. It is used as one would use a real-life notepad. Type a paragraph about your family in Notepad.

To start Notepad, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Notepad. Observe the movement of the insertion point as you type.

Check Your Understanding 2.3.1

1. If you want to provide data for performing a calculation on a computer, you will require

a/an ____________ device.

2. Name three categories of keys found on a computer keyboard.

3. You have a photograph you would like to include in a lesson you have typed on your computer. To copy the photograph onto

your computer, you can use a _________.

Check Your Understanding 2.3.1(Contd..)

4. To record a live motion video of a school function, you need a/an ______________.

5. The device you will use to record your voice on the computer is

Terms to Remember

• Input devices – Devices that provide data and instructions to the

computer

• Insertion point – Blinking line that indicates the position on the screen

where the text will appear as it is being typed

Terms to Remember (Contd..)

• Keyboard – Device used for typing text into the computer

• Microphone – Device used to record sound. Microphones convert

sound waves into audio signals

• Mouse – Device used to point to and select options displayed

on the monitor

Terms to Remember (Contd..)

• Mouse pointer – Arrow moving on the screen when you move the

mouse on a flat surface

• Mouse pad – Small mat with a plastic surface and a rubber or

plastic-based cushion on which you can move a mouse

• Optical mouse – Advanced pointing device that detects movement by

sensing changes in reflected light

Terms to Remember (Contd..)

• Scanner – Device that is used to make an exact copy of a

picture or a photograph

• Scroll mouse – Device that comes with a wheel between the left and

right buttons. The wheel enables you to smoothly scroll through screens of information.

• Web camera – Device capable of converting visuals into digital form

Recap

In this session, you have learnt about:• Various input devices