The data received by any computer goes through the input unit. The input unit comprises devices like a mouse, keyboard, barcode scanner, etc. Each of the input devices of computer acts as a mediator between the users and the computer.
Examples of Input Devices
Let us discuss about the different computer input and its devices in detail.
Keyboard
The keyboard is an input device that is used to type and feed the data into the computer. The data can be in words, numbers, and symbols. It consists of mechanical buttons called the ‘keys’.
There are 5 different keys on the keyboard-
- Alphabetical keys from A-Z
- Numerical keys from 0-9
- There are 12 function keys on the top of the keyboard F1-F12. Each of which performs a special function.
- Then there are special keys which by the name you can figure, are used for special tasks. These include a print screen(PrtScr), Spacebar, Tab, Num Lock, shift, enter, and caps lock.
The keyboard is attached to the computer by a cable. However, there are now wireless keyboards as well in the market which work on Bluetooth technology.
Mouse
The mouse is the input device that is used to coordinate the pointer on the screen. The mouse is used to select, point, and display additional menus on the screen. It has typically two buttons. The left button is used to select or move items on the screen. The right button is used to display additional dropdowns.
The mouse is mainly classified as mechanical and optical. The mechanical mouse consists of a trackball beneath it, and are no longer in use. The optical mouse uses laser light for pointing and has more accuracy and speed than the mechanical one.
