Computer hardware refers to the physical parts of a computer and its related devices. Internal hardware devices include motherboards,
hard drives and memory. The eternal hardware devices include monitors, keyboards, mice, printers and scanners.
The internal hardware
parts of a computer are often referred to as components, while the external components are referred to as peripherals.
Together, they all fall under the category of computer hardware. The computer hardware can be categorized into the following;
Together, they all fall under the category of computer hardware. The computer hardware can be categorized into the following;
Ø Input
Devices
Ø Output
Devices
Ø System
Unit
Ø Storage
Devices
Ø Communication
Devices
INPUT DEVICES
In
computing, an input device is any peripheral (piece of computer hardware
equipment). Used to input data into the computer and also interact with the
computer.
Ø
KEYBOARD.
A keyboard
is a peripheral device that enables a user to input text into a computer
allowing the user to control and interact with the computer.
Ø
POINTING DEVICE.
A pointing
device is a hardware input device that allows the user to move the mouse cursor
in a computer. Using a pointing device allows you to point at or manipulate any
object or text on the screen.
Ø MOUSE
A computer mouse (plural:
mice) is an input device that is most often used with a personal computer.
A mouse is a handheld
pointing device used to position a cursor on a computer screen. This allows the
user to select items stored on a computer and, subsequently, perform actions on
those items.
Moving a mouse along a
flat surface can move the on-screen cursor to different items on the screen.
Items can be moved or selected by pressing the mouse buttons (called clicking).
Ø TRACK BALL.
A track ball is a
computer input device that serves as an alternative to a computer mouse or
touch pad for moving the pointer around a computer screen.
The track ball is a
movable ball mounted on top of stationary device that can be rotated using your
fingers or palm. The trackball looks like a mouse turned upside down.
Instead of moving the
mouse around on the desktop, you move the trackball with the tip of your
fingers.
The trackball is not as
accurate as a mouse but it is a good alternative when desktop space is limited.
Trackballs can be either wired or wireless.
Ø TOUCHPAD
A touchpad is a small
flat surface over which you slide your finger using the same movements as you
would with a mouse.
A touchpad or
"trackpad" is a flat control surface used to move the cursor and
perform other functions on a computer. Touchpads are commonly found on laptops
and replace the functionality of a mouse. A touchpad is designed to be
controlled with your finger.
Ø TOUCH SCREEN.
A touch screen is a video
display screen that has been sensitized to receive input from the touch of a
finger.
When a touch screen is
touched by a finger or stylus, it registers the event and sends it to a
controller for processing.
A touch screen may
contain pictures or words that the user can touch to interact with the device.
All touch screens are
sensitive to pressure.
Ø JOYSTICK
In computers, a joystick
is a cursor control device used in computer games and assistive technology.
The joystick, which got its name from the control stick used by a pilot to control the ailerons and elevators of an airplane, is a hand-held lever that pivots on one end and transmits its coordinates to a computer.
- DIGITIZER: is a device used to convert analog signals into digital signals.
A digitizer uses an electronic pen that can convert drawings and photos to a digital data.
In the case of our cell phones, this device would be the glass that covers the LCD
Ø SCANNER:
A scanner is an electronic device which can capture images from physical items and convert them into digital formats, which in turn can be stored in a computer, and viewed or modified using software applications. A scanner is used to send data/information onto a computer
Ø BAR-CODE READER:
A barcode reader, also called a price scanner or point-of-sale ( POS ) scanner, is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a bar code . ... Barcode scanners can be connected to a computer through a serial port, keyboard port, or an interface device called a wedge.
Barcode readers consist of a light source, a lens and a light sensor that translates optical impulses into electrical ones
Ø MICROPHONE: A
microphone is a device that captures audio by converting sound waves into an
electrical signal.
Microphones are audio input devices that take varying air pressure, waves created by voice or other sound sources and convert them into varying electric signals.
Many micro computers
come with inbuilt microphones
Ø SPEECH-RECOGNITION:
speech recognition or
voice recognition is a computer software program or hardware device with the
ability to decode the human voice. Voice recognition is commonly used to
operate a device, perform commands, or write without having to use a keyboard,
mouse, or press any buttons.
A speech recognition
using a microphone as an input device converts a person’s speech into digital
signals comparing the electrical patterns produced by the speaker’s voice with a
set of pre-recorded patterns stored in the computer. Most of today’s speech
recognition packages have a database of about 200,000 words from which they try
to match the words you say.
These programs let you accomplish two tasks:
Turn spoken words into typed text and issue oral
commands.
Ø
DIGITAL CAMERA:
Digital camera uses a light-sensitive
processor chip to capture photographic images in digital form and store them on
flash memory cards.