UNIT 1.

Select appropriate input/output devices to meet the needs of specified applications;

Associate the following devices with suitable applications:

(a) Input: Optical mark reader (OMR), character readers (OCR, MICR), mouse, joystick, bar
code reader, document scanner, light-pen, touch terminals, voice response unit, Touch Screens
(tablets, point of sale, ATM), keyboard, digital camera, biometric systems, sensors, remote
control, sound capture, pointing devices, webcam.

(b) Visual output: Printers (laser, inkjet, dot matrix, thermal, plotters, 3D Printers), microfilm.

(c) Audible output: speakers, headphones, earphones.

INPUT DEVICE SUITABLE APPLICATIONS

 Preparing letters / typing text documents;
Keyboard
 Data Entry.
Allows the user to write the following on a screen:
 Draw images;
Light-Pen
 Signatures;
 Make selections from a menu that is displayed on the screen.
 Airports – to show how to get from one point to the next;
 Fast-food outlets – to place orders;
Touch Terminals  Theatre booking offices – purchase tickets to a specific show;
 Theme parks
To show how to get from one point to the next.
 Large shopping malls
VRU:
 Takes data from a PC and outputs it as spoken words;
Voice Response Unit VDE
(VRU) or Voice  Speaks to the computer through a microphone as a means of
Data Entry (VDE) entering data;
 Converts spoken words into text;
 Have a limited vocabulary.
 Library lending system;
Bar Code Reader  Supermarket;
 Retail stores.
Used to talk to the computer:
Microphone  Give it a command;
 Input information.
Used to capture digital images for computer applications such as web
Digital Camera
pages.
Biometric Systems Use some part of a person’s body to uniquely identify them.
Sensors  Data entered into the computer through a piano-type keyboard or
via sensors that respond to being struck (MIDI – Musical
INPUT DEVICE SUITABLE APPLICATIONS
Instrument Digital Interface);
 Meteorological Office – (has weather forecasting systems);
 Automatic doors, burglar alarms;
 Traffic lights.
 Toys
Remote Control  TVs; DVDs, Stereos
 Game Controls
Sound Capture  Facilitates the recording of sounds using a microphone
Webcam A small camera that is used to send live videos over the internet.
Scanners Suitable Applications
Fill out forms by shading (form of data entry)
Optical Mark Reader
 Questionnaires;
(OMR) – Character
 Multiple-choice exams;
Reader
 Registration forms.
Optical Character  Capturing data from airline tickets;
Readers (OCR) –  Reading postal codes;
Character Reader  Capturing data from telephone and electricity bills.
Magnetic Ink
 Commonly used by banks;
Character
 Identifies bank numbers and cheque numbers.
Recognition (MICR)
 Scanning text;
Document Scanner  Scanning photographs;
 Used in desktop publishing.
Pointing Devices Suitable Applications
 Selecting a menu command or ‘pressing’ a button on the screen;
Mouse  Highlighting icons and text;
 Used as a pointing device.
 Playing computer games;
Joystick
 Simulations / virtual reality exercises.
Touch Screens Suitable Applications
 User draws using a stylus and drawings appear on the monitor;
 Can use a puck by keeping track of its position;
Tablets
 Used for tracing drawings and in engineering and art design;
 Suitable for architectural design
 At the checkout counter of supermarkets;
Point of Sale
 Retail stores;
Terminal (POS)
 In bank transactions.
 Automatic Teller Machine
ATM  Perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits,
transfer funds, or obtaining account information
INPUT DEVICE SUITABLE APPLICATIONS
VISUAL OUTPUT SUITABLE APPLICATIONS
Printers Output hardcopy of work done on the computer
 Produce attractive documents at high speeds - 8 to 12 pages per
minute;
Laser
 Produce very high-quality documents;
 Quiet and prints quickly.
 Produce documents at speeds of 4 to 6 pages per minute – slower
than laser printers;
Inkjet
 Low-priced, good quality printers;
 Can produce black and white or coloured copies.
Produces
 copies at relatively low cost;
Dot Matrix  poor quality printing;
 can produce multiple copies at once;
 not recommended for reproduction or business letters.
 Produce receipts from:
 Automatic Banking Machines (ABM) – debit or credit card slips;
Thermal  Ultrasound scanned images;
 Some billing machines;
 Images fade when exposed to heat and light.
 Car designers, architects and engineers use to print:
Plotters
 Charts, diagrams and 3D drawings.
3D Printers Produce three dimensional solid objects from a digital file.
 Condenses large stacks of paper into small amounts of microfilm
Microfilm or microfiche with no special programming;
 Special devices are needed to print and view its contents
AUDIBLE
SUITABLE APPLICATIONS
OUTPUT
 Used to produce sound;
Speakers  Produces a range of sounds from very soft to very loud;
 Suitable for multiple listeners at a time.
 Used to hear sounds produced;
Headphones
 Suitable for one listener at a time.
 Used to hear sounds produced;
Earphones
 Suitable for one to two listeners at the same time.