Input, Output, and

Storage
What Kinds of Peripheral
Devices Would Suit Your
Needs?

Chapter 5

Student Learning Outcomes

1. List and compare eight input devices.
2. Define and describe four types of pointing
devices.
3. Compare and contrast inkjet and laser printers.
4. Define the three major technologies on which
computer storage is based.

Student Learning Outcomes

5. Describe the three classes of CDs and the three
classes of DVDs that are available.
6. List and describe five types of flash memory
cards that are available for electronic devices
such as computers and cameras.

Introduction
In this chapter, well discuss various input,
output, and storage devices designed to
meet the various needs and lifestyles of
people.
This chapter explores the features available
in these devices.

What Peripheral Devices

Suit Your Needs?

Input Devices

Output Devices

Storage Devices

5.1 Input Devices

Input device captures information and translates it into a form
that can be processed and used by other parts of your computer.
Keyboards
Pointing devices
Game controllers
Scanners
Styluses
Microphones
Digital cameras
Web cams

SimNet

Concepts Support CD:

Overview of Input Devices and Other Everyday Input
Devices
p. 5.130 Fig. 5-1

Input Devices

The keyboard is the most common input

device. Types of keyboards include:

Wireless

Multimedia and one-touch access

Portable keyboards for PDAs

SimNet
p. 5.131 Fig. 5-2

Concepts Support CD: Keyboards

Types of Input Devices

p. 5.131 Fig. 5-2

Pointing Devices

Pointing devices are mainly used to choose and enter

commands

Pointing devices tend to have PS/2 connectors or

USB connectors

PS/2 connector fits into a PS/2 port, which a small round

socket with small holes that fit the pins on the connector

USB connectors fit into USB ports, and these are small
rectangular openings on the back or front of your computer,
or even on your keyboard or monitor

SimNet
p. 5.131 Fig. 5-2

Concepts Support CD: Ports and Cables

Pointing Devices

Various pointing devices are available

Types of pointing devices:

Mouse
Mechanical
Optical

mouse

mouse

Wireless

mouse

Trackball

Touchpad

Pointing stick

SimNet

Concepts Support CD: Mice

p. 5.132 & P. 5.133 Fig. 5-3 & Fig 5.4

Game Controller

Game controllers are used mainly to play games

Types of gaming devices

Gamepads

Joysticks

Gaming wheels

Force feed

p. 5.134 Fig. 5-5

Specialized Input Devices

Other types of input devices include:

Scanners

Styluses

Microphones

Digital cameras

Web cams

p. 5.135 Fig. 5-6

Scanner
Scanner

is a light sensitive device that helps you

copy or capture images, photos, and artwork
that exist on paper. Types of scanners include:
Flatbed

SimNet

Concepts Support CD: Scanners

Styluses

Stylus is an input device consisting of a thin

stick that uses pressure to enter information
or to click and point
Styluses are used with:
PDAs
Tablet

PCs
Graphics tablets

p. 5.135 Fig. 5-6

Microphones

Microphones are used to

input audio
Three main types of
microphones are:
Desktop

microphones
Headsets
Directional microphones

Speech recognition is
increasingly being included in
application software

Digital Cameras

Digital cameras are used to:

Download images to a computer

Post pictures to the Web
Produce videos

Resolution is measured in megapixels

Higher the resolution, better the
image quality, but the more expensive
the camera

SimNet

Concepts Support CD: Digital Cameras

Web Cams

Web cam is a video camera that

can be used to take images for
uploading to the Web

5.2 Output Devices

Output devices take information
within your computer and present
it to you in a form that you can
understand
Main output devices:
Monitors
Printers
Speakers
SimNet

Concepts Support CD:

Overview of Output Devices

Flat Panel Display Devices

Devices with flat-panel displays
Tablet PCs
PDAs
Cellular phones
Desktop computers

Monitors
CRTs
Flat-panel displays
Gas plasma
LCD (liquid crystal display)
Passive matrix
Active matrix
Called TFT (thin film transistor)
Separate transistor for every pixel

SimNet
p. 5.137 Fig. 5-9

Concepts Support CD: Monitors

Screen Talk
Screen size measured as a diagonal line across the
screen from corner to opposite corner
Resolution the number of pixels displayed on the
screen (the higher the resolution, the closer together
the dots)
Pixels (or picture element) dots that make up the
image on your screen
Dot pitch is the distance between the centers of a
pair of like-colored pixels
Refresh rate the speed with which a monitor redraws
the image of the screen, and is measured in hertz

Printers
Inkjet most popular
Makes images by forcing droplets
through nozzles
Top speed is 20 pages per minute

Laser
Forms images using an
electrostatic process
Prints between 3 and 30 pages per
minute

Printers - Cont
Resolution of a printer is the
number of dots per inch (dpi) it
produces.
Higher the resolution, better the
image, and usually the more
costly the printer

Printers - Cont.

Multifunction printer:
Scan, copy, fax, and print

Can be either inkjet or laser

Cost less than buying

individual units

Take up less desk space

SimNet

Concepts Support CD: Printers

p. 5.139 Fig. 5-11

Speakers

A speaker is a device that

produces computer output as
sound

Speakers are common

devices in computer systems
Examples include:

Built-in speaker

Two-device set speakers

Surround sound speakers

ICan: Use a Computer Without

Neck and Shoulder Pain
Computer work can lead
to physical problems
Ergonomics deals with
reducing discomfort
Should sit up straight at
your computer

SimNet

Concepts Support CD: Ergonomics

Using Your Computer:

Ergonomics and Health
Position your screen about the length of your
arm away so that you look slightly down at it
Your elbows, knees, and hips should form
right angles
Your back should be at a right angle to the
floor
Rest your eyes by looking away from the
screen frequently

Using Your Computer:

Ergonomics and Health
Stretch your shoulders, back, arms, and
wrists at least every 30 minutes
Stretch your hands downward and backward
frequently
Always listen to your body when it tells you
that youre uncomfortable and do something
about it

5.3 Storage Devices

Storage device stores information to be

recalled and used at a later time
Storage device consists of:
Storage medium
Storage device
Three major technology types for
information storage:
Magnetic
Optical or laser
Flash memory

SimNet

Concepts Support CD: Storage Concepts

Storage Medium Terms

Byte
Kilobyte (KB)
Megabytes (MB)
Gigabytes (GB)
Terabytes (TB)
Petabyte (PB)
Exabyte (EB)

= 8 bits
1 Thousand Bytes
1 Million Bytes
1 Billion Bytes
1 Trillion Bytes
1 quadrillion Bytes
1 quintillion Bytes

Magnetic and Optical

Storage

p. 5.142 & 5.144 Fig. 5.13 & 5.16

Magnetic Storage Devices:

Internal Magnetic Hard Disk

Magnetic storage devices can be

either internal or external

Internal magnetic hard disks are

fixed inside the system unit
External magnetic hard disks are
portable

SimNet

Concepts Support CD: Removable Disks

Magnetic Storage Devices:

Internal Magnetic Hard Disk
Internal hard disk is a magnetic
storage device with
One or more thin platters that store
information sealed inside the disk
drive.
Read/write heads access the
information on surface
Heads read information while copying
it from disk to RAM
Heads write information when copying
it from RAM to disk

Magnetic Storage Devices:

External Magnetic Hard Disk
External hard disks are
magnetic storage media which
are portable storage units that
you can connect to your
computer as necessary
Great for backup storage devices
Ability to transport your hard disk
from one computer to another

Hard Drives
Long term storage system
and application software
Operating system and
application software are
copied from the hard disk
to memory
Capacity measured in
gigabytes

Floppy Disks and Zip Disks

Removable magnetic storage media
come in two basic types:
Traditional floppy disks
Zip disks

These storage media are useful for:

Storing files for backup or security
purposes
Transferring files from one computer to
another

Removable Magnetic
Storage: Floppy Disk
Floppy Mylar disk
Housed inside a hard plastic
casing
Thin, flexible plastic disk
3.5 inch floppy disks
also called floppies, diskettes,
floppy disks
Holds about 1.44 megabytes of
information

High-capacity disks
Zip disk

p. 5.144 Fig. 5.15

Removable Magnetic
Storage: Zip Disk
High capacity plastic platter disk
Called removable hard disks
Provide a higher storage capacity than Mylar
disks
Example - Zip disk with capacity of 100MB,
250MB, and 750MB

Optical Storage
CDs
DVDs
Both are optical
storage and have
three formats:
Read-only
Write-once
Read-and-write

Optical Storage Media

Read-Only
CD-ROM
DVD-ROM

One-Time Writable
CD-R
DVD-R
DVD+R

SimNet

Fully Read-andWrite
CD-RW
DVD-RW or
DVD+RW or
DVD-RAM

Concepts Support CD: CDs and DVDs

Flash Memory Cards

Flash memory cards have
high-capacity storage
laminated inside a small
piece of plastic
Flash flash memory cards do
not need a drive with moving
parts to operate

Flash Memory Talk

CompactFlash (CF)
xD-Picture Card (xD)
SmartMedia (SM) Card
SecureDigital (SD) card and
MultiMediaCards (MMC)
Memory Stick Media

Flash Memory Card Readers

Some devices have flash memory slots
into which you slide your flash memory
card
Other devices can use an external flash
memory card reader in order to transfer
information
A flash memory drive is a flash memory
storage medium for a computer that is
small enough to fit in your pocket and
usually plugs directly into a USB port

5.4 Consumer Q&A

1. How Can I Tell How Many Megapixels My
Camera Should Have to Print Good 8 x
10 Photos?
2. What Type of Mouse Should I Get for
Gaming?
3. Are Flat Panels and Flat Screens the
Same Thing?
4. What Should I look for in a Scanner?

5.5 Key Terms

CompactFlash card
Dot pitch
Flash memory cards
Flat-panel display
Floppy disk
Gamepad
Gaming wheel

Gas plasma display

monitor
Gigabyte
Hard disk drive
Inkjet printer
Input device
Joystick

5.6 Key Terms

Kilobyte
Laser printer
Liquid crystal display
monitor
Megabyte
Memory Stick Media
Mouse
Multifunction printer

MultiMediaCard
Output device
Photo inkjet printer
Refresh rate
Resolution of a printer
Resolution of a
screen
Scanner

5.6 Key Terms

SecureDigital card
SmartMedia card
Storage drive
Stylus
Thin film transistor
display monitor

Touchpad
Trackball
Visible image size
Web cam
xD-Picture Card
Zip disk

Review of Concepts
1. Stacking Bytes
If a gigabyte were a tree, how high would it
be?

2. Organizing Input and Output Devices

Hands On Projects
E-Commerce
1. Choosing a Digital Camera
2. Buying Books
Can you find cheaper textbooks on the Web?

3. Renting an Apartment
Do you have a pet?

Hands On Projects
Ethics, Security & Privacy
1. Hows My Driving? Just Pop Out the
Flash Memory Card!
Parents can now review your driving once
youre home

2. The All-Seeing Global Positioning

System
Should you be trackable 24x7?

Hands On Projects
on the Web
1. Comparing Printers
2. Buying a Hard Drive
3. Ordering Photos Online
How about a smart frame that changes
photos for you?

Hands On Projects
Group Activities
1. Exploring the Use of Web Cams
2. Researching DVD Recorders
Want to copy TV shows to a DVD?

3. Multimedia Controller
4. Protect Your Computer from
Unauthorized Use
Require a fingerprint check before your
keyboard will work