for Teachers for Schools for Enterprise
for Teachers for Schools for Enterprise
Course Navigator
Computer Input Devices List & FlashcardsNext Set 

What is an Input Device for a Computer? - Definition & Examples

Chapter 1 /  Lesson 12   Transcript
Start Your Free Trial Today

An error occurred trying to load this video.

Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support.

Coming up next: Computer Input Devices List & Flashcards

You're on a roll. Keep up the good work!

Take Quiz Watch Next Lesson
 Replay
Your next lesson will play in 10 seconds
  • 0:02 Input Device Defined
  • 0:30 Examples of Input Devices
  • 3:12 Lesson Summary
Add to Add to Add to

Want to watch this again later?

Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course.

Login or Sign up

Timeline
Autoplay
Autoplay

Recommended Lessons and Courses for You

Lesson Transcript
Instructor: Paul Zandbergen

Paul has a PhD from the University of British Columbia and has taught Geographic Information Systems, statistics and computer programming for 15 years.

To interact with your computer, you need input devices. The most common are a keyboard and a mouse, but there are other devices for more specialized tasks. Learn about these devices and how they're becoming integrated into single computer systems.

Input Device Defined

An input device for a computer allows you to enter information. The most fundamental pieces of information are keystrokes on a keyboard and clicks with a mouse. These two input devices are essential for you to interact with your computer. Many other input devices exist for entering other types of information, such as images, audio and video. Input devices represent one type of computer peripheral - the other two types are output devices and storage devices.

Examples of Input Devices

A keyboard is the most fundamental input device for any computer system. In the early days of computing, it was typically the only input device. A keyboard contains keys for letters and numbers as well as for specialized tasks, such as Enter, Delete, etc.

Typical keyboard for a desktop computer
computer keyboard

When operating systems started to use graphical user interface (GUI), the mouse was developed as a pointing device. Typically, a mouse resides on a flat surface, and by moving the mouse, you can move the pointer on the screen. One or more buttons on the mouse allow you to enter instructions by clicking. Most models also include a wheel for scrolling.

Typical mouse for a desktop computer
computer mouse

Desktop computers have a separate keyboard and mouse, but for laptops, these are integrated into a computer system itself. In laptops, the mouse is actually substituted with a touchpad or trackpad. This is a specialized surface that follows the motion of your finger. You can still connect an external mouse to a laptop if you prefer.

Keyboard and trackpad on a laptop computer
computer laptop keyboard

Another common input device is an image scanner. A typical desktop or flatbed scanner is a device that optically scans printed images and paper documents and converts them into digital images. In most scanners, you place the document on a glass plate and place an opaque cover over it. A bright light moves across the image, and the reflection is captured by a sensor, which converts the document to a digital image.

Flatbed scanner
computer flatbed scanner

Audio and video can be recorded using a microphone and video camera, respectively. Due to the popularity of video conferencing using services like Skype, these are now typically integrated in most laptops and monitor displays for desktops; however, you can also connect an external webcam, which can record both audio and video.

To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account

Register for a free trial

Are you a student or a teacher?

Unlock Your Education

See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com

Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a Member  Back
What teachers are saying about Study.com
Free 5-day trial
Description

Earning College Credit

Did you know… We have over 160 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.

To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page

Transferring credit to the school of your choice

Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.

Research Schools, Degrees & Careers

Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school.

Browse Articles By Category

Browse an area of study or degree level.

Recommended Articles
You are viewing lesson Lesson 12 in chapter 1 of the course:

 Back To Course

Information Systems: Help and Review

19 chapters | 387 lessons | 4 flashcard sets

Ch 1. Introduction to Computers: Help and Review
Ch 2. Information Systems in...

What is an Input Device for a Computer? - Definition & Examples Related Study Materials

Create an account to start this course today
Try it free for 5 days!
Create An Account

Explore our library of over 70,000 lessons

Browse by subject
Support