An input device is a peripheral device that converts symbols that people understand into bits that computers can process. An input device includes a keyboard, a terminal, a touch screen, a mouse, a scanner, etc.

Keyboard Entry

In keyboard entry, a user types characters, numerics and special symbols using a keyboard. The input usually appears on a monitor. A keyboard entry might be the most common way to input data.

Keyboards

A keyboard is a device used to encode data by key depression, which enters information into a system. The keyboard converts alphabets and numbers, and other special symbols into electrical signals that processor can understand and process. These signals are sent to the computer's CPU. There are three different layouts.

• QWERTY: This is a standard keyboard layout. QWERTY indicates the arrangement of the upper left corner six letters in the first row of the alphabetic keys.

• AZERTY: This is a keyboard layout that is similar to the QWERTY layout and some European countries use this keyboard. This layout is slightly modified from the QWERTY keyboard.

• Dvorak: This is another keyboard layout modified greatly from a standard layout. The keyboard is devised to increase typing speed by placing frequently used keys more naturally. In the past, mechanical jams were a problem in typing. Thus, the standard keyboard layout was designed to limit typing speed. Interesting, huh?

Terminals

A terminal is an input/output device that usually includes a keyboard for input, a video display for output, and a communications link to send and receive information. There are three different types:

• Dumb Terminal: This is an input/output terminal that does not have a capability of processing. It only enters and receives data without processing.

• Smart Terminal: This terminal has some processing capability. It has a small memory. It performs some editing of data before sending them to a main computer.

• Intelligent Terminal: This is a terminal that has a full processing capability. The terminal has a processing unit, primary storage. It may or may not have local storage. Recently, most intelligent terminals have local disk. An intelligent terminal is actually a microcomputer with communications capability.

Recent Trends: A recent trend has been the use of microcomputers as terminals. As prices of microcomputers have dropped, companies have tended to buy intelligent terminals (microcomputers) instead of dumb terminals. It is because microcomputers can work exactly like dedicated terminals with the appropriate software and communications links.