Types of Input Device

Audio conversion device

There are several different types of audio conversion devices available, but they each perform relatively the same function, which is the conversion of one format of audio to a digital format for use on a computer. The most common types of audio conversion devices include cassette tape to MP3, LP record to MP3 and audio CD to MP3.

Audio conversion devices are basically either a cassette tape player, LP record player, or CD player with a connection to a USB port on a computer. The software included with the device records the audio playback from the audio media and converts it to MP3 format. Some devices allow for recording to other audio formats besides MP3. 

Digital camera

A camera that stores the pictures or video it takes in electronic format instead of to film. There are several features that make digital camera popular choice when compared to film cameras. First, the feature often enjoyed the most is the LCD on the digital camera. This display allows users to view photos or video after the picture or video has been taken, which means if you take a picture and don't like the results, you can delete it; or if you do like the picture, you can show it to other people. Another nice feature with digital cameras is the ability to take dozens, sometimes hundreds of different pictures. 

Keyboard

One of the primary input devices used with a computer, the keyboard looks very similar to the

keyboards of electric typewriters, with some additional keys. Keyboards allow a computer user to input letters, numbers, and other symbols into a computer and is what allows you to write e-mail and is what you used to visit this web page. 

Microphone

Sometimes abbreviated as mic, a microphone is a hardware peripheral originally invented by Emile Berliner in 1877 that allows computer users to input audio into their computers.

Webcam

A webcam is a hardware camera connected to a computer that allows anyone connected to the Internet to view either still pictures or motion video of a user or other object.

Optical scanner

Hardware input device that allows a user to take an image or text and convert it into a digital file, allowing the computer to read or display the scanned object. A scanner is commonly connected to a computer USB,Firewire, Parallel, or SCSI port.

Mouse

A hardware input device that was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963, who at the time was working at the Stanford Research Institute, which was a think tank sponsored by Stanford University. The mouse allows an individual to control apointer in a graphical user interface (GUI). Utilizing a mouse a user has the ability to perform various functions such as opening a program or file and does not require the user to memorize commands, like those used in a text-based command line environment such as MS-DOS.