Input, Output, and Storage Devices Input device – hardware that allows you to communicate with your computer such as a keyboard.

Computer Input Devices Keyboard Mouse Trackball- a hand-held input device similar to a mouse turned upside down; used by rolling the trackball with the fingers. Light Pen –a hand-held input device that looks similar to a pen. Pointing stick –a small device that looks like a pencil eraser and is used in place of a mouse to move around the screen.

More Input Devices Touch pad – a pressure-sensitive and motion- sensitive input device; used by moving the finger over the touch pad. Touch screen – an input device; used by touching the computer screen. Bar Code Reader – a wand or screen that uses a light source to read the bar code characters. Scanner – an input device; used to turn pictures or documents into groups of dots or pixels using a light source. Microphone – a device that allows you to record sounds as input to your computer.

Output Devices Hardware that allows your computer to communicate with you such as a monitor or printer.

Computer Output Devices Monitor Printer – Dot matrix printer – an inexpensive, durable printer that uses a pattern of tiny ink dots to produce an image. – Inkjet printer – a medium-quality printer that uses an ink cartridge to produce an image. – Laser printer – a high-quality printer that uses a laser beam and ink toner cartridge to produce an image.

More Output Devices Speaker Modem – hardware that allows your computer to communicate with other computers over phone lines. Fax – short for facsimile which means copy or duplicate; used to produce a copy of document similar to a photocopy by long distance.

Storage Devices Hardware that allows you to store information such as hard drive or a floppy disk.

Storage Devices Hard Disk – a storage device, usually a stack of disks enclosed in a case; used to store large amounts o f information. Floppy Disk – a removable storage device, usually one flat disk enclosed in a case; used to store small amounts of information. Magnetic Tape – a storage device, usually stored in a cartridge, reel, or cassette; used to store large amounts of information for a long time. Optical Discs (CD’s) – usually called laser disks or compact disks; used to hold very large amounts of information permanently if it is a CD-R.