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Standard Methods of Input

No Device Picture(s) Description
1 Keyboard

The keyboard was one of the first peripherals to be used with computers, and it is still the primary input device for entering text and numbers. A relatively simple device, a standard keyboard includes about 100 keys, each of which sends a different signal to the CPU.

 

2 Mouse

A mouse is an input device that rolls around on a flat surface (usually on a desk or keyboard tray) and controls the pointer.

 

3 Trackpad

The trackpad (also called a touchpad) is a stationary pointing device that many people find less tiring to use than a mouse or trackball. The movement of a finger across a small touch surface is translated into pointer movement on the computer screen. The touch-sensitive surface may be only 1.5 or 2 inches square, so the finger never has to move far. The trackpad's size also makes it suitable for a notebook computer.

 

4 Trackball

 

A trackball is a pointing device that works like an upside-down mouse. You rest your thumb on the exposed ball and your fingers on the buttons. To move the pointer around the screen, you roll the ball with your thumb. Because you do not move the whole device, a trackball requires less space than a mouse. When space is limited, a trackball can be an advantage. Trackballs gained popularity with the advent of laptop computers, which typically are used on laps or on small work surfaces without room for a mouse.



 

 

5 Integrated Pointing Device

 

Several computer manufacturers now offer another space-saving pointing device, consisting of a small joystick positioned near the middle of the keyboard, typically between the G and H keys. The joystick is controlled with either forefinger. Because users do not have to take their hands off the keyboard to use this device, it can save a great deal of time and effort. Two buttons that perform the same function as mouse buttons are just beneath the spacebar and are pressed with the thumb. Because it occupies so little space, the device is built into many different laptop models. This type of pointing device is also available on some models of desktop computer keyboards.