Input device

An input device is any hardware device that sends data to the computer, without any input devices, a computer would only be a display device and not allow users to interact with it, much like a TV. In the picture to the right, is a Logitechtrackball mouse and an example of an input device. Below is a complete listing of all the different computer input devices that can be used on a computer.

Types of input devices

• Audio conversion device
• Barcode reader
• Business Card Reader
• Digital camera and Digital Camcorder
• Finger (with touchscreen)
• Fingerprint scanner
• Gamepad, Joystick, Paddle, Steering wheel, and Microsoft Kinect
• Graphics tablet
• Keyboard
• Light gun and light pen scanner
• Magnetic-stripe reader
• Medical imaging devices (e.g., X-Ray, CAT Scan, and Ultrasound images)
• Microphone (using speech recognition)
• MIDI keyboard
• MICR
• Mouse, touchpad, or other pointing device
• Optical Mark Reader (OMR)
• Punch card reader
• Remote
• Scanner
• Sonar imaging devices
• Touch screen
• Video capture device
• VR helmet and gloves
• Webcam

Tip: Keep in mind that drives such as a CD-ROM, DVD, and a Floppy diskette drive may be capable of sending the computer information, but they are not input devices. These devices are considered storage devices.