Chapter 6: Input and Output

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, hardware components, standards, and concepts from Chapter 6: Input and Output.

Input

Any data or instructions entered into a computer system, originating either directly from users or from other external sources.

Input Devices

Hardware hardware used to translate words, numbers, sounds, images, and gestures that people understand into a form that the system unit can process.

QWERTY Keyboard

A standard keyboard layout named after the first six alphabetic characters found on the top row of letter keys.

Traditional Keyboards

Full-size desktop keyboards that include function keys, navigation keys, a numeric keypad, and typically 101 keys on a standard U.S. model.

Toggle Keys

Keys on a keyboard that turn a specific feature on or off, such as the Caps Lock key.

Combination Keys

Keys that perform an action when held down in combination with another key, such as the Ctrl key.

Laptop Keyboards

Compact physical keyboards designed for laptop computers that typically feature fewer keys, no separate numeric keypad, and nonstandard key placements.

Virtual Keyboards

Software-generated keyboards displayed on a screen and operated via touch, primarily used with mobile devices and tablets.

Thumb Keyboards

Miniature physical keyboards found on smartphones and small mobile devices, designed primarily for texting and web browsing.

Pointing Devices

Input hardware that accepts physical movements or gestures—such as moving or tapping—and converts them into machine-readable coordinates or commands.

Optical Mouse

The most widely used type of mouse, which emits and senses light to detect movement and control the onscreen pointer.

Touch Pad

A stationary pointing surface operated by moving or tapping a finger across a sensitive pad, commonly replacing mice on laptops.

Multitouch Screen

A display screen capable of recognizing simultaneous touches from more than one finger, enabling gestures such as pinching, stretching, and rotating.

Stylus

A penlike instrument that uses pressure to draw or write on a screen, often paired with handwriting recognition software.

Optical Scanners

Scanning devices that capture printed documents or photographs by reading light, dark, and colored areas to produce machine-readable files.

Document Scanner

An optical scanner featuring an automatic feed mechanism to rapidly scan multipage paper documents one page at a time.

3D Scanner

A scanning device that uses lasers, cameras, or robotic arms to record the three-dimensional physical shape of an object.

Magnetic Card Reader

A reading device that retrieves encoded data stored on a thin magnetic stripe located on the back of payment or access cards.

Chip Cards

Cards containing embedded microchips that store encrypted data, offering higher security against duplication than magnetic stripes.

Universal Product Code (UPC)

A standardized vertical-line bar code widely used by retail stores to automate checkout, price management, and inventory tracking.

MaxiCode

A specialized 2D machine-readable code used by the United Parcel Service (UPS) to track, sort, and route in-transit packages.

RFID Readers

Devices that read electronically stored information from radio-frequency identification tags from several yards away without physical contact.

Magnetic-Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

A bank recognition system utilizing specialized reader/sorter machines to automatically read the magnetic numbers printed at the bottom of checks and deposit slips.

Optical-Character Recognition (OCR)

Technology that reads preprinted characters with a light sensor—such as a handheld wand reader—and converts them into computer-readable characters.

Optical-Mark Recognition (OMR)

A sensing technology that detects the presence or absence of pencil marks, routinely used to grade standardized multiple-choice tests.

Webcams

Specialized digital video cameras that capture video or still images and feed them to a computer for real-time broadcast across the Internet.

Voice Recognition Systems

Systems combining a microphone, sound card, and specialized software to convert spoken language into computer commands or transcribed text.

Output

Processed data or information generated by a computer, commonly presented as text, graphics, photos, audio, or video.

Output Devices

Hardware components that convert machine-processed data into visual, auditory, or physical forms that humans can understand.

Monitor Resolution

A display metric expressed as a matrix of pixels (picture elements); a higher pixel density produces clearer, sharper images.

Dot Pitch

The physical distance between adjacent pixels on a display screen, typically measuring $0.30\,\text{mm}$ or less in newer monitors.

Contrast Ratio

A monitor specification that compares the light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black, typically ranging from 500:1 to 2000:1.

Aspect Ratio

The proportional relationship between a display's width and its height, such as 4:3 for traditional monitors or 16:9 for modern widescreen displays.

Flat-Panel Monitors

The prevailing category of thin, energy-efficient display screens, consisting primarily of LCD, LED, and OLED technologies.

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode)

A monitor technology that uses a thin layer of organic material that emits light directly when powered, eliminating the requirement for a separate backlight.

E-Book Readers

Dedicated mobile devices built with reflective e-ink screens designed to store and display digital books with minimal glare.

Digital Whiteboard

A large interactive presentation display connected to a computer or projector that allows users to write or control software using a pen or finger.

Dots Per Inch (dpi)

The standard unit of measurement used to quantify printer resolution and image sharpness on paper.

Duplex Printing

An automated printer capability that prints on both front and back sides of a sheet of paper to save materials.

Inkjet Printers

Inexpensive, quiet output devices that produce high-quality color prints and photos by spraying micro-droplets of ink onto paper.

Laser Printers

Fast, high-quality printing devices that utilize light beams and electrostatic photocopying principles to bind toner to paper.

3D Printers

Manufacturing output machines that build physical three-dimensional objects by progressively extruding and adding successive layers of material.

Cloud Printers

Printers connected directly to the Internet that accept print commands and documents from remote devices anywhere via cloud services.

Thermal Printers

Specialized printers that use heated elements to form images on heat-sensitive paper, commonly utilized in ATMs and fuel pumps.

Plotters

Special-purpose printers designed to generate oversized architectural blueprints, engineering schematics, and maps from vector graphics.

Headsets

Combination peripheral devices integrating both a microphone for audio input and headphones for sound output.

Multifunctional Devices (MFD)

Space-saving combination units that integrate the functionality of a printer, scanner, photocopier, and fax machine into a single hardware system.

Virtual Reality (VR)

An artificial 3D computer-simulated reality experienced immersively through stereoscopic head-mounted displays and motion-tracking controllers.

Drones (UAV)

Unmanned aerial vehicles that take commands from remote radio controllers or mobile apps and send real-time audio and video feeds back to users.

Ergonomics

The study of human factors related to designing equipment and workflows to match user needs, enhance productivity, and avoid physical harm.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A repetitive strain injury (RSI) characterized by damage to hand and wrist tendons and nerves, frequently caused by prolonged, awkward keyboard use.

Technical Writer

A professional communicator who creates instruction manuals, reports, and documentation by translating complex technical information into clear text.