Computer devices
The invention of the computer has had a huge impact on our day-to-day lives, and they are now present everywhere – at home, at work and in education.
It is easy to recognise that personal computers, laptops and mobile devices are computers, but computers are also hidden in many more devices. Computers are found in many of the devices we use on a daily basis. Because they are relied on so heavily, knowing what they are and how to use them is valuable.
Input devices
An input device is any piece of computer hardwareThe physical parts of a computer system, eg a graphics card, hard disk drive or CD drive. used to provide data to a computer system. Examples include:
- keyboard
- mouse
- scanner
- digital camera
- webcam
- touchscreen
- microphone
Output devices
An output device is any piece of computer hardware used to communicate the results of data that has been processed.
Examples include:
- monitor
- printer
- speaker
- headphones
- smartphone or tablet display
Storage devices
A storage device is a piece of computer equipment which can be used to store data. Examples include:
- hard disk drive
- DVD drive
- USB stick
Cloud storage
The internet allows users to store documents online, on facilities such as Google Docs, Microsoft OneDrive, Amazon Cloud and Apple iCloud. This has the advantage of users being able to access their documents anywhere, as long as they have an internet-connected device.