Reply To: OCU C)HT B Discussion Lesson 07
Input and output devices are two of the essential parts of a computer system. These form critical pathways in bridging the user to the computer. Input devices simply provide the user with the means of feeding data into computers, while output devices show data that has already been processed to the user in some meaningful form. Understanding the difference between such devices is helpful in appreciation of the different ways each contributes toward overall computer functionality.
Input Devices
These are hardware devices used for feeding data, instructions, and user commands into the computer. Examples include keyboards, mice, scanners, and microphones. Each of the different types of input devices has a specific function, which corresponds to the type of data gathered or processed by such a device. For example, a keyboard is designed to allow the user to input alphanumeric characters, while a microphone records audio data (Dhamdhere, 2014). These are the devices that enable users to communicate with the computer and give instructions that the system understands and processes.
Output Devices
On the contrary, output devices refer to devices whose role is to present information which the computer has processed in a manner that is readable to human beings. Examples of output devices include monitors, printers, and speakers. A monitor displays information in visual form, whereas speakers render in sound form. The key distinction between output devices and input devices touches on the direction of information. For example, whereas input devices direct data into the computer for processing, the output devices draw out processed data from the system and present it to the user instead (Sinha, 2011).
Differences Between Input and Output Devices
The principle variance between input and output devices relates to differences in their computing functions. Input devices allow for the entry of data, while output devices display or communicate the results of processing. Also, input devices in general require direct interaction from the user, such as key-pressing or mouse-clicking, to operate, whereas output devices do something only after some form of processing has been carried out, presenting feedback to the user. Another differentiation is that input devices are interested in the collection and transmission of data, while output devices are interested in the presentation of data (Dhamdhere, 2014).
Conclusion
Input and output are the two basic constituents of any computer system, serving different purposes in intercommunicating the user with the machine. An input device gathers raw data for processing, while an output device represents the result of such processing in comprehensible form. The difference in functionality and purpose is what their establishment hinges on in any given computer system.
References
Dhamdhere, D. M. Operating systems: A concept-based approach, 3rd ed, McGraw-Hill Education, 2014.
Sinha, P. K. Computer fundamentals, 6th ed, BPB Publications, 2011.