What are Input Devices, their advantages and disadvantages?

In this blog article, we talk about Input devices, their advantages and disadvantages.

Input Devices

Input devices are hardware components that allow users to interact with a computer system.

Input devices enable the user to input data or commands into the system, which the computer then processes to produce an output.

Types of Input Devices:

1. Keyboard device (very easy and common method).

2. Numeric keypad (used in ATM machines and other PIN based machines, e.g., point of sale credit card machines).

3. Mouse (pointing device).

4. Remote control (TV, fan, ACs, hi-fi multimedia systems remotes)

5. Joystick/Driving wheel (pointing devices).

6. Trackball (pointing device).

7. Touchscreen (smartphones and tablets).

8. Scanner (to scan paper documents and photographs and convert them to digital form).

9. Digital camera.

10. Microphone.

11. Analogue sensors.

12. Light pen

Input Devices: Advantages & Disadvantages

Input Device	Advantages	Disadvantages
Keyboard	Easy method of entering data Very common	Can cause Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Slow to enter data (compared to direct data entry)
Numeric keypad	Fast Easy to use	Buttons on some devices are small, hence some users can press wrong buttons Button layout changes based on the device
Mouse (pointing device)	Intuitive and precise control Fast to make on-screen choices	RSI (strain on wrist) Requires flat surface People with disabilities find them difficult to use
Joystick/Driving wheel (pointing devices)	Enhances gameplay/simulation experience Improves realism Accurate	Expensive Limited use outside of gaming and simulators
Remote control (TVs, Hi-fi systems)	Easy to use Can control from a distance	May require line-of-sight Can be easily lost Requires regular battery replacement
Touchscreen (smartphones and tablets)	Intuitive No need of a separate pointing device Easy to keep clean	Can get easily scratched Less precise than a mouse Prone to damage by accidental fall
Scanner (convert paper documents to electronic)	Accurate reproduction of documents Enables documents to be shared and stored easily Can be used as direct data entry	Quality depends on the resolution of the scanning device Higher resolution gives better quality, but scanning can be slow
Digital camera (taking photos and videos)	Can capture vast amounts of data Easy to share and store	Image or video compression at time of storage can lead to loss of quality Need to the tech-savvy to use effectively
Microphone (speech input)	Hands-free input Fast Can be used for voice-recognition	Verbal inputs can be inaccurate Quality may vary Need to remember phrases or keywords for commands
Analogue sensors (Measure physical parameters in an environment, e.g., temperature, sound, humidity, light)	Provides real-time data and fairly accurate Automatic Can collect data from environments which are harmful to human life	Sensors require calibration Data must be converted from analogue to digital (ADC) Data needs to be checked for accuracy
Light pen (select or write on screen)	Easy to use; small and lightweight Accuracy for fine details	Only works on CRT screens Lag Dated technology

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