What is the Definition of Input Devices?

At its most basic, a keyboard is an arrangment of keys (buttons). Typically the keys will have printed characters, and one keypress equals one character. Keyboards can also used to send commands to the computer using single keystrokes, or multiple keys all at once.

CTRL+ALT+DEL is one example. A standard keyboard has 101 keys, but most have more, up to 130 in some cases. Make sure that you consider the ergonomics of the keyboard you select, and that you consider an ergonomic computer keyboard stand to ensure that the hours you spend on your computer don't hurt (your back, shoulder, neck, arm and wrist)! This article will take a brief look at keyboards and what to consider when buying one.

A mouse is a computer pointing device that works by detecting two dimensional movement relative to the surface it is used on. Typical mice have 2 buttons, for left and right clicking, and a scroll wheel, used for moving a page up or down. The motion of the mouse translates to a pointer on your computer screen.

Mice have evolved over the years. The first mice used wheels on the bottom that would translate to left/right and up/down. Today's mice use a laser to detect movement. I'll go over a brief history of mice, and look at the different types of mice that are available today (from wired to wireless computer mouse; from standard mice to a computer gaming mouse; and more).

As computer gaming gained popularity, many gaming devices were created to enhance your gaming experience...

• Joysticks
• Gamepads
• Keyboard Gamepads

We'll take a look at the different devices available and what they are used for.