Data Input 02

This KS3 ICT quiz takes a second look at data input. In the world of ICT, inputting data to a computer is a crucial starting point and there are many ways to go about it. If you want to input an image, a digital camera would be regarded as being the input device. This needs connecting to the computer and the image files can then be transferred manually to the computer. Voice recognition has been around for many years and as the the software gets better, it is being used more and more. The input device for voice activated commands or for dictating to word processing software needs to detect sound waves - a microphone!

The above examples are all manual input devices - there are a number of automatic devices too. One way of automating input is to present it in the form of magnetised ink or on a strip of magnetic tape. Some early computers required reels of magnetic tape or small magnetic discs to hold and transfer information. The technology is still used on plastic cards. All that you need to do is to place the magnetised strip (or magnetised ink characters) next to the appropriate reader and it is automatically entered into the computer.