Chapter 1: Hardware - Pearson Schools

End of Chapter 1 Checklist
1. Computers are now commonplace, and affect our lives in many ways every day.
2. An ICT system carries out a task in three main stages, which may overlap: input, processing and
output.
3. A computer is an electronic machine that can follow a set of instructions to input, process, store
and output data.
4. Hardware is the equipment that makes up the complete ICT system: the components such as the
keyboard, the monitor, the system unit and everything inside it, a printer, a scanner and speakers.
5. Input devices include the keyboard, pointing devices (such as a mouse, joystick, game pad or
trackpad), scanners, magnetic stripe readers, OMR readers and light sensors.
6. Output devices include monitors, printers and speakers.
7. Printers can be divided into impact and non-impact printers. An impact printer strikes an inked
ribbon which makes marks on the paper. A non-impact printer uses a non-striking method to
form the image on the paper. This type includes laser printers and inkjet printers.
8. Printers use different kinds of output medium, such as single A4 sheets of paper, continuous paper
and specialist paper for printing photographs or other digitised images.
9. Multi-function printers combine a printer, scanner and fax machine. Combining a printer with a
scanner produces the effective functionality of a photocopying machine.
Chapter 1: Hardware
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