Explain the Characteristics and Functions of Core Input Devices

Input devices enable users to provide input to the computer. Common input devices and their characteristics are covered in the following sections.

Keyboard

A keyboard is used to type information received by the computer. Most keyboards include alphanumeric keys, a number pad, and function keys, typically labeled F1 through F12. Some of the common uses of function keys are

• F1. Help. Many applications support this key to provide help within the application.

• F3. Search. This key opens the search feature within the current application, if it has such a feature.

• Alt-F4. This combination closes the window or application that currently has the focus. If no applications are running, pressing this combination prompts the user to shut down the computer.