Discuss the input and output devices used in a business, with examples.

1. 1 · Open in two lines. Input devices put data into the computer in a form it can read. Output devices give the results to people as soft copy or hard copy.
2. 2 · Two input methods.
   • Manual entry by keyboard: flexible but slow and error-prone.
   • Direct data capture: a device reads the source directly; fast and accurate.
3. 3 · Keyboard and pointing devices. Keyboard, mouse, touchpad and touch screen, used in offices, ATMs and POS terminals.
4. 4 · Direct capture devices.
   • Barcode reader (tills), MICR (cheques), OCR (printed text), OMR (answer sheets).
   • RFID (stock tracking), biometrics (attendance), scanner, webcam, microphone.
5. 5 · Soft-copy output. Monitors, projectors and speakers: quick, no paper, but temporary.
6. 6 · Hard-copy output.
   • Impact: dot matrix, for carbon copies.
   • Non-impact: laser and inkjet for quality, thermal for receipts, plotter for large drawings.
7. 7 · Sri Lankan business example. Banks use MICR for cheques, supermarkets use barcode readers and thermal receipt printers, shops accept LankaQR through the phone camera.
8. 8 · Close in one line. Choose devices by volume of data, speed, accuracy and cost.

Scoring tip: Name at least four input and four output devices, each with a business use.