A graphics tablet (or digitizer, digitizing tablet, graphics pad, drawing tablet) is a that enables a user to hand-draw images and graphics, similar to the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. These tablets may also be used to capture data or handwritten signatures. It can also be used to trace an image from a piece of paper which is taped or otherwise secured to the surface. Capturing data in this way, either by tracing or entering the corners of linear poly-lines or shapes is called digitizing.

A graphics tablet (also called pen pad or digitizer) consists of a flat surface upon which the user may "draw" or trace an image using an attached , a pen-like drawing apparatus. The image generally does not appear on the tablet itself but, rather, is displayed on the . Some tablets, however, come as a functioning secondary computer screen[1] that you can interact with images[2] directly by using the stylus. Operation There have been many attempts to categorize the technologies that have been used for graphics tablets, some of which are listed below: Passive tablets Passive tablets,[10] most notably those by Wacom, make use of electromagnetic induction technology, where the horizontal and vertical wires of the tablet operate as both transmitting and receiving coils (as opposed to the wires of the RAND Tablet which only transmit). The tablet generates an electromagnetic signal, which is received by the LC circuit in the stylus. The wires in the tablet then change to a receiving mode and read the signal generated by the stylus. Modern arrangements also provide pressure sensitivity and one or more switches (similar to the buttons on a mouse), with the electronics for this information present in the stylus itself, not the tablet. On older tablets, changing the pressure on the stylus nib or pressing a switch changed the properties of the LC circuit, affecting the signal generated by the pen, which modern ones often encode into the signal as a digital data stream. By using electromagnetic signals, the tablet is able to sense the stylus position without the stylus having to even touch the surface, and powering the pen with this signal means that devices used with the tablet never need batteries. Activslate 50, the model used with Promethean Ltd white boards, also uses a hybrid of this technology.[11] Active tablets Active tablets differ in that the stylus used contains self-powered electronics that generate and transmit a signal to the tablet. These styli rely on an internal battery rather than the tablet for their power, resulting in a bulkier stylus. Eliminating the need to power the pen means that such tablets may listen for pen signals constantly, as they do not have to alternate between transmit and receive modes, which can result in less jitter. Optical tablets Optical tablets operate by a very small in the stylus, and then doing pattern matching on the image of the paper. The most successful example is the technology developed by Anoto. Acoustic tablets Early models were described as spark tablets—a small sound generator was mounted in the stylus, and the acoustic signal picked up by two placed near the writing surface. Some modern designs are able to read positions in three dimensions.[12][13] Electromagnetic tablets Wacom's are one example of a graphics tablet that works by generating and detecting an electromagnetic signal: in the Wacom design, the signal is generated by the pen, and detected by a grid of wires in the tablet. Other designs such as those by Pencept generate a signal in the grid of wires in the tablet, and detect it in the pen. Capacitive tablets These tablets have also been designed to use an electrostatic or capacitive signal. Scriptel's[14][15][16] designs are one example of a high- performance tablet detecting an electrostatic signal. Unlike the type of capacitive design used for , the Scriptel design is able to detect the position of the pen while it is in proximity to, or hovering above, the tablet. Many multi-touch tablets use . For all these technologies, the tablet can use the received signal to also determine the distance of the stylus from the surface of the tablet, the tilt (angle from vertical) of the stylus, and other information in addition to the horizontal and vertical positions. Compared to touch-sensitive touchscreens, a graphics tablet generally offers much higher precision, the ability to track an object which is not touching the tablet, and can gather much more information about the stylus, but is typically more expensive, and can only be used with the special stylus or other accessories. Some tablets, especially inexpensive ones aimed at young children, come with a corded stylus, using technology similar to older RAND tablets, although this design is no longer used on any normal tablets.

[edit

Tablet products A Wacom Intuos3 A Wacom Graphire 4 tablet A Gerber graphics tablet with 16-button puck

[edit]Puck After styli, pucks are the most commonly used tablet accessory. A puck is a mouse-like device that can detect its absolute position and rotation. This is opposed to mice, which can only sense their relative velocity on a surface (most tablet drivers are capable of allowing a puck to emulate a mouse in operation, and many pucks are marketed as “mice.”) Pucks range in size and shape, some are externally indistinguishable from a mouse, while others are fairly large device with dozens of buttons and controls. Professional pucks often have areticle or loupe which allows the user to see the exact point on the tablet's surface targeted by the puck, for detailed tracing and CAD work.

[edit]Uses

[edit]General uses Graphics tablets, because of their stylus-based interface and ability to detect some or all of pressure, tilt, and other attributes of the stylus and its interaction with the tablet, are widely considered to offer a very natural way to create , especially two-dimensional computer graphics. Indeed, many graphics packages are able to make use of the pressure (and, sometimes, stylus tilt or rotation) information generated by a tablet, by modifying the brush size, shape, opacity, color, or other attributes based on data received from the graphics tablet. In East Asia, graphics tablets, or pen tablets as they are known, are widely used in conjunction with input method editor software (IMEs) to write Chinese, Japanese, Korean characters (CJK). The technology is popular and inexpensive and offers a method for interacting with the computer in a more natural way than typing on the keyboard, with the pen tablet supplanting the role of the . Uptake ofhandwriting recognition among users that use alphabetic scripts has been slower. Graphic Tablets are also very commonly found in the artistic world. Using a pen on a graphics tablet combined with a graphics editing program, such as , give artists a lot of precision while creating digital drawings. Photographers can also find working with a graphics tablet during their post processing can really speed tasks like creating a detailed layer mask or dodging and burning. Educators make use of tablets in classrooms to project handwritten notes or lessons and allow students to do the same, as well as providing feedback on student work submitted electronically. Online teachers may also use a tablet for marking student work, or for live tutorials or lessons, especially where complex visual information or mathematics equations are required. Tablets are also popular for technical drawings and CAD, as one can put a piece of paper on them without interfering with their function. Finally, tablets are gaining popularity as a replacement for the computer mouse as a . They can be more intuitive to some users than a mouse, as the position of a pen on a tablet typically corresponds to the location of the pointer on the GUI shown on the computer screen. Those artists using a pen for graphics work will as a matter of convenience use a tablet and pen for standard computer operations rather than put down the pen and find a mouse. Graphics tablets are available in various sizes and price ranges; A6-sized tablets being relatively inexpensive and A3-sized tablets being far more expensive. Modern tablets usually connect to the computer via a USB interface.

[edit]Manufacturers

. Wacom Co. . KYE System . IBall . Hanwang Co.

A gamepad (also called joypad or control pad), is a type of held in the hand, where the digits (especially thumbs) are used to provide input. generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right thumb and a direction controller handled with the left. The direction controller has traditionally been a four-way digital cross (also named a joypad, or alternatively a D-pad), but most modern controllers additionally (or as a substitute) feature ananalog stick.

Some common additions to the standard pad include shoulder buttons placed along the edges of the pad, centrally placed start, select, and mode buttons, and an internal motor to provide force feedback.

Gamepads are the primary means of input on all modern video game consoles except for the Wii(though the Wii Remote can function alternately as a gamepad). Gamepads are also available forpersonal .

There are programmable that can emulate keyboard input. Generally they have been made to circumvent the lack of support in some computer games, i.e. the Belkin Nostromo SpeedPad n52. There are several programs that emulate keyboard and mouse input with a gamepad such as JoyToKey, Xpadder, and Pinnacle Game Profiler. Seventh Generation

[edit]Xbox 360 Main article: Xbox 360 Controller Xbox 360 wired controller.

Xbox 360 wireless controller

The Xbox 360 controller has wireless capabilities and removes the "black" and "white" buttons of its predecessor and in their place adds two "bumper" buttons, one above each trigger. When playing original Xbox games on the 360, the left and right bumpers are used in place of the white and black, respectively. The pressure-sensitivity feature on the face buttons was removed, making some original Xbox games, such as Metal Gear Solid 2, unplayable. The wireless version runs off two "AA" Batteries or a rechargeable battery pack. Microsoft has released a first-party "Play and Charge" kit which recharges the battery pack via a USB connection through the controller, though while connected the pad still communicates wirelessly. The wired version uses a USB cable to plug into the Xbox 360. The wired pad, or the wireless pad with the Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows are the standard gamepad for Games for Windows games, and can be configured to work with most PC software that supports gamepad or joystick input. Windows games that were originally developed for the Xbox 360 will normally support Force feedback with the standard Microsoft driver. For older Windows games (normally games coded to the older DirectX standard), installing the open-source XBCD driver may enable in-game Force Feedback effects.

[edit]PlayStation 3 Main articles: and DualShock 3

Initially, the conceptual controller for the PlayStation 3 was similar to its DualShock and Dual Analog predecessors; however, it was much more curved in shape than these controllers, with an appearance similar to that of a banana or boomerang. This odd shape has often been the subject of much ridicule, often being called a banana, a boomerang, or a "bananarang".

The 2005 "Boomerang" or "Banana" controller which was soon abandoned after its poor publicity

The PlayStation 3 's DualShock 3 wireless controller, which includes both vibration function and the motion-sensing functionality of the original Sixaxis wireless controller.

By the E3 2006 conference, Sony had abandoned the boomerang-shaped controller, in favor of a controller dubbed Sixaxis. The Sixaxis is cosmetically similar to the DualShock, but has several new features which distinguish it. It is a wireless controller and features the addition of tilt-sensor and linear technology, as well as larger 'trigger-like' L2 and R2 buttons. A new "PS" button was added to expedite usage of the XrossMediaBar System, as well as four player-indicator LEDs on the rear of the controller. It is charged by way of a mini-USB port situated where the cable on its predecessors left the controller, which can also be used to allow wired play. However, the Sixaxis lacks the rumble capability featured in the preceding DualShock and DualShock 2 controllers. Sony stated that the reason for this was that the rumble would interfere with the motion sensor; however, it was later traced to Immersion Corporation suing both Sony and Microsoft for patent infringement on Immersion's haptic-feedback technology. Microsoft settled out of court, but Sony decided to fight back and lost the resultant case.

Having settled the issue with Immersion in late 2007, Sony launched the DualShock 3. The controller is the same as the Sixaxis in almost every way but differs in that the blue lettering next to the USB port has been changed to DualShock 3 (with the word Sixaxis moved below it), it contains the aforementioned vibration motors (which also give the controller more weight) and the plastic it is made from is opaque rather than slightly translucent.

[edit]Wii Main article: Wii Remote

A standard Wiimote shown with Nunchuck

The Wii Remote is an unconventional controller in comparison to others. In its basic form, it is shaped like a and includes a number of features. Most notably, it contains tilt sensorsand three- dimensional pointing which allows the system to understand all directions of movement (up, down, left, right, in, and out, etc.) and rotation (back and forth around the pitch, roll, and yaw axes). The Wii Remote has four buttons, labeled A, B (on the back), 1 and 2, plus the start (+), select (-) and home button (a house). The controller is also multifunctional and expandable, including an expansion bay which can be used with different types of . An called "Nunchuk" features two trigger buttons(C and Z) to be used by the other hand. Like the Wii Remote, the Nunchuk contains an accelerometer [9] but unlike the Wii Remote, it lacks any pointer functionality. For NES Virtual Console games, the Wii Remote can be used on its side or the classic controller can be used.

Wii Remote and the Classic Controller attachment

The Classic Controller is also available for use with the Wii's Virtual Console as well as some Wii titles. It resembles a Super NES controller and contains two analog sticks placed similarly to Sony's DualShock. Instead of having start and select buttons, it has the -, home, and + buttons from the Wii Remote. However, there are text labels below each button, reading "Select", "Home" and "Start" respectively.[10] There are four action buttons labeled A, B, X and Y, as well as the L and R shoulder buttons, plus the ZL and ZR buttons. The console also supports use of the Nintendo GameCube controller for Nintendo GameCube Game Discscompatibility and limited Virtual Console play, as well as certain Wii games (most notably Super Smash Bros. Brawl). Also, the Wii Classic Controller Pro was released for the Wii, and shared the design of the PlayStation 2 controller. At E3 2007 the Wii Zapper was unveiled for the first time to the public. The Wii Zapper gives players a sense that they are holding a gun, arguably making first person shooters more immersive. The attachment lists for $19.99 in the United States and simply uses the regular Wii Remote and Nunchuk to form the shape of a gun.

A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style keyboard device used for sending (MIDI) signals or commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices connected and operating on the same MIDI protocol interface. This could also be a personal computer running software such as adigital audio (DAW) that listens to and sends MIDI information to other MIDI devices connected by cable or running internal to the personal computer system. The basic MIDI keyboard does not produce sound. Instead, MIDI information is sent to an electronic module capable of reproducing an array of digital sounds or samples that resemble traditional analog musical instruments. These samples or waveforms are also referred to as voices or timbres.

Not all MIDI keyboards are based on the piano style user interface. Many MIDI keyboard controllers have pads or buttons that also send MIDI signals, and most pads have a velocity sensing capability so that varying volumes of sound can be played/voiced. Another such keyboard device is the Continuum Fingerboard which is based on a "fretless" type keyboard interface enabling portamento style note changes at will during play.

An illustration of the Continuum Fingerboard.

Another MIDI keyboard implementation is the Tonal Plexus keyboard that provides for up to 1266 different tonal pitches possible in the TPX6 1266 Keys (Microtonal MIDI Controller). There are numerous other MIDI controllers that are also not based on the piano style user interface, but on newer interfaces with broader application possible because of computer technology.

In the MIDI protocol used in each of these midi controllers, an encoding scheme is used to map a MIDI value to a specific instrument sample. Also, other sound parameters such as note volume (velocity), aftertouch, pitch bend and modulation controls are also included in the MIDI protocol scheme. The keyboard merely acts as a MIDI controller of sound modules and other MIDI devices, including activating sounds by MIDI control within DAW software.

MIDI keyboards are a very common feature of a recording studio, and any DAW setup. Most include a transpose function and the ability to set different octaves. Many MIDI keyboards have pitch bend and modulation wheels. Some also have extra sets of assignable rotary knobs and/or buttons for sending custom MIDI messages to the synthesiser, sampler or DAW software. Devices with extra features (also including rhythm input, instrument selection, transport control) are sometimes called keyboard controllers. Other features that some MIDI keyboards might include are:

. Input for foot switch (usually used as a sustain pedal) . Input for a foot expression controller . Semi-weighted or fully weighted keys . Capability of sending aftertouch . Direct USB connection for use with computers

MIDI keyboards come in a range of sizes, from 25 keys (two octaves) to full 88-key length. MIDI keyboards with fewer than 61 keys tend not to have weighted keys.

A touchpad (or trackpad) is a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on screen. They are a common feature of computers and also used as a substitute for a computer mousewhere desk space is scarce. vary in size but are rarely made larger than 40 square centimetres (6.2 sq in).[citation needed] They can also be found on personal digital assistants(PDAs) and some portable media players, such as the iPod using the click wheel. Stand-alone Trackpads are also manufactured for wireless function. Use in devices

Trackpad of the BlackBerry Curve 8520in the red circle. Close up of a touchpad with a locking button on a Compaq Presario Laptop. Horizontal and vertical scroll bars are clearly marked out and visible near the bottom and right sides of the touchpad.

Early Apollo desktop computers were equipped with a touchpad on the right side of the keyboard.[10]

Touchpads are primarily used in self-contained portable laptop computers and do not require a flat surface near the machine. The touchpad is close to the keyboard, and only very short finger movements are required to move the cursor across the display screen; while advantageous, this also makes it possible for a user's thumb to move the mouse cursor accidentally while typing. Touchpad functionality is available for desktop computers in keyboards with built-in touchpads.

One-dimensional touchpads are the primary control interface for menu navigation on the currently produced iPod Classic portable music player, where they are referred to as "click wheels" since they only sense motion along one axis which is wrapped around like a wheel. Creative Labs also uses a touchpad for their Zen line of MP3 players, beginning with the Zen Touch. The second-generation Microsoft Zune product line (the Zune 80/120 and Zune 4/8) uses touch for the Zune Pad.

Apple's PowerBook 500 series was the first laptop to carry such a device, which Apple refers to as a "trackpad". When introduced in May 1994 it replaced the of previous PowerBookmodels. Apple's more recent feature trackpads that can sense up to eleven fingers simultaneously, providing more options for input, such as the ability to bring up the context menuby tapping two fingers. In late 2008 Apple's revisions of the MacBook and MacBook Proincorporated a "Tactile Touchpad" design[11][12] with button functionality incorporated into the tracking surface.[13]

Psion PLC's Psion MC 200/400/600/WORD Series,[14] introduced in 1989, came with a new mouse-replacing input device similar to a touchpad,[15] although more closely resembling agraphics tablet, as the cursor was positioned by clicking on a specific point on the pad, instead of moving it in the direction of a stroke.

A is a computer input device in the form of a light-sensitive wand used in conjunction with a computer's CRT TV set or monitor. It allows the user to point to displayed objects, or draw on the screen, in a similar way to a touch screen but with greater positional accuracy. It was long thought that a light pen can work with any CRT-based display, but not with LCD screens (though Toshiba and Hitachi displayed a similar idea at the "Display 2006" show in Japan[1]), projectors and other display devices. However, in 2011 Fairlight Instruments released its Fairlight CMI-30A, which uses a 17" LCD monitor with light pen control.

light pen

A light pen is fairly simple to implement. Just like a , a light pen works by sensing the sudden small change in brightness of a point on the screen when the electron gun refreshes that spot. By noting exactly where the scanning has reached at that moment, the X,Y position of the pen can be resolved. This is usually achieved by the light pen causing an interrupt, at which point the scan position can be read from a special register, or computed from a counter or timer. The pen position is updated on every refresh of the screen.

The light pen became moderately popular during the early 1980s. It was notable for its use in theFairlight CMI, and the BBC Micro. IBM PC compatible CGA, HGC and some EGA graphics cards featured a connector for a light pen as well. Even some consumer products were given light pens, in particular the Thomson MO5 computer family. Because the user was required to hold his or her arm in front of the screen for long periods of time or to use a desk that tilts the monitor, the light pen fell out of use as a general purpose input device.

An interactive whiteboard (IWB), is a large interactive display that connects to a computer andprojector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device. The board is typically mounted to a wall or floor stand.

They are used in a variety of settings, including classrooms at all levels of education, in corporateboard rooms and work groups, in training rooms for professional sports coaching, in broadcasting studios and others.

The interactive whiteboard industry was expected to reach sales of US$1 billion worldwide by 2008; one of every seven classrooms in the world will feature an interactive whiteboard by 2011 according to market research by Futuresource Consulting.[1] In 2004, 26% of British primary classrooms had interactive whiteboards.[2] The Becta Harnessing Technology Schools Survey 2007 indicated that 98% of secondary and 100% of primary schools had IWBs.[3] By 2008 the average numbers of interactive whiteboards rose in both primary schools (18 compared with just over six in 2005, and eight in the 2007 survey) and secondary schools (38, compared with 18 in 2005 and 22 in 2007).[4]

Uses for interactive whiteboards may include:

. Running software that is loaded onto the connected PC, such as a web browsers or proprietary software used in the classroom. . Capturing and saving notes written on a whiteboard to the connected PC . Capturing notes written on a graphics tablet connected to the whiteboard . Online whiteboard [5] . Controlling the PC from the white board using click and drag, markup which annotates aprogram or presentation . Using OCR software to translate cursive writing on a graphics tablet into text . Using an Audience Response System so that presenters can poll a classroom audience or conduct quizzes, capturing feedback onto the whiteboard

Magic Trackpad Decades ago Apple pioneered mass-uptake of the mouse, and now they're out to break new ground with a new type of input device: TheMagic Trackpad, announced this morning. The sleek little rectangle works just like the trackpad on a MacBook(and is made from the same opaque glass), but it's way bigger, giving you more room to maneuver your mitt; as you can see in the photo below, it's about the same size front-to-back as Apple's keyboard. And yes, the surface is both clickable and double-clickable. The device should appeal strongly to minimalists: There's no wires as it works via Bluetooth, and the sleek, futuristic form is about as pared down as you can get.

I use Expose a lot, and I find even the tiny act of having to move my hand from the mouse to my MacBook's trackpad is enough to break my workflow. The will preclude this, as Expose can be invoked directly from the device.

On top of that, something about touch makes manipulating a mouse across a surface seem anachronistic, like pushing a Tonka truck around as a child. Your correspondent, for one, will be ditching his dust-catching mousepad to dive into full-time touch fingers-first.