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Keyboards |
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Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| You don’t need much training to use a keyboard. | They can’t be used to create diagrams or images. |
| Skilled typists can enter a lot of data very quickly. | Unskilled typists can take a long time to enter data. |
| They can be very cheap and often come with the computer. | It can lead to health problems like repetitive strain injury (RSI) |
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Scanners |
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Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| A hard copy of an image can be transformed into an electronic file. | Some visual quality is lost in the transfer process. |
| The reproduction is very faithful. | The electronic file takes up a lot of memory space on the hard disk. |
| The images can be edited or enhanced with a graphics application. | Scanning equipment, especially the glass, is quite delicate and can be broken easily. |
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Joysticks |
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Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| They give a good gaming experience, especially in games where precise hand control is required e.g. flying or racing games. | Over enthusiastic handling can result in breakage. |
| They are often ergonomically designed i.e. designed specifically for the shape of the hand. | Some people find them more difficult to operate than a regular mouse. |
| Joysticks can be designed for a specific game in mind. | They can be quite expensive. |
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Streaming
Advantages
- You can choose from a huge online menu and start watching the material then and there.
- You can pause the programme or clip and return to it later.
Disadvantages
- A slow speed connection will cause the player to pause. ‘Buffering’ occurs when you have to wait for the media player to collect more data.
- You can only stream material when you are online.
The pros and cons of downloading media content:
Advantages
- Once the file has been downloaded you can watch it whenever you want.
- There is no limit to how many files you download, as long as you have the storage space.
- Once the file has been downloaded, the viewing/listening experience will be free from connection problems.
Disadvantages
- Video and music files take up a lot of space on your hard disk.
- Downloading can take some time depending on the quality of your connection.
- There is the possibility that you are downloading harmful files (viruses) or inappropriate material without knowing.