Features of Digital Devices (Edexcel IGCSE ICT)

Features of digital devices

What are the features of digital devices?

• The most common features of a digital device are:

  • Portability

  • Performance

  • Storage

  • User interface

  • Connectivity

  • Media support

  • Energy consumption

  • Expansion capability

  • Security features

What is a user interface?

• A user interface is how the user interacts with the operating system

• Examples of user interfaces include:

  • Command Line Interface (CLI)

  • Graphical User Interface (GUI)

  • Menu

  • Natural language (NLI)

What is a command line interface?

• A Command Line Interface (CLI) requires users to interact with the operating system using text based commands

• CLIs are more commonly used by advanced users

• Examples of CLIs are MSDOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) and Raspbian (for Raspberry Pi)

What is a graphical user interface?

• A Graphical User Interface (GUI) requires users to interact with the operating system using visual elements such as windows, icons, menus & pointers (WIMP)

• GUIs are optimised for mouse and touch gesture input

• Examples of GUIs are Windows, Android and MAC OS

What is a menu interface?

• A menu interface is successive menus presented to a user with a single option at each stage

• Often performed with buttons or a keypad

• Examples include

  • Chip and pin machines

  • Vending machines

  • Entertainment streaming services

What is a natural language interface?

• A natural language interface (NLI) uses the spoken word to respond to spoken or textual inputs from a user

• Examples include

  • Virtual assistants - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri

  • Search engines

  • Smart home devices

Digital device comparison

⭐ - Low
⭐⭐⭐ - Moderate
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - High