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What are the Different Types of Interactive Systems?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

There are many different types of interactive systems available for a number of different uses, though generally they either consist of software or hardware systems. Software systems usually involve standard input formats, such as keyboards and a mouse, but utilize these forms of input in ways that enhance the interactive nature of the software and create a more engrossing user experience. Hardware interactive systems often utilize different input formats to create a system that can be more deeply interacted with by a user. These systems can utilize hardware such as touch-sensitive monitors and motion sensor devices.

Interactive systems typically refer to computer and technology systems designed with interactive components. These components often take the form of user interfaces that allow the user of a particular computer system or software to more effectively work with that system. Interactive systems can consist of either software or hardware systems, though both are often utilized in especially complex systems.

Many computer games are developed with numerous keyboard shortcuts to enhance the interactive usability of the system.
Many computer games are developed with numerous keyboard shortcuts to enhance the interactive usability of the system.

The software component of interactive systems can take a number of different forms. This can include anything from the operating system (OS) on a computer, which allows the user to more easily interact with and modify files or organizational folders on the system, to banking software that allows customers to see and interact with their bank accounts through the Internet. These types of systems are often accessed using basic input devices, but are designed to allow those devices to more easily interact with the system.

Many computer games, for example, are developed with numerous keyboard shortcuts to enhance the interactive usability of the system. Software used in creating computer graphics or for digital manipulation of audio and video often includes similar interactive systems. These sorts of keyboard shortcuts and context sensitive mouse controls provide easier use and quicker access to common system functions.

There are also numerous interactive systems that incorporate hardware beyond a standard mouse and keyboard for input. This includes touch sensitive screens or monitors, often used on small handheld devices, and increasingly used for computer displays as well. These types of input can be used in conjunction with other input devices, allowing greater customization and providing a level of interactivity that scales with the desires of a system user.

More advanced interactive systems are also being developed, including those that use motion sensor technology to track the movements of a system user. These systems are typically designed to greatly enhance the way in which a user interacts with a user interface (UI) and make the experience of using a computer or other system more organic. The basic idea behind many of these systems is to remove the barrier of an input device and allow full interaction between a user and a system.

Discussion Comments

anon338050

What the article contained I already knew as a layperson, but the way it was strung together put a lot of pieces of information in a whole new perspective.

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    • Many computer games are developed with numerous keyboard shortcuts to enhance the interactive usability of the system.
      By: Timothy Grove
      Many computer games are developed with numerous keyboard shortcuts to enhance the interactive usability of the system.