Final answer:
Input devices convert user actions into data that computers can process, and the statement about their function is true. It is also true that the efficiency of a simple machine is always below 100% due to friction. Microprocessors allowed digital computers to efficiently process large amounts of information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that input devices translate symbols that people understand into symbols that a computer can process is true. An input device, like a keyboard or a mouse, takes the actions or commands from a user and converts them into a form of data that the computer's processor can understand and act upon. This process is essential for users to effectively interact with computers and for the computer to process large amounts of information.
When it comes to the efficiency of a simple machine, it is true that its efficiency is always less than 100 percent. The reason for this is that some of the work (input energy) is always lost as heat energy due to friction. This principle applies to all simple machines such as levers, pulleys, and inclined planes.
The device that made it possible for digital computers to process large amounts of information efficiently is the microprocessor. Introduced in the 1970s, the microprocessor represents a significant advancement in computing technology, as it is the brain of the computer and handles all the tasks of a CPU on a single integrated circuit.