This book is compiled for all

BS/ADP disciplines. First 10

Chapter 3
Input and Output Devices
Contents
• Input & Input Devices
• Output and Output Devices
Input & Input Devices
Chapter 3 - Input and Output Devices
 Input & Input Devices
• Anything given to the computer is called input
• Data and instructions are given to the computer as input
• Input into the computer can be entered:
• through a keyboard (by typing characters)
• by selecting commands (icons) on the screen and then clicking with a mouse
• by pressing a finger on a touch screen
• by speaking into a microphone
• by sending the image through a digital camera
• by scanning data printed on paper through scanner etc.
 Input Devices
• Any hardware component used to enter data and instructions into the
computer or mobile device is called an input device
• It takes input (data or instructions) from user and converts it into a form that a
computer can understand and use
• Different input devices are used for entering data and instructions into a
computer
• Examples → keyboard, mouse, scanner, touchpad, trackball, joystick,
microphone, digital camera, etc.
 Keyboard
• Keyboard is the most commonly used input device
• It is mostly used to enter text and numeric type data into the computer
• Buttons on the keyboard are called keys
• Keyboard contains keys for all alphabetic characters, numeric digits, and
special characters
• It also contains some special keys known as function keys
• A standard keyboard contains more than 100-keys → QWERTY keyboard
• This is because first six leftmost keys on top row of alphabets are Q, W, E, R, T, and Y
 Keyboard
• A keyboard is connected to serial or USB port on system unit
• Some keyboards do not require cable to connect with computer
• These keyboards enter data into computer through wireless technology such
as radio waves (Bluetooth) or infrared light waves (IrDA)
• These types of keyboards are known as Cordless or Wireless keyboards
• Parts of Keyboard
• Function keys
• Main keyboard
• Numeric keys
• Additional keys
 Keyboard
• Function keys
• There are 12 function keys on the top of the keyboard that are labeled as
F1, F2, ……., F12
• These keys are used to perform some special functions
• Function of each function key depends upon the software being used on computer
• For example, in many software, function key F1 is used to get help about software
currently running on the computer
• Main Keyboard
• Main keyboard area is like a typewriter keypad
• It includes alphabetic character keys, numeric keys, and some special command keys
• Functions of command keys depend upon software being used on the computer
• Some of the most commonly used command keys are:
• Esc, Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Backspace, Enter
 Keyboard
• Numeric keys
• This part of keyboard consists of numeric keys and arithmetic operator keys
• These keys are usually located on the right of the keyboard
• These keys are similar to calculator keys
• This part of keyboard also has an extra Enter key and Num Lock key
• Num Lock key is used to activate or de-activate numeric keypad
• It is a toggle key
• Additional Keyboard
• Keyboards also have some additional keys
• Most of these keys are used to move cursor inside the document
• Arrow keys, Insert, Delete, Home, End, PgUp, PgDn, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause, Windows
 Pointing Devices
• A pointing device is an input device that is used to control a pointer (cursor)
on the screen and to give commands to the computer
• A pointer represents a small symbol on the screen
• It usually appears on the screen in the Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• For example, an arrow appears on the screen in the Windows environment
• Location of the pointer on screen changes as a user moves pointing device
• Pointing device can be used to select text, graphics, or other objects and to
open a file/folder or run a program
• Similarly, we can perform many other functions very easily and quickly using a
pointing device
• For example, engineers use pointing devices to draw graphs or maps
• Examples → mouse, joystick, trackball, trackpad, light pen, etc.
 Pointing Devices
Mouse
• It is used to control cursor or pointer on the screen and to give commands to the
computer
• As a user moves a mouse, pointer on the screen also moves
• Mouse is connected with computer by a cable or wireless connection
• Usually, a mouse with a cable is connected to USB port on system unit
• Front of the mouse's casing contains one wheel and 2 or 3 buttons
• These buttons can be clicked or double clicked to perform different tasks
• For example, an object (icon) on the screen is selected by clicking left button of the
mouse
• Similarly, a program or folder is opened by double clicking left button of mouse
• Bottom of a mouse is flat and contains a mechanism that detects movement of
mouse
• Commands can be given to computer very easily and quickly
• Mouse also allows the user to create graphics such as lines, curves, and freehand
shapes, on the screen
 Pointing Devices
Mouse (Types of Mouse)
• Mechanical Mouse
• A mechanical mouse has a rubber or metal ball inside it and an electronic circuit containing sensors
• Ball rotates as mouse is rolled over a flat surface
• Movement of pointer depends on rotation of ball
• Nowadays, this type of mouse is rarely used
• Optical Mouse
• No ball inside it. It uses a device that emits and senses light to detect the movement of the mouse
• Some optical mouse devices use optical sensors, and other use laser to detect the mouse movement
• Nowadays, the optical mouse is commonly used in personal computers (PCs)
• Wireless or Cordless Mouse
• Not directly connected with computer
• It uses wireless technology, such as radio waves (Bluetooth) or infrared light waves (IrDA)
• It enters input signals into computer in a similar way as a cordless keyboard
• Air Mouse
• Air mouse is similar to a remote control
• It is a motion-sensing mouse
• It is used in presentations for running slide shows, controlling media, and other objects
• For example, raising mouse up might increase volume of media player
• Air mouse works in air by detecting the direction of hand motion
 Pointing Devices
Trackball
• It performs functions like a mouse but it is a stationary device
• It has a moveable ball on its top
• The ball is rotated or rolled with fingers (or the palm of the hand) to control
the movement of a pointer on the screen
• Like a mouse, a trackball also has buttons used to send commands to
computer
• However, a trackball has additional buttons whose functions vary depending
upon software
• Trackball is usually available with a laptop computer
• It is fixed on its keyboard
• A trackball is also available as a separate input device
• Some cordless trackballs are also available
• These are not directly connected to computer with a wire
 Pointing Devices
Touchpad
• A touchpad is a pressure-sensitive pointing input device
• It is also called trackpad
• Like a trackball, a touchpad is also a stationary device but it has no moving parts
• It is a small, flat surface (or sensitive pad) over which a user slides his/her fingertip
to move the pointer on the screen
• As a user slides his/her fingertip on flat surface of touchpad, pointer (or cursor)
moves on the screen
• Some touchpads have one or more buttons around the edge of the pad
• These buttons work like mouse buttons
• Some touchpads have no button
• On most touchpads, users can tap the pad’s surface to initiate mouse operations
such as clicking
• Touchpads are now commonly used with portable computers such as laptops and
are built-in on their keyboards
• We can also connect a touchpad to a personal computer
• Advanced keyboards also have a built-in touchpad
 Pointing Devices
Pointing Stick
• A pointing stick is a pressure-sensitive pointing device
• It looks like a pencil eraser
• It exists between the keys of keyboard
• It is used to control the movement of a pointer on the screen
• The pointer on the screen moves in the direction in which the pointing stick is
pushed
• A pointing stick input device is normally used with laptops
 Touch Screen
• A touch screen is a touch-sensitive display device
• Input is given to the computer directly by touching the screen with the user’s
fingertip or stylus
• Usually, touch screen is used to make a selection from a menu of choices
displayed on the screen
• Touch screens are commonly used in mobile computers and mobile devices
such as smartphones and tablets
• Some models of desktop computers and laptops also have touch screens
• Example → Automated Teller Machines (ATM) interface
• Today, most of the touch screens are multi-touch
• Multi Touch → Touch screens that can recognize multiple points of contact at the same
time
• It means that a multi-touch screen can take input from two or more fingers at the same
time
• For example, a user can use his/her two or more fingers to enlarge or rotate an image
on the screen
 Pen Input Devices
• Pen input devices look like pens
• These devices are used in some computing devices for giving input
• User touches a pen input device on a touch screen to write, draw, or make
selections
• Pen input devices are used by engineers and graphic designers
• Stylus
• Stylus is a small input device that looks like a ballpoint pen
• It is made of metal or plastic
• Stylus is used in many tablets, PDAs, smartphones, and other mobile devices
• Digital Pen
• Digital pen is similar to a stylus but it is slightly larger than the stylus
• It also provides more functionality than a stylus
• A digital pen is simply called a pen
• Usually, a digital pen is used with Tablet PC as an input device
 Joystick
• Joystick is a vertical handheld lever mounted on a base
• Lever can be moved in different directions to control the movement of object
(or pointer) on the screen
• Lever also includes two or more buttons → triggers
• A button is pressed to activate a certain event or action
• A joystick is basically used to play video games
• It is also used in some computer-aided design (CAD) systems
• A joystick can be attached to a personal computer or game console via a cable
 Digital Camera
• Captures (or takes) pictures and stores them in digital form
• Captured pictures are stored in its memory
• The number of pictures that a digital camera can store depends upon its
memory size
• Most digital cameras store pictures on flash memory or flash memory card or
memory stick etc.
• Usually, flash memory cards are used inside digital cameras to store pictures
• A digital camera also has an LCD for viewing the pictures
• Many digital cameras can also record moving videos with sound
• Today most of the smartphones and other mobile devices have built-in
cameras
• Usually, pictures/videos are downloaded from a digital camera to the
computer
+ Making photos is inexpensive and fast because it does not require any film processing
+ The pictures taken by the digital camera can directly be inserted into the documents
 Audio-Input & Audio-Input Devices
• Audio input → process of entering any sound into the computer
• It may include speech, music, or any other sound effects
• Sound is in the form of analog signals
• To enter sound into the computer, computer must have a sound card or
integrated sound capability which receives sound in analog form
• It converts analog signals of sound into digital form and stores it for further
processing and/or plays it back
• Devices that are used to enter/record sound (audio input) into the computer
→ audio input devices
• Example → microphone
• It can be an external peripheral device or it may be built in the computer/device or a
headset
• Audio-input device is plugged into a port on the sound card
 Scanner
• A scanner is a light-sensing input device
• It reads images and text printed on the paper and then translates into a form
(i.e. digital form) the computer can process
• Scanner uses laser technology to scan image on the printed paper and store it
into the computer
• Many scanners also include OCR software (Optical Character Recognition
software)
• This software can convert a scanned image of the document into a text file that can be
edited in a word processing application
• Types of Optical Scanners
• Flatbed Scanner
• Handheld Scanner
• Sheet-Fed Scanner
 Scanner
Flatbed Scanner
• Also known as an image scanner
• It scans a full image of the document at a time
• It works like a photocopy machine
• It contains glass on its top
• The document to be scanned is placed on the glass surface and a flip-up cover
is put over it
• Scanner reads the whole image/document at a time and sends it to computer
memory for storage
• Flatbed scanners are mostly used at home and small offices
 Scanner
Handheld Scanner
• Also called a pen scanner
• It is a small handheld scanning device
• It is used in the same way as we use a marker highlighter
• Handheld scanner is dragged over the image to be scanned
• Usually, a handheld scanner is used for scanning small images, text, numbers,
and bar codes
• For example, it can be used for scanning articles from magazines, newspapers,
and books
• Handheld scanners are available in different shapes and types
 Scanner
Sheet-fed Scanner
• A sheet-fed scanner is a type of scanner that scans only one piece of paper at
a time
• Paper is moved automatically through the scanner across a stationary scan
head
• Sheet-fed scanners can scan photos, letters, forms, business cards, and even
receipts
• Sheet-fed scanners are available in different shapes and types
Output and Output Devices
Chapter 3 - Input and Output Devices
 Output and Output Devices
• Data processed into a useful form is called output
• The form of output varies, depending on the hardware and software being used and
the requirements of the users
• Users can view output on a screen, or print it on the paper through a printer, or
store it on the disk in a file
• In case of audio output, it can listen through speakers, headphones, or earbuds
• Classification of Output
• Softcopy Output
• Output viewed on the display screen & output in the form of audio or video
• This kind of output is not tangible. It means that softcopy output cannot be touched
• Output stored in a file on a disk is also a form of softcopy
• Commonly used softcopy output devices → display screen and speaker (for audio output)
• Hardcopy Output
• Output printed on the paper
• It may be in the form of text and graphics
• Commonly used hardcopy output devices → printers and plotters
 Output Devices
• A hardware component that is used to receive the output from the computer
is called an output device
• It takes information from computer and converts it in a form that a user can
understand
• Commonly used output devices are monitors, printers, plotters, and speakers
 Monitors
• Monitor is a commonly used output device on personal computers
• Display device, also called a display device or simply display
• It is used as a softcopy output device
• It consists of a screen and different electronic components that display
information on the screen
• In a desktop computer, a monitor is a separate unit
• In mobile computers and devices, monitor is built into the top of the case
• Most of the monitors display text, graphics, and video in different colors →
color monitors
• Today, most of the personal computers use color monitors
• However, some monitors are monochrome
• Monochrome means that information appears in one color
• Today, monochrome monitors are rarely used
 Monitors
Features of Monitors
• Size
• Size of a monitor (display screen) is measured diagonally in inches
• From upper-right corner of the screen to the lower-left corner
• Display screens are available in various sizes
• Today, desktop computer screens are available from 17 to 30 inches, laptop screens
from 14 to 17 inches, and tablet screens from 7 to 10 inches
• Color
• Display screens can be either color or monochrome
• Color display screens show output in multiple colors
• Color display screens are also called RGB monitors
• RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue
• RGB display screen can create 256 different colors and thousands of variations of these
colors
• Today, most of the display screens show output in multiple colors
 Monitors
Features of Monitors
• Resolution
• Display screen is divided into small dots → called pixels
• Pixels are arranged horizontally and vertically
• Number of pixels on a screen is called its resolution
• For example, a monitor screen with a resolution of 1440  900 has 1440 pixels horizontally and 900
pixels vertically
• Monitor’s screen that has a large number of pixels has a high resolution
• Resolution refers to the sharpness and clearness of an image
• High-resolution monitors are always preferred to see video films as well as for designing
graphics
• Dot Pitch
• Distance between pixels on the monitor screen is called dot pitch or pixel pitch
• It is measured in millimeters
• Dot Pitch is another factor that is used to measure the image clarity on a monitor
• Smaller the distance between the pixels, higher will be the resolution of display screen
 Monitors
Video Card
• A video card enables a computer to display output on monitor screen
• A video card is also known as a video adapter, graphics card, display card,
video board, and video controller
• It is installed on motherboard
• A cable of the monitor plugs into a port on the video card
• Types of Graphic cards
• VGA (Video Graphics Array)
• It supports 16 to 256 colors, depending upon the screen resolution
• SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array)
• It has a higher resolution than VGA, It supports 256
• XGA (Extended Graphics Array)
• It supports up to 16.7 million colors
 Monitors
Types of Monitors
CRT Monitors
• CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube
• This monitor contains a cathode ray tube (CRT)
• Cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube
• Front of the tube is the screen on which output appears
• Back of the screen is coated with phosphor (chemical material that lights up
when an electron beam falls on it)
• Screen is organized into a grid of tiny dots of phosphor material
• Smallest number of phosphor dots that the electron gun can focus on is called
a pixel
• CRT monitor contains one or more electron guns
• A stream of bits defining the image of output is sent from the computer (from
the CPU) to the CRT, where the bits are converted into a beam of electrons
 Monitors
Types of Monitors
CRT Monitors
• Electron gun fires the beam of electrons
• Beam of electrons passes through focusing and deflection systems
• They direct beam towards specified points on the phosphor-coated screen
• When a beam of electrons hits the dots of phosphor, it lights up the selected
dots (pixels) and an image of output is generated on the screen
• In color CRT monitors, there are three electron guns; one for red color, second
for green color, and third for blue color (RGB)
• Other colors for output are generated with the combination of these three
colors
• A typical CRT monitor can display output in 256 to 65,536 colors
 Monitors
Types of Monitors
Flat-Panel Monitors
• A flat panel monitor is a lightweight display device
• It takes less desk space
• It also consumes less power than a CRT monitor
• However, it is expensive than the CRT monitor
• A flat panel monitor is made up of two plates of glass
• These plates contain a substance in between them
• This substance is activated in different ways
• The flat panel monitors are available in different sizes
• They are mostly used with laptops and mobile devices
• Examples of mobile devices that use flat panel monitors are digital cameras, tablet PCs, PDAs,
and mobile phones
• In these devices, they are built-in as small screens
• Size of the screen is from 2.5 to 4 inches
• Today, flat panel monitors are also commonly used with desktop computers
 Monitors
Types of Monitors
Flat-Panel Monitors
• Types of Flat-panel Monitors
• LCD Monitor
• LCD Screen
• LED Monitor
• OLED Monitor
• Gas Plasma Monitor
 Monitors
Types of Monitors (Flat-Panel Monitors)
LCD Monitor
• LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display
• LCD is a thin and light weight monitor
• It is made up of two glass plates
• These plates contain liquid crystal in between them
• Output image is formed by liquid crystal
• When an electric current passes through a liquid crystal, its molecules are lined up in
such a way that some light waves behind the screen is blocked while others passed
through
• In this way, an image is formed (or created) on the screen
• LCD monitor provides a sharper image than the CRT monitor and emits less radiation
• Today, LCD monitors are commonly used with desktop computers and portable
computers
• LCDs are also used in television sets
 Monitors
Types of Monitors (Flat-Panel Monitors)
LCD Screen
• LCD screen is used in mobile devices
• These devices have built-in LCD screens
• Most of the LCD screens are touch screens
• Examples of mobile devices that use LCD screens are smartphones (mobile
phones), PDAs, and digital cameras
 Monitors
Types of Monitors (Flat-Panel Monitors)
LED Monitor
• LED stands for Light Emitting Diode
• LED monitor is a light weight flat panel display unit
• It uses LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as pixels for displaying output
• It produces bright images, emits less radiations, more reliable, and consumes
less electric power than the LCD monitor
• Lifetime of the LED monitor is also longer than other types of monitors
• However, LED monitors are expensive than other types of monitors
• Screens in laptops and mobile devices often use LED technology
 Monitors
Types of Monitors (Flat-Panel Monitors)
OLED Monitor
• OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode
• OLED monitor is a type of flat-panel monitor
• It uses organic molecules that are self-illuminating and, thus, do not require a
backlight
• It consumes less power and produces brighter images than LED or LCD
monitors
 Monitors
Types of Monitors (Flat-Panel Monitors)
Gas Plasma Monitor
• A plasma monitor or display uses gas plasma technology
• It uses a layer of gas between two glass plates
• Gas emits ultraviolet light when an electric current is supplied
• This light causes the pixels on the screen to glow and form the image
• Gas plasma monitors offer large screen sizes up to 150 inches
• Display quality of these screens is also higher than the LCD monitor
• However, these monitors are expensive than the LCD monitor
• That is why gas plasma monitors are not commonly used
 Flat-Panel Monitor CRT Monitor
• Lightweight than a CRT monitor • Heavier than a flat panel monitor
• Commonly used in mobile computers • Used in some desktop computers
and devices • Consumes more electric power than a
• Consumes less electric power than a flat panel monitor
CRT monitor • Uses a cathode ray tube to display
• Uses liquid crystal or gas plasma output
technology to display output • Operates with electric power only
• Can operate with a charged battery • Less expensive than a flat panel
• More expensive than a CRT monitor monitor
• Takes less desk space than a CRT • Takes more desk space than a flat panel
monitor monitor
• Emits harmful radiation • Does not emit harmful radiation
 Printers
• Printers are the most commonly used output devices
• They are used to print documents (output) on the papers
• Output printed on the paper → hardcopy
• Hardcopy is also called as a printout
• Output may be in the form of characters, symbols, and graphics
• A printer is connected to a parallel port or a USB port of system unit by a cable
 Printers
Impact Printers
• A printer that produces output on paper by striking a print hammer or set of
pins against an inked ribbon is called an impact printer
• It works like a typewriter
• It uses an electro-mechanical technique to print output on the paper
• It can print characters and graphics on the paper
• Slower in printing and produce low-quality output
• Printing speed of these printers is measured in characters or lines per minute
• They also produce more noise during printing
• However, impact printers are less expensive
• Today impact printers are not commonly used
• Examples of impact printers are character printers (such as dot matrix printer
& daisy wheel printer) and line printer (such as chain printer and drum
printer)
 Printers
Impact Printers
Character Printers
• Printers that produce hardcopy by printing one character at a time are called
character printers
• In the past, character printers were very popular
• They were commonly used with personal computers to print the information
on paper
• Today, they are rarely used
• Examples
• Dot matrix printer
• Daisy wheel printer
 Printers
Impact Printers (Character Printers)
Dot Matrix Printer
• It makes a hardcopy by printing one character at a time
• Speed is measured by the number of characters it can print in one second
• Printing speed → from 300 to 1100 characters per second (cps) or more
• A dot matrix printer contains a print-head with a matrix of small pins arranged in
rows and columns (in the form of a matrix)
• Print-heads are available with 9, 18, or 24 pins
• This printer produces output on paper by striking pins (with a different combination
of pins) against an ink ribbon
• It forms the shape of output (characters or graphics) on paper by a number of dots
• Usually, a dot matrix printer uses 100 to 300 dots per inch (DPI) to print output
• Print-head that has more number of pins provides the best quality printout
• Less expensive
• Printout quality of these printers is not better
• They also produce more noise while printing output
 Printers
Impact Printers (Character Printers)
Daisy Wheel Printer
• Similar to a typewriter
• It has a print wheel with a series of petals
• This wheel is known as the daisy wheel
• Each petal of the daisy wheel contains a character at its end
• A motor rotates the wheel
• When the desired character reaches the print position on the paper, a
hammer strikes a petal against the ribbon
• Printing speed → in the range of 10 to 100 characters per second
• Slower than the dot-matrix printer
• However, its print quality is better than the dot matrix printer
 Printers
Impact Printers
Line Printers
• Very fast printer
• It prints a complete line of characters at a time
• Printing speed is measured in lines per minute (lpm) which is up to 3000 lines
per minute
• Line printers are normally used with mainframe and minicomputers
• Examples
• Chain printer
• Drum printer
 Printers
Impact Printers (Line Printers)
Chain Printer
• It contains characters in a chain that is wrapped around two pulleys
• It also has a ribbon and print hammers (one hammer for each print position)
• Chain rotates with very high speed by two pulleys to print the output
• One rotation is required to print a single line and then the page is moved
forward to print the next line
• Printing speed is from 300 to 2500 lines per minute (lpm)
• Example of a chain printer → IBM 1430 printer
 Printers
Impact Printers (Line Printers)
Drum Printer
• Similar to a chain printer
• It consists of a solid cylindrical drum
• Drum has complete characters set around the drum in lines
• Drum rotates at a very high speed
• One complete rotation of the drum is required to print one line
• All characters of the output line are not printed at the same time
• A line will be printed after completing one rotation of the drum
• Printing speed → from 300 to 2500 lines per minute (lpm)
 Printers
Non-Impact Printers
• A printer that produces output on paper without striking the paper is called a
non-impact printer
• Non-impact printers use electrostatic, inkjet, laser, and thermal technologies
for printing
• Non-impact printers are faster and produce high-quality output than impact
printers
• They produce no noise during printing
• These printers are costly than impact printers
• Examples → laser printer, ink-jet printer, thermal printer, and photo printer
 Printers
Non-Impact Printers
Laser Printer (Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation)
• A laser printer is the fastest and high-quality non-impact printer
• Laser printers are available in both black-and-white and color models
• Today, laser printers are commonly used for printing different types of documents
• Laser printer prints one page at a time → therefore called page printer
• A laser printer works like a photocopying machine
• It uses laser technology to print image of output on the paper
• It uses a LASER beam and ink powder called toner to transfer image on paper
• Laser printer has a special drum inside it
• First, image of output is created on drum, and then it is transferred from drum to
paper
• Information or output is printed in high-quality resolutions
• Resolution of the black-and-white laser printer is 1200 dpi (dpi means dots per inch
and these dots refer to microscopic dots)
• Similarly, resolution of the color printer is up to 2400 dpi
 Printers
Non-Impact Printers
Ink-Jet Printer
• It creates output on paper by spraying tiny drops of liquid ink
• It can print text and graphics in both black-and-white and color
• Printing speed is measured by number of pages per minute (ppm), it can print (it means that it is a
page printer)
• Most ink-jet printers can print 12 to 36 pages per minute
• However, they print graphics and colors at a slower rate
• Inkjet printer has a print-head that can spray very fine drops of ink
• It consists of cartridges filled with liquid ink (some of them contain black ink and others contain
color ink)
• Each cartridge has small nozzles in the form of a matrix
• Like a dot matrix printer, combination of nozzles is activated to form the shape of characters or
images on paper by spraying liquid ink through holes of nozzles
• Most inkjet printers have resolution ranging from 1200 to 4800 dpi (dot per inch)
• With an inkjet printer, a dot is a drop of ink
• Low price, slower, low print quality than laser printers
• However, faster and have high print quality than dot-matrix printers
 Printers
Non-Impact Printers
Thermal Printer
• It prints information on heat-sensitive paper by pushing electrically heated
pins
• Basic thermal printers are not very expensive but their print quality is low
• These printers are typically used to print receipts at ATMs and retail stores,
electronic tickets at airports, tokens at banks, and other public places
• Modern thermal printers have high print quality
• They are also faster than ink-jet and laser printers
 Printers
Non-Impact Printers
Photo Printer
• It is specially designed for printing high-quality photographs
• Also called a snapshot printer
• Typically, photo printers use ink-jet technology for printing photographs
• Many photo printers can print photos directly without a computer
• These printers have a built-in card slot
• These printers can print digital photos directly from a memory card
• Simply remove memory card from digital camera and insert it in printer’s card slot
• Then, push buttons on the printer to select the photo to be printed and other
options for printing the photo
• Some photo printers also have built-in LCD color screens
• User can view photos before printing them
 Impact Printers Non-Impact Printers
• Print output by directly striking the • Print output without striking the paper
print hammer or wheel against an inked with a print hammer
ribbon • Faster in printing
• Slower in printing • Have high print quality
• Have low print quality • More expensive
• Less expensive • Commonly used
• Rarely used • Produce low noise while printing output
• Produce more noise while printing • Use powdered ink or liquid ink for
output printing output
• Use an ink ribbon for printing output • Printing speed is measured in pages per
• Printing speed is measured in minute
characters or lines per minute
 Plotters
• A plotter is a special output device
• It is used for printing architectural drawings, building maps, and charts
• A plotter is typically used to print large graphs or maps such as construction
maps or engineering drawings
• Plotter is normally a very slow output device
• It works on the principle of holding a pen in hand and moving it on paper for
drawing lines
• Types of Plotters
• Flatbed Plotter
• Drum Plotter
 Printers
Flatbed Plotter
• A flatbed plotter is also known as a table plotter
• It plots on paper that is placed over a table-like surface
• Typically, plot size is equal to the area of a bed
• Bed size varies according to the need
• Flatbed plotter uses two robotic drawing arms, each of which holds a set of
pens
• Most of the flatbed plotters have one to four pens of different colors
• These pens move across the paper to draw charts or graphs on the paper
• Movement of these pens is controlled by the computer system
• Flatbed plotters are used in the design of cars, ships, aircraft, buildings,
highways, etc.
• Flatbed plotters are very slow in drawing or printing graphs
• Large and complicated drawing can take several hours to print
 Printers
Drum Plotter
• A drum plotter is also known as a roller plotter
• It consists of a drum or roller on which a paper (a large paper sheet) rotates
during printing
• Paper or sheet is fed to this plotter
• A drum plotter also consists of a mechanical device known as a robotic
drawing arm that holds a set of pens or pencils
• Drum rotates back and forth to draw (or print) the graph on the paper
• Robotic drawing arm also moves side to side as the paper is rolled back and
forth through the roller
• This work is done under the control of the computer
• These plotters are used to produce continuous output such as to record
earthquake readings.
 Audio Output Devices
• Output in the form of voice, music, or any other sound is called audio output
• Devices that are used to receive audio output (i.e. listen to music, speech, or other
sounds) from a computer or mobile device are called audio output devices
• Commonly used audio output devices are speakers, headphones, earphones or
earbuds, and headset
Speakers
• A speaker is used to receive audio output from the computer
• It produces softcopy output in the form of voice
• In some personal computers, speakers are built into the monitor
• Similarly, mobile computers and devices have integrated speakers (or internal
speakers)
• These speakers have a low-quality audio output
• An external sound speaker (or stereo speaker) can be attached to the computer or
mobile device for high-quality audio output
• It is connected to the computer through the sound card on the motherboard
• Speakers are available in different shapes and sizes
• Wireless speakers are also available
 Audio Output Devices
Headphones, Earbuds & Headset
• A speaker may create disturbance for others and also may create other privacy
problems
• For example, in a computer laboratory or office or any other crowded environment,
speakers might not be practical
• Headphones or earbuds are used for the solution of these problems
• Only the individual wearing the headphones or earbuds hears the sound from the
computer
• Headphones and earbuds (earbuds are also called earphones) are audio output
devices
• Difference is that headphones are placed outside the ears, whereas earbuds or
earphones are rest inside the ear canal
• An audio output device that functions as both headphones and a microphone is
called a headset
• It is often used for making telephone calls or participating in video conferences or web
conferences
• Many headsets communicate wirelessly with a computer or mobile device
• Wireless headsets are commonly used with smartphones
For more details, refers to

PM Series

Introduction to Computer

by
CM Aslam & Aqsa Aslam

Publisher: Majeed Sons