Topic: output devices

To get processed information out of a computer, you may need an output device.
An output device is used to show, print or store the results of processed data. The user sees
the result after processing of data by the computer through output devices. Examples of some
output devices are monitors, printers, speakers
The most common types of output are:
◆ Soft copy: this is not permanent copy. It includes output from a computer monitor, audio
(sound) from speakers, electrical signals and output from one computer to another.
◆ Hard copy: this is also called permanent output since it is printed for you to review away
from the computer. Examples are printed reports and pictures.

Display devices
Computers usually display output on a screen or monitor. Some monitors are separate and need
to be plugged into the computer’s system unit. Others, such as laptops and mobile devices, have
their screens integrated to the system unit and keyboard. Televisions can also be used as
computer monitors with some additional connections. Other display devices include interactive
whiteboards (also called smartboards) used for teaching or presentations. These large touch-
sensitive plastic boards respond to input either directly by connections to a computer or through
other devices such as a projector, tablet or magnetic pen.
The most common types of display device include LCD (liquid crystal display) flat screens and
LED (light-emitting diode) screens on handheld devices and laptops.
A monitor contains a matrix or array of bright dots of red, green and blue (known as RGB).
These can be blended to display millions of colours. Mapping the location and colour
information of each bit of data creates a computer image. This is known as a bitmap (bmp). The
bitmapped image seen on a monitor is made up of thousands of pixels. Pixel stands for picture
(pix) element. Features of a computer screen include its size and resolution.

Features of a computer screen

Size
This is the dimension of the screen which shows the output. Common desktop screens are from
14 inches to 19 inches measured diagonally. Larger sizes are now available.
Resolution
This determines how clear and detailed the output on the screen can be. Pictures on a screen are
made up of tiny dots (one dot = 1 pixel). The more pixels per inch, the clearer and more detailed
the graphic.

Colour
The number of colours displayed can vary from 16 to 256 to 64 thousand to 16.7 million. The
more colours, the smoother the graphics appear, especially photos.

Cursor/pointer
The cursor is a symbol that shows where you are working on the screen. It may appear as for text
and for the mouse pointer location.

Scrolling
This allows the text or graphic to be moved or up or down or brought into view on the screen.

Printing devices
No matter how simple or complex the data-processing operation is, the final result must be made
available in a user-friendly form, and usually in the form of a permanent record. Printers are
devices which output a hard copy of your work.
The choice of printer depends on the speed, quality and quantity you want, and the cost. Some
printers also perform the functions of a scanner, a photocopier and fax machine.
Two main categories of printer are impact and non-impact.
Impact printers
Impact printers use a ribbon and have print heads
that strike at the ribbon to make impressions on the
paper. They make much noise while printing
because of the constant striking of the print head on
the ribbon.
Types of Impact printers
 Dot-matrix printer - A dot-matrix printer uses pins to print a pattern of dots on paper.
The main advantage of using dot- matrix printers is for printing multiple copies using
carbon paper. The main disadvantage is the relatively poor quality of printing, which can
be read but cannot be used for reproduction or for business letters.

Non-impact printers
Non – impact printers use cartridges, E.g. DeskJet, Inkjet and Laser printers. The printing
element is simple and has no moving parts, these printers are inexpensive to manufacture and
print quickly and quietly.

Types of Non – impact printers

 Inkjet printers - It is now possible to buy low-priced, good quality printers that can print
in both black-and-white or colour. The quality of printout can be nearly as good as that of
a laser printer, but inkjet printers are slower depending on what is to be printed. Speeds of
4 to 6 pages per minute may be achieved. Their cartridges need to be replaced more
frequently than the toner cartridges of laser printers. Colour inkjet printers are ideal for
use at home, where small-quantity output is required for greeting cards, photographs and
schoolwork. Ordinary paper can be used.

 Laser printers - Laser printers produce attractive documents at a high resolution and are
much faster than inkjets. They are used in many workplaces because they are quiet, print
quickly, can be stocked with a large number of sheets of paper, and produce very high-
quality documents. The printout from most laser printers tends to be 300 to 1200 dots
printed per inch (dpi). Many lines are printed simultaneously, and speeds of 8 to 12 pages
per minute can be attained. Colour laser printers are also available. They are far more
costly to buy than colour inkjet printers, but produce higher quality images and are
cheaper to run.

 Thermal printers - Thermal printers use heat on chemically treated paper to form
characters. Many automatic banking machine (ABM) receipts, debit or credit card slips
and even some ultrasound scanned images are printed using thermal printers. These
printers are quiet and more recent ones print quickly. However, the paper is expensive,
and the print eventually fades if exposed to light or heat.
3D printers
Three-dimensional (3D) printers are similar to inkjet printers, but instead a 3D model is created
layer by layer, from the bottom upward. The model is created over many hours, as each layer is
printed on top of another. However instead of using ink as with the inkjet, the 3D printer uses
melted plastic that sticks each layer to the previous one.

Plotters
Car designers, architects and engineers who wish to print accurate charts, diagrams and 3D
drawings, output not to a laser printer but to a plotter. A plotter uses coloured pens or toner to
draw an image on paper. The paper is handled in different ways depending on the type of plotter.
Flatbed plotters hold the paper still while the pens move. Drum plotters roll the paper over a
cylinder, while pinch- roller plotters are a mixture of the two. The advantage of a drum plotter
is that it can produce very large drawings.

Audio devices
Most computers sold to homes and schools include a sound card. This allows both the recording
(input) and playback (output) of sound. Microphones record sound while loudspeakers can play
sound to a group of people, however, headphones are more popular for users who wish to listen
to the sound without disturbing anyone around them. These devices are small speakers that need
to be placed close to one or both ears. Earphones or earbuds are very small headphones that fit
inside the ear. A headset is a set of headphones, which has a microphone attached to allow you
to speak and listen at the same time.
Sound may also be output from a digital file or as music from a CD. Some software applications
will allow word-processed text to be read back to the user. This can be very important to young
children or the visually impaired.