Output Devices: Computer Hardware

Output devices
An output device is any piece

of computer hardware
equipment used to
communicate the results of
data processing carried out by
an information processing
system which converts the
electronically generated
information into humanreadable form.
CRT Monitor
Stands for "Cathode Ray Tube." CRT is the
technology used in traditional computer
monitors and televisions. The image on a CRT
display is created by firing electrons from the
back of the tube to phosphors located towards
the front of the display. Once the electrons hit
the phosphors, they light up and are projected
on the screen. The color you see on the
screen is produced by a blend of red, blue,
and green light, often referred to as RGB.
LCD Monitor
Stands for "Liquid Crystal Display." LCDs are superthin displays that are used in laptop computer
screens and flat panel monitors. Smaller LCDs are
used in handheld TVs, PDAs, and portable video
game devices. The image on an LCD screen is
created by sandwiching an electrically reactive
substance between two electrodes. This color of
this substance can be changed by increasing or
reducing the electrical current. Since LCD screens
are based on the principle of blocking light (rather
than emitting it), they use up much less power than
standard CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) monitors.
PDP(plazma) Monitor
A plasma display panel (PDP) is a type
of flat panel display common to large
TV displays 30 inches (76cm) or larger.
They are called plasma displays
because the technology utilizes small
cells containing electically charged
ionized gases, or what are in essence
chambers more commonly known as
fluorescent lamps.
Printers
A printer is an output device
that produces a hard copy of
data. The resolution of printer
output is expressed as DPI.
Printers can be classified into
different types in several ways.
Dot-Matrix Printer
Dot-matrix printers are printers that write characters
and form graphic images using one or two columns of
tiny dots on a print head. The dot hammer moving
serially across the paper strikes an inked-ribbon and
creates images on paper.
Dot matrix printers are popular printers used with
microcomputers, because the printers are highly reliable
and inexpensive. They are used for tasks where a highquality image is not essential. Many users, however,
move from dot printers to laser printers, because the
price of laser printers is falling down. Several kinds of
dot matrix printers are available with print heads that
have 7, 9, 18, or 24 pins.
Ink-Jet Printer
Ink-jet is a printer mechanism that
sprays one or more color of ink at high
speed onto the paper and produces
high-quality printing. This printer also
produces color printing as well as highquality image. That is, ink-jet printers
can be used for variety of color
printing at a relatively low cost. Ink-jet
printing has two methods: Continuous
stream method and drop-on- demand
Laser Printer
A laser printer is a printer that uses the electrophotograpic method
used in a copy machine. The printer uses a laser beam light source
to create images on a photographic drum. Then the images on the
drum are treated with a magnetically charged toner and then are
transferred onto a paper. A heat source is usually applied to make
the images adhere.
In 1984, Hewlett-Packard introduced the first desktop laser printer,
called the LaserJet. The laser printer revolutionized personal
computer printing and has spawned desktoppublishing.
The laser printer produces high-resolution letters and graphics
quality images, so it is adopted in applications requiring high-quality
output. Although a high-priced color laser printer is also available in
the market, a less expensive, desktop gray scale laser printer is
widely used. Recently, the laser printer is gaining its market share
dramatically, mainly because the lowered price and the quality.
Plotter
A plotter is a special-purpose output
device that draws images with ink
pens. That is, the plotter is a graphics
printer for making sophisticated
graphs, charts, maps, and threedimensional graphics as well as highquality colored documents. It can also
produce larger size of documents.
Plotters require data in a vector
graphics format that can produce
Drum Plotter
This is a plotter that has a drum. A
paper wraps the drum that rotates
to produce plots. Pens in a drum
plotter move across the paper
while the drum is turning. A drum
plotter is usually used to produce
smaller drawings.
Flatbed Plotter
This is a plotter that has a bed.
This is also called a table plotter.
The plotter draws graphics on the
paper placed on the bed. There
are several size of beds. This
plotter is usually used for
producing large drawings.

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Output devices

An output device is any piece

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