Output Devices Monitors or VDU (Visual Display Unit) :-Most Information Can Be Displayed On
Output Devices Monitors or VDU (Visual Display Unit) :-Most Information Can Be Displayed On
High resolution can display 1024 by 768 pixels, or more. They are used for very
detailed graphics work. The screen can be large and is often expensive.
Low resolution can display 640 by 480 pixels- similar quality to a television set.
Printers
Character printers, now very old, print one character at a time like a typewriter.
Line printers, again old technology, form a complete line before printing. Chain
printers are an example.
Page printers, modern printers that print a whole page at a time. Can be laser or
inkjet printers.
Ink Jet Printer :- Non impact printers where ink is squirted out onto the paper to
form the output.
Ink Jet printers are cheap to buy, but can be expensive to run - the ink needs
replacing regularly, and the nozzles which squirt the ink can become blocked.
However, they produce very good quality print, and can use colours.
Laser Printer :- Page printer. Laser printers can print a wide variety of characters
and graphics. Colour printers are also available. Quality is excellent.
Laser printers are very popular. They are flexible, very fast, and quiet. However,
they are expensive.
Impact and non-impact. An impact printer works by impacting the shape of the
character through a ribbon onto the paper. Dot Matrix printers are impact printers.
Letters are formed by a grid, or matrix of 7 by 5 dots. They use a print head which
has a grid of pins which are used to form letters when pressed against an ink
ribbon. Dot matrix printers are cheap and reliable. They are used in small offices,
and schools.
Hard copy. Printed output from the computer is called hard copy. Hard copy is
usually human readable.