SSS 1 COMPUTER STUDIES

OUTPUT DEVICES

Output is what the computer returns after processing data i.e. it is the result of data processing performed
by the computer. An output device is a device that enables the computer to communicate the result of data
processing carried out by it to the user. They enable the computer to display text, graphics and also
produce sound.

Output devices generate two types of output:

▪ Hard copy: This is a computer output that is permanent in nature and can be kept on paper, films or
other hard copy media e.g. an output produced by a printer on paper.
▪ Soft copy: This is a temporary computer output that is lost when the computer is turned off. It is an
electronic copy of some types of data viewed on a computer’s visual display unit or heard through
the speaker.

EXAMPLES OF OUTPUT DEVICES

1. Monitor
2. Printer
3. Speaker
4. Plotter
5. Projector
6. Headphones

FEATURES AND USES OF SOME OUTPUT DEVICES

▪ SPEAKER: Used to produce sound, music and spoken words

▪ HEAD PHONE: A device similar to a speaker that gives sound output from the computer. It is worn
on the ears so only person can hear the output at a time.
▪ PLOTTER: A device used for printing vector graphics such as graphs, charts and drawings. Vector
graphics is the use of points, lines, curves, shapes or polygons to represent images in computer
graphics.
▪ PROJECTOR: A device that projects a larger version of the display of a computer screen onto a flat
surface to be viewed by a large audience.

STRUCTURE, TYPES AND FUNCTIONS OF MONITOR

A monitor is an electronic device that transmits information from the computer on to a screen thereby
acting as an interface connecting the user with the computer. It is commonly referred to as a visual display
unit (V.D.U) and is the main soft copy output device of a computer. It is a T.V-like structure that enables the
computer to display text and graphics.

MRS ADOGIE - POWERFIELDS GROUP OF SCHOOLS [COLLEGE], EGBIN

 SSS 1 COMPUTER STUDIES

A monitor consists of a screen and a base. It forms images from tiny dots called pixels. The sharpness of the
images depends upon the number of pixels (resolution) and the amount of space between pixels (dots
pitch).

USES OF THE MONITOR

1. It is used to display text

2. It enables the user to monitor his activities
3. It is used to display object and pictures
4. Helps the user to view and correct mistakes

TYPES OF MONITORS
There are two types of monitors:
1. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
2. Flat Panel Display

CATHODE RAY TUBE

A cathode Ray Tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube wherein a stream of intense high energy electrons is used to
form images on a phosphorescent screen. A CRT comes in two varieties.

1. Monochrome: Displays single colour

2. Coloured: Capable of displaying many colours. They are sometimes called RGB monitors because the
three signals Red, Green and Blue are used.

FLAT PANEL DISPLAY

They are made up of two plates of glass separated by a layer of a substance in which light is manipulated.
They are of two types:

a. Emissive Displays: These convert electrical energy into light. Examples are Plasma Panel Display and
light Emitting Diodes (LED) displays.
b. Non-Emissive Displays: Use liquid crystals or optical effects to convert sunlight or light from other
source into graphics pattern. Example is the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

COMPARISON OF TYPES OF MONITORS

CRT FLAT PANEL DISPLAY

Bulky with a hunch back Small and flat
Heavy Lighter
Consumes high electricity Lower power consumption
Not too expensive Very expensive
Image quality is low Image quality is best. Provides higher contrast
Generate heat Less heat generation
Used only in desktop
Used in desktop computers as well as laptops
computers
Electron gun is used to
Liquid crystals or light are used to form images
form images

MRS ADOGIE - POWERFIELDS GROUP OF SCHOOLS [COLLEGE], EGBIN

 SSS 1 COMPUTER STUDIES

PRINTER TYPES AND FEATURES

A printer is a device that prints characters, text and graphics on paper or other hard copy media such as
film, cloth or plastic.

USES OF PRINTER

1. To bring out the result of computer processing as displayed on the monitor screen in hard copy
2. To print text, graphics and illustrations on paper
3. Can be used by many users in a network

TYPES OF PRINTERS
The printer is classified into two based upon the technology used for printing:

1. Impact Printers: Strikes paper and ribbon to form characters like a typewriter. There are two types of
impact printers
▪ Characters printers: Prints only one character at a time. They are slow and used for low volume
printing works. The printing speed is measured in characters per second (CPS). Examples are: Daisy
wheel and Dot matrix printers.
▪ Line Printers: Prints one line of text at a time. The printing speed is measured in lines per minute
(LPM). Examples are Drum printer and chain printer
2. Non-Impact Printers: Do not have contact with paper. An output is generated using ink spray, toner
powder or heat. They are called page printers because they print one page at a time. The printing speed
is measured in pages per minute (PPM). Examples are:
a. Inkjet Printers: Prints characters by spraying small drops of ink on paper
b. Laser Printers (Toner Based): Use laser light to produce the dots needed to form the characters to
be printed
c. Thermal Printer (Inkless): Works by selectively heating regions of special heat sensitive paper.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRINTERS

IMPACT NON-IMPACT
Very noisy Quiet
Use ribbon Use ink, toner or are inkless
Useful for bulk printing due to low cost Not suitable for bulk printing
Low print quality High print quality
Poor graphics or none at all Produce high quality images
Slow Fast

MRS ADOGIE - POWERFIELDS GROUP OF SCHOOLS [COLLEGE], EGBIN

 SSS 1 COMPUTER STUDIES

Supports many fonts and different character

Does not
sizes
Prints only one colour at a time Can print more than one colour at a time
Does not have heating element Has heating element
Have contact with paper Do not have contact with paper

COMPARISON BETWEEN MONITOR AND PRINTER

MONITOR PRINTER
Has screen Has no screen for display
Soft copy output device Hard copy output device
Use no paper Uses paper and other printable medium
Displays text and graphics Prints text and graphics
Need no installation Has to be installed
Cannot Can be connected wirelessly to the computer
An essential output device An optional output device
Connected using VGA, DVI, or HDMI cables Connected using USB or parallel cables.

➢ VGA: Video Graphics Array

➢ DVI: Digital Visual Interface
➢ HDMI: High-Definition Multimedia Interface
➢ USB: Universal Serial Bus.

MRS ADOGIE - POWERFIELDS GROUP OF SCHOOLS [COLLEGE], EGBIN