What are Output Devices

Output devices are devices that enable the computer to communicate the results
of data processing carried out by it to the user.
These devices enable the computer to display text, graphics and produce sound.

Examples of computer output devices

Theyinclude:

monitor

printer

speaker

plotter

Projector

braille embosser

Features and Uses of Output Devices

1. Monitor: The monitor, also called Visual Display Unit (VDU) is a TV-like

structure attached to the System Unit through the VGA cable. It displays text and

graphics (pictures and images). The content showing on the monitor is called a

soft copy.

2. Printer: A printer is a device attached to the System Unit through a USB cable

or other types of cable. It is used to produce the information (text, graphics,

images, illustrations) showing on the monitor on paper, transparencies, and

plastic. Such a printout is called a hard copy.

3. Speaker: A speaker is a device used for producing sound captured by the

microphone or music in mp3, wav, etc. formats. Speakers come in different forms

such as headphones, earphones, canal phones, headsets etc. and can also be

used with portable devices such as mp3 players, mobile phones etc.

4. Plotter: A special type of printer used for printing drawings, charts, maps etc.

using multi-coloured automated pens. It is usually used by architects, engineers

and surveyors. They are rarely used now and are being replaced by wide-format

conventional printers, which can produce high-quality graphics.

5. Projector: A device that helps direct the content on a display screen (monitor)

onto a particularly flat surface.

Structure of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor

The Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) used as a computer monitor was invented by Karl

Ferdinand Braun. This monitor employs the CRT technology used most

commonly in the manufacturing of television screens. In this, a stream of an

intense high-energy electron is used to form images on a fluorescent screen. A

cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun at one end and a

fluorescent screen at another end. From this electron gun, a process called

thermionic emission generates a strong beam of electrons. These electrons

travel through a narrow path within the tube at high speed using various

electromagnetic devices and finally strike the phosphor points present on the

fluorescent screen, thus creating an image.

Today, CRT monitors are being replaced with flat Plasma screens, Liquid Crystal

Display (LCD), etc.

Types of Monitors (based on colour)

There are two types of monitor, namely:

1. Monochrome monitor: This monitor displays its characters in only one

colour. The colour could be white, green or amber. Looking at the monochrome

monitor, one can see two colours; one colour for the background and one for the

foreground. The two colour combinations can therefore be black and white, green

and black or amber and black.

2. Colour monitor: This monitor displays information in colours. It is similar to a

colour television but it handles data more quickly and has a sharper output.

Types of printer
There are two types of printers, namely impact and non-impact printers.

Impact Printers

This type of printer behaves like a typewriter whereby a character is printed when

a metal slug strikes a carbon ribbon. Impact printers have contact with the

surface of the paper. Examples of impact printers include the following:

a. Dot matrix printer: This prints characters and graphic images by impacting a

ribbon and transferring dots of ink onto the paper. It prints dot matrix characters

by pressing the end of selected wires against ribbon and paper. The dots are
used to form the characters and images on the paper.

b. Line printer: This prints a line of characters at a time. The output speed is

between 200 to 3000 lines per minute (LPM)

c. Character printer: This prints one character at a time moving across the

paper. The output speed range from 200 to 400 characters per second (cps)

Non-Impact Printer

Non-impact printer creates images on paper like that of a photocopying machine.

They do not have contact with the surface of the paper. Examples include:

a. Inkjet printer: This prints by spraying small streams of quick-drying ink onto

the paper and using it to form characters, shapes and images. The ink is stored

in disposable ink cartridges, which can be black or coloured. They are found in

homes and offices.

b. Laser printer: This uses an electrically charged drum to transfer toner or dry

ink onto paper as the photocopier does. It traces an image by using a computer-

controlled laser beam.

c. Thermal printer: This prints by transferring dots of ink or dye from a ribbon

onto paper and passing the ribbon and the paper across a line of heating

elements. The characters are produced with a print head containing a matrix of

small heating elements. This printer is very quiet in operation because the printer

head does not strike the paper.

 Differences between Impact and Non-Impact Printer
S/N Impact Printer Non-Impact Printer

1. Makes noise while printing Does not make noise while printing

2. Produces low quality images Produces high quality images

3. Uses ribbon to print Uses ink (dry and wet) to print

Has heating element that dries the ink

4. Does not have heating element
on paper

5. Prints only one colour at a time Can print more than one colour at a time

Has striking pins/heads that strike the Does not have striking pin heads to
6.
characters or dots on paper strike characters on paper

Differences between the Monitor and the Printer

S/N Monitor Printer

1. Has screen Has no screen

2. Uses no ribbon, ink, cartridge or toner Uses ribbon, cartridge, ink or toner

3. Uses no paper Uses paper and printable medium

Prints text, images and pictures on

4. Display texts, images and pictures
paper

Some have vacuum tubes or a liquid

5. Has no vacuum tube or a liquid crystal
crystal

6. Has no paper tray Some have paper tray

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Definition of Input Device
Input device is any hardware component that allows a user to enter data and
instructions into a computer.
Any peripheral used to provide data and control signals to a computer.
Without any input devices, a computer would only be a display device and not allow
users to interact with it. Before computer processing, data must be entered into the
computer by an input device so that they can be translated into machine-readable form.
Some input devices include the following:
Keyboard
Mouse
Joy Stick
Light pen
Track Ball
Scanner
Graphic Tablet
Microphone
Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)
Optical Character Reader (OCR)
Bar Code Reader Optical Mark Reader (OMR), etc.

Mouse

The mouse is a device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display

screen. The mouse is important for graphical user interfaces because a user can simply

point to options and objects and click a mouse button.

Touchpad

A touchpad is a small, touch-sensitive pad used as a pointing device on some portable

computers. By moving a finger or other object along the pad, you can move the pointer

on the display screen.

Touch screen

A touch screen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location

of a touch within the display area.

Trackball

A trackball is a mouse lying on its back. To move the pointer, you rotate the ball with

your thumb, your fingers, or the palm of your hand. It does not require much space to

use it.

Light Pen

A light pen is a computer input device in the form of a light-sensitive pen used in

conjunction with a computer's CRT display. It allows the user to point to displayed

objects or draw on the screen in a similar way to a touch screen but with greater

positional accuracy.

Stylus

A stylus is a small pen-shaped instrument that is used to input commands to a computer

screen, mobile device or graphics tablet.

Joystick

A joystick allows an individual to move an object in a game such as navigating a plane

in a flight simulator.

A gamepad, game controller, joypad, or video game controller is a peripheral device

designed to be connected to a computer or console gaming system. It has multiple

buttons and may have one or two mini joysticks.

Digital Camera

A camera that stores the pictures or video it takes in electronic format instead of film.
Webcam

A webcam is a camera connected to a computer that allows anyone connected to the

Internet to view either still pictures or motion video of a user or other object.

Optical Scanner

An optical scanner is a hardware input device that allows a user to take an image or text

and convert it into a digital file, allowing the computer to read or display the scanned

object.

Barcode Reader

A barcode reader or scanner is a hardware device capable of reading a barcode and

printing out the details of the product or logging that product into a database.

Microphone

A microphone is a hardware peripheral that allows computer users to input audio into

their computers.

Structure of the Keyboard

A standard computer keyboard is called a QWERTY keyboard because of the layout of

its typing area which is similar to that of a typewriter.

Parts of the Computer Keyboard

Keyboards will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but generally have the
following areas:

Function Keys: These keys are assigned a special task or function. Here is a sample

of common function keys and associated tasks.

F1 Get Help or visit Microsoft Office Online

F5 Find and replace

F7 Choose the Spelling command (Review tab)

F8 Usually used with LCD projector/dual monitor device.

F10 Show Key Tips

F12 Choose the Save As command (Microsoft Office Button)

Function keys are also used in combination with the Shift, Alt, and Ctrl keys.

Typewriter Keys or Alphanumeric Keys: letters, numbers, and punctuation keys.

Additional keys include the space bar, shift key (for capital letters and top symbol on

keys), and Caps Lock key for a series of capital letters. Press the Enter key to begin a

new paragraph in a word processor program (also the same as clicking the OK button in

a dialogue box. The Spacebar separates a series of letters and/or numbers into

Standard English text.

Cursor Control Keys: also called arrow keys, which move your text cursor in the

direction of the arrow.

Numeric Keypad: similar to a calculator for entering numbers and doing mathematical

operations quickly and easily. (You may also have a calculator shortcut key on your

keyboard.)

Arrow or Navigation keys: Arrow keys, Page Up/Page Down, Home, and End are

convenient to move your cursor to the desired location.

Combination Keys:

1. Shift Key: The Shift key is used to make capital letters or to access the punctuation

and other symbols on the number keys and other keys. (Also used in combination with
function and/or ctrl keys.)

2. The Alt key: It is used in combination with the command keys for special functions

such as Ctrl+Alt+Dlt for task manager or ALT+F4 Exit Office Word 2007

3. Control key: It is used in combination with other command keys. CTRL+F10 will

maximize the document window. . Other Keys include:

i. Windows key: Shortcut for the start menu.

ii. PrtScn/SysRq Print Screen: pressing the print screen will capture the entire screen

while pressing the alt key in combination with the print screen will capture the currently

selected window.

iii. Esc Escape: shortcut in dialogue boxes for No, Quit, Exit, Cancel, or Abort, as well

as a common shortcut key for the Stop button in many web browsers.

iv. Backspace: Erases text to the left of the cursor each time you click on the key.

v. Delete: Erases text to the right of the cursor each time you click on the key. Or click

and drag your cursor over a line(s) of text to select the text and click Delete. All the

selected text will be deleted.

Types of Mouse

a) Mechanical Mouse: Mechanical mouse contains a rubber or metal ball inside it. The

movement of the cursor depends on the movement of the ball. This mouse is normally

used on the mouse pad. A mouse pad is a- small flat pad made of rubber or foam to

provide easy movement for the mouse. It protects the mouse from dust and dirt.

b) Optical Mouse: Optical mouse contains no ball inside it. It uses a device that emits

light to detect mouse movement. An optical sensor or laser is used in these types of

mice. It is more expensive than the mechanical mouse.

c) Wireless Mouse: Wireless or cordless mouse is a type of mouse that does not

require a wire to work. It transmits data using wireless technology like radio waves or

infrared light waves. The receiver is connected to the computer through a serial or USB

port.

Parts of a Computer Mouse

The parts of a computer mouse can vary by the type of computer mouse. Below is a

general overview of the parts found on most computer mice.

1. Buttons

2. Ball, Laser, or LED

3. Mouse wheel

4. Circuit board

5. Cable or wireless receiver

Functions of the mouse

The primary function of the mouse is to move the mouse cursor on the screen. Others

include;

1. To open or execute the program - Once you've moved the cursor to an icon, folder, or

other object clicking or double-clicking that object opens the document or executes the

program.

2. To select - A mouse also allows you to select text or a file or highlight and select

multiple files at once.

3. To drag-and-drop - Once something is selected it can also be moved using the drag-

and-drop method.
4. To hover - Moving the mouse cursor over objects with additional hover information

can help discover the function of each object on the screen. For example, hover the

mouse over the hover link to see an example.

5. To scroll - When working with a long document or viewing a long web page you may

need to scroll up or down which can be done using the mouse wheel or clicking and

dragging the scroll bar.

Differences between Mouse and Keyboard

Keyboard Mouse

Used to enter instructions Used to point and select

Keys are pressed Buttons are clicked

Combination of keys can be pressedLeft or right button is clicked

Cannot drag and drop text Drags and drops text

It has keys It has buttons

Requires no mouse pad Requires a mouse pad