Computer input and output devices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer input and output devices - Essay Example Every computer requires a keyboard for data entry both in numeric, alphabetic and symbol form. Text or numbers being typed on the keyboard are directly displayed on the monitor of the computer. There are many designs of the keyboard depending on the manufacturer, but they all have letters, numbers and function keys for data entry. The data is converted into codes that are understandable by the computer and displayed in a format understandable to the user.Every computer has a monitor that is the primary output device, and it communicates with the user by displaying data in a user understandable format. Another commonly used output device is the inkjet printer that produces papers printed in different colors by means of a spray ink jet inside the printer. An advanced form of a printer is a laser printer that prints different colors by fusing electrostatically charged toner. The laser printer has very high initial cost but has a lesser running cost as compared to the inkjet printer. The drum plotter is also an output device that plots large scale drawings. Recent technologies have led to the introduction of laser plotters that are an advancement of the laser printers and are capable of printing into rolls of papers. Data projectors are a modern form of output devices and can be described as big monitors that are used for audience presentation. Speakers are classified as output devices since they communicate information from the computer to the user either in the form of warnings or music.