AS - Output Devices

AS - Output Devices

1. Screens

   • Most common output device. Smaller screens can be used on portable devices such as mobile phones. Larger screens can be connected to flat screen TVs which operate simiarly.

2. Printers

   • Dot Matrix Printers
     • Impact or contact printer. Used in situations when only text in black and white is required. Can be used to print on multipart stationary; the pressure of the pins cause the carbon paper to produce a print. Easy and cheap to maintain as replacement ribbons are inexpensive. Very noisy and the quality of the print is not as good as inkjet or laser printers.
   • Inkjet Printers
     • Quiet, good quality prints with support of colour printing. Generally used in households because they are relatively cheap to purchase and produce a clear image. Too slow to be used with high volumes of printing. Cost of colour cartridges can be very costly in relation to the initial cost of the printer.
   • Laser Printers
     • Popular for business use. Function similarly to photocopiers. The cost of the printer depends on the combination of costs: paper, toner replacement and drum replacement. Provides capability to print two sided which reduces paper costs and the space required for physical filling of paper. Colour printing is more expensive than printing in black and white.
   • Thermal Transfer Printers
     • Non-impact printer that uses heat to make an impression on paper. Operate quietly. Used for printing bar codes, price tags and labels. Usually small and are cheap to maintain. Used in restaurants to produce a reciept for an order.
   • Dye-Sublimation Printers
     • Used to produce high quality graphical images, particularly colour photographs.Very expensive device; this is a printer that would be used for printing artwork to a very high quality.

3. Data Projectors

   • Expensive but common in business demonstrations where they usually project the output form a laptop/computer onto a large screen. Often used in schools in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard.

4. Headsets

   • Combine an input device (microphone) and an output device (speakers). The development of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) allows millions of computer users to make free telephone calls to other users over the Internet often using a headset.

5. Speakers

   • Used to output music. Many programs make audio warnings - beeping sounds indicate errors or as an alert. Windows makes a distinctive sound when loading, by default.