Output Devices

Output devices are used to show output to the user typically in the form of paper, sound or video.
Display devices (i.e. computer screen or monitor)
cathode ray tube (CRT) - standard TV-like screens but vary w.r.t quality, size, clarity, etc...
liquid crystal display (LCD)
like on lap-top computers (passive or active matrix)
more expensive than CRT

I.

Monitor
Types of Monitor according to color
Monochrome display two colors, one for the background and one for the foreground.
Gray-scale monitor is a special type of monitor capable of displaying different shades of gray.
Colour monitors can display from 10 to over 1 million different colours.

Types of monitor according to signal

1. Analog monitors is the traditional type of colour display screen that has been used for years in
televisions
2. Digital monitors accepts digital signal
Properties of Monitor:
1. Screen sizes are measured in diagonal inches
length of diagonal of monitor
sometimes viewable length, sometimes tube length (tricky)
common values are 13", 14", 15", 17", 19", 20", 21"
Monitors that are 16 or more inches diagonally are called full-page monitor.
2. Resolution indicates how dense the pixels are packed.
number of columns and rows of pixels
common values are 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024.
Pixels are single point in a graphic image.
Each pixel in color monitor composed of three dots- red, blue, and green (RGB)
3. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time.
4. Refresh rates determines how many times per second the screen is to be refreshed.
5. Interlacing is a display technique that enables a monitor to provide more resolution inexpensively.
6. Dot pitch indicates the vertical distance between each pixel on a display screen.
size of a single dot on the screen
0.23mm, 0.24mm, 0.26mm, 0.28mm are common
smaller is more crisp/less blurry
7. Convergence refers to how sharply an individual colour pixel on a monitor appears.

II. Printer
A device that prints text or illustrations on paper and in many cases transparencies and other media
Types of printer:
1. dot-matrix / impact
older technology (not unlike typewriters) where array of dots make up characters
noisy but really cheap to maintain
Create characters by striking a inked ribbon.

2. Daisy wheel printer - A type of printer that produces letter quality type.
3. Inkjet printer - Work by spraying ionized ink at a sheet of paper.
ink is sprayed onto paper (very accuracte though)
not bad quality
cheap to maintain (ink is cheap)
color is easily formed by combining (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & blacK)
4. Laser printer - Uses a laser beam to produce an image on a drum
(black and white / color)
best quality - similar to photocopying technology
very quiet
most expensive
high maintennace costs (toner)
5. LCD or LED printer (liquid crystal display and light emitting diodes) Similar to laser printer but uses
liquid crystal or LED.
6. Thermal printer - Printers that produce images by pushing electrically heated pins against special heatsensitive paper.
7. Plotter - Device that draws pictures on paper based on commands from a computer. Used for drawing
blue prints, wiring diagrams etc....
8. Line printer - High-speed printers capable of printing entire line at one time.

III. Audio output devices:

Speakers
many varieties (differing quality, wattage etc...)
sometimes built-in to the monitor or computer case.
home PC's require a sound card
3D Headsets - used in virtual reality
3D audio- A technique for giving more depth to traditional stereo sound.
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