Output Devices

An output device is any peripheral that receives data from a computer, usually for display, projection, or physical reproduction. For example, the image shows an inkjet printer, an output device that can make a hard copy of anything shown on the monitor. Monitors and printers are two of the most commonly used output devices used with a computer.

Types of output devices

The following list contains many different examples of output devices. For further information about the output device, select any of the listings with blue text.

·         3D Printer

·         Braille embosser

·         Braille reader

·         COM (Computer Output Microfilm)

·         Flat-panel

·         GPS

·         Headphones

·         Monitor

·         Plotter

·         Printer (dot matrix printer, inkjet printer, and laser printer)

·         Projector

·         Sound card

·         Speakers

·         SGD (Speech-generating device)

·         TV

·         Video card

What are the output devices of my computer

Every computer has a monitor, an audio adapter, and a GPU (either onboard or discrete). Each of these is an output device. A printer is also very commonly used with computers. Depending on the type of computer and how the computer is used, other output devices may be used with a computer. The best method of determining all of the output devices your computer has is to go through the list above.

Why do computers need output devices?

A computer can still work without an output device. However, you'd have no way of determining what the computer is doing. By using an output device, you can view and get the results of input from a computer.

How does an output device work?

An output device works by receiving a signal from the computer and using that signal to perform a task to display the output. For example, below is a basic list of steps of how an output device works.

1.      On a computer keyboard (input device), if you type "H", it sends (inputs) a signal to the computer.

2.      The computer processes the input and once completed, sends a signal to a monitor (output device).

3.      The monitor receives the signal and displays (outputs) the "H" to the screen.

4.      If supported, that "H" could also be printed (outputed) to a printer, which is another example of an output device.

If no output device was connected to the computer and it was functional, you could still type "H" on the keyboard, and it would still be processed. However, you'd be unable to see what happened or confirm the input with no output device.

What is the difference between an input and output device?

An input device sends information to a computer system for processing, and an output device reproduces or displays the results of that processing. Input devices only allow for input of data to a computer and output devices only receive the output of data from another device.

Most devices are only input devices or output devices, as they can only accept data input from a user or output data generated by a computer. However, some devices can accept input and display output, and they are referred to as I/O devices (input/output devices).

For example, as you can see in the top half of the image, a keyboard sends electrical signals, which are received by the computer as input. Those signals are then interpreted by the computer and displayed, or output, on the monitor as text or images. In the lower half of the image, the computer sends, or outputs, data to a printer, which will print the data onto a piece of paper, also considered output.

Input devices

An input device can send data to another device, but it cannot receive data from another device. Examples of input devices include the following.

·         Keyboard and Mouse - Accepts input from a user and sends that data (input) to the computer. They cannot accept or reproduce information (output) from the computer.

·         Microphone - Receives sound generated by an input source, and sends that sound to a computer.

·         Webcam - Receives images generated by whatever it is pointed at (input) and sends those images to a computer.

Output devices

An output device can receive data from another device and generate output with that data, but it cannot send data to another device. Examples of output devices include the following.

·         Monitor - Receives data from a computer (output) and displays that information as text and images for users to view. It cannot accept data from a user and send that data to another device.

·         Projector - Receives data from a computer (output) and displays, or projects, that information as text and images onto a surface, like a wall or a screen. It cannot accept data from a user and send that data to another device.

·         Speakers - Receives sound data from a computer and plays the sounds for users to hear. It cannot accept sound generated by users and send that sound to another device.

Input/output devices

An input/output device can receive data from users, or another device (input), and send data to another device (output). Examples of input/output devices include the following.

• CD-RW drive and DVD-RW drive - Receives data from a computer (input), to copy onto a writable CD or DVD. Also, the drive sends data contained on a CD or DVD (output) to a computer.
• USB flash drive - Receives, or saves, data from a computer (input). Also, the drive sends data to a computer or another device (output).