Output Device

Output Devices

          The output devices are the hardwares which accept result from the primary memory and supply it to the users or store it to secondary storage device for future use. They are mainly used for the output of the processed information.

          There are two types of output devices:

       i.            Soft Copy Output Devices

    ii.            Hard Copy Output Devices

Soft Copy Output Devices:

          These types of devices produce temporary output, the output that can only be seen but cannot be touched or felt. The commonly used softcopy output devices are CRT (Cathode ray Tube) monitor and Flat Panel Display.

Monitors

          The monitor is one of the most common output devices. It displays character and graphics.

1.    CRT Monitors

CRT Monitor is named so, because it uses large vacuum tube called Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). It looks like a common Television screen.

The CRT monitors are relatively bigger in size than other monitors but it is cheaper.

2.    LCD monitors

It is a type of flat-panel monitor. LCD monitors use a special kind of Liquid Crystal for Display. LCD monitors are comparatively light weight and portable monitors but they are expensive.

Hard Copy Output Devices:

          These types of output devices produce permanent output in printed or plotted form. The output can be touched or felt.

          The most commonly used hard copy output devices are printers and plotters.

Printer

          The printer is on of the most common output devices. It provides data, programs, texts and other results in a permanent readable form i.e. sheet of paper. The output produced from a printer is also known as hard copy output.

          Depending on their speed and approach of printing, printers can be classified as character printers, line printers and page printers. But commonly printers are classified into two types Impact and Non-Impact.

1.    Impact Printers

Impact printers include all printers that printers that work by striking on ink ribbon, for example, daisy-wheel, dot-matrix, and line printers. They are nosier than Non-Impact printers. Impact printers use typewriter approach of printing where letters are printed on papers through hitting of keys against paper and inked ribbon.

2.    Non-Impact Printers

Non-Impact printers include laser printers, ink jet printers and thermal printers. They are quite printers because they don't strike on the paper to form characters.