Page 65 - DCAP101_BASIC_COMPUTER_SKILLS

Basic Computer Skills

Notes 2. Printers 5. Voice response system

3. plotters
These types of output devices along with their applications are described in next page.
Output devices generate computer output that can be broadly classified into following two
types:
l. Soft-copy output. A soft-copy output is not produced on a paper or some material that
can be touched and carried for being shown to others. They are temporary in nature.
For example, content displayed on a terminal screen, or words spoken out by a voice
response system are S011-copy output.
2. Hard-copy output. A hard-copy output is produced on a paper or some material that
can be touched and carried for being shown to others. They are permanent in nature
and can be kept in paper files or can be looked later when the person is not using a
computer. For example. output produced on paper by printers or plotters are hard-
copy output.

4.2.2.1 Monitors
Monitors are the most popular output devices used today for producing soft-copy output.
They display the generated output on a television like screen. A monitor is associated
usually with a keyboard and together they form a video display terminal (VDT). A VDT (often
referred to as just terminal) is the most popular input/output (I/O) device used with today’s
computers. It serves as both an input and output device. The keyboard is used for input to
a computer and the monitor is used to display the output from the computer. The name
“terminal” comes from the fact that a terminal is at the terminus or end of a communication
path.
Two basic types of monitors used today are cathode-ray-tube (CRT) and LCD (Liquid Crystal
Display) flat-panel. CRT monitors work much like a television screen and are used with non-
.
portable computer systems. On the other hand, LCD flat-panel monitors are thinner, lighter.
and are used commonly with portable computer systems like notebook computers. With
gradual reduction in price of LCD flat panel monitors, they are used increasingly with non-
portable desktop computer systems also. They are also preferred because they occupy less
table space.

Figure 4.14: A Video Display Terminal Consists of a Monitor and a Keyboard

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