1. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
OUTPUT DEVICES

2. What is an output device
Hardware that allows the user to see processed data or information. Examples are monitors or visual display unit, printers, speakers, fax machines and modems.

3. Can you guess which of these devices are output devices?

4. Types of output There are two types of output: Softcopy and Hardcopy
Softcopy output
Hardcopy output

5. What is the difference between softcopy and hardcopy.
Softcopy output is also called temporary output. It refers to information displayed on a screen or in audio or voice form through speakers.
Hardcopy output is also called permanent output. It refers to output printed on paper.

6. Hardware for softcopy output

7. Hardware for hardcopy

8. Softcopy output - Monitors
This type of monitor is called the Cathode Ray Tube or CRT. This is the traditional type of monitors for television and computer screens.

9. Monitors – Cathode Ray Tube
Large, heavy and bulky
Cheaper than flat panel screens
Are being replaced by flat panel screens
Colour accuracy and brightness – excellent

10. Softcopy output - Monitors
This monitor is called the Flat Panel Display screen. Flat screens are mostly used on portable computers like laptops but now it is used for televisions and desktop computers as well.

11. Monitors – Flat Screen Panel
Technologies used:
LCD – Liquid Crystal Display
TFT – Thin Film Transistor
OLED - Organic Light - Emitting Diodes
Light in weight
Less bulky – occupies much less space
Very good picture quality

12. Softcopy output – LCD Projectors
Used for presentations –
when a large viewing area is needed
Image is projected on a screen, wall or large surface.

13. Softcopy output - Speakers
Normal music systems speakers are used to output sound. The quality of the sound depends on the type of system used, the size of the speakers and the computer’s audio card.

14. Hardcopy output One hardware used for hardcopy output is a printer.
Printers are divided into two groups:
A) Impact printers
B) Non-impact printers

15. What is an impact printer?
Impact printers strike through a carbon or inked ribbon, like a typewriter.
They are noisy and do not usually print acceptable graphics.
However, they are useful for printing multiple copies using carbon paper
Print mechanism is cheap, and ribbons are long lasting

16. Examples of impact printers are
Daisy wheel printer

17. Dot matrix printer This video shows a dot matrix printer in operation.

18. Line printer

19. What is a non-impact printer?
These printers do not normally strike the paper.
Instead ink spray or toner powder is used which can be costly.
The characters or letters are fixed onto the paper by heating for example.
Because printing is simple and has no moving parts, it prints silently and quickly.

20. Examples of non-impact printers are:
Ink jet printer
This video explains how an inkjet printer produces output.

21. This video explains how a laser printer produces output.

22. This video shows briefly how a plotter works
Plotters
Draws on paper using a pen
Used to print large architectural drawings
This video shows briefly how a plotter works

23. Modems Another output device is a modem.
A modem enables a computer to send data to and receive data from another computer over a telephone line.

24. Summary of output devices
Explain the difference between impact printers and non-impact printers.
Give an example of how a dot matrix printer can be useful today.
Give two examples of softcopy devices and two examples of hardcopy devices.
Which output device would you used to print a car design or house plan?
Which output device is used to show students a PowerPoint presentation?