9/29/2008

Computer Concepts
Lecture – 3 Seeing, Hearing, and Printing Data

Monday, September 29, 2008

Course Instructor :
Abdul Khaliq
Abdul Khaliq
BE [CE], MS[CS] 
National University – FAST
Email : akhaliq12@gmail.com

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Monitors
• Most common output device
• Connects to the video card
• Categorized by color output
▫ Monochrome
x One color with black background
▫ Grayscale
x Varying degrees of gray
▫ Color
x Display 4 to 16 million colors

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Monitors
• Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
▫ A standard monitor screen
is a CRT (cathode ray tube).

▫ The screen is coated on the

inside surface with dots of
chemicals called phosphors.

▫ When
Wh a beamb off electrons
l t
hits a dot, the dot will
glow.

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Monitors
• CRT color
▫ On a color monitor these phosphor dots are in groups of
three: Red, Green, and Blue.

▫ This RGB system can create all the other colors by combining
what dots are aglow.

▫ There are 3 signals that control the 3 electron beams in the

monitor, one for each RGB color.

▫ Each beam only touches the dots that the signal tells it to
light.
light

▫ All the glowing dots together make the picture that you see.
The human eye blends the dots to "see" all the different
colors.

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Monitors
• CRT drawbacks
▫ Veryy large
g
▫ Very heavy
▫ Use a lot of electricity

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Monitors
• Liquid Crystal Display
(LCD)
( )
▫ Commonly found on
laptops
▫ Desktop versions exist
▫ Solve the problems of
CRT
g
▫ Fluorescent lights
provide illumination

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Monitors
• Passive matrix LCD
▫ Pi l arranged
Pixels d iin a grid
id
▫ Pixels are activated indirectly
x Row and column are activated
▫ Animation can be blurry

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Monitors
• Active matrix LCD
▫E h pixel
Each i l iis activated
i d di l
directly
▫ Pixels have 4 transistors
x One each for red, green, blue
x One for opaqueness
▫ Transistors arranged in a thin film
▫ Animation is crisp and clean

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Monitors
• Drawbacks to LCD
▫ More expensive than CRT
▫ Must sit directly in front of screen
▫ Can be more fragile than CRT

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Monitors
• Paper-white displays
▫ High contrast between fore and background
• Electro-luminescent displays (ELD)
▫ Similar to LCD
▫ Uses phosphor to produce light
• Plasma monitor
▫ Gas is excited to produce light

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Monitors & Video Cards

• Monitors impacts user effectiveness
• Monitors should have
▫ Crisp text
▫ Clear graphics
▫ Adjustable controls
▫ Clear edges

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Monitors & Video Cards

• Size of monitor
▫ Measured in inches
▫ Measured diagonally
▫ Actual size
x Distance from corner to corner
▫ Viewable size
x Useable portion of the screen

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Monitors & Video Cards

• Resolution
▫ Number of pixels on the
screen
▫ Higher number creates
sharper images
▫ Higher number creates
smaller images

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Monitors & Video Cards

• Dot pitch
p
▫ Distance between the same
color dots
▫ Ranges between .15 mm and
.40 mm
▫ Smaller creates a finer
picture
▫ Should be less than .22

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Video Cards
• Device between the CPU and monitor
• B
Better d result
cards l iin b
better output
• Removes burden of drawing from CPU
• Have their own processor and RAM
• Modern cards have up to 512 MB RAM
• Capable of rendering 3D images

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Ergonomics and Monitors

• Eyestrain
▫F i
Fatigue off the
h eyes
▫ Steps to avoid
x Choose a good monitor
x Place the monitor 2 – 3 feet
away
y level
x Center of screen below eye
x Avoid reflected light

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Ergonomics and Monitors

• Electronic magnetic fields
(EMF)
▫ Generated by all electronic
devices
▫ EMF may be detrimental to
health
▫ Steps to avoid
x Keep the computer at arms
length
x Take frequent breaks
x Use an LCD monitor

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Data Projectors
• Replaced overhead and slide projectors
• Project image onto wall or screen
• LCD projectors
▫ Most common type of projector
▫ Small LCD screen
▫ Very bright light
▫ Require a darkened room

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Data Projectors
• Digital Light Projectors
i off mirrors
▫ A series i controll the
h di l
display
▫ May be used in a lighted room

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Sound Systems
• Integral part of the computer experience
C bl off recording
• Capable di andd playback
l b k

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Sound Systems
• Sound card
▫ Device between the CPU and
speakers
▫ Converts digital sounds to
analog
▫ Can be connected to several
devices
▫ Modern
M d cards
d supportt D
Dolby
lb
Surround Sound

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Sound Systems
• Headphones and headsets
▫ Replacement
p for speakers
p and
microphones
▫ Offer privacy
▫ Does not annoy other people
▫ Outside noise is not a factor
▫ Headsets have speakers and a
microphone
i h

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Commonly Used Printers

• Impact printers
▫ Generate output
p byy striking
g the p
paper
p
▫ Uses an inked ribbon
• Non-impact printers
▫ Use methods other than force
▫ Tend to be quiet and fast

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Commonly Used Printers

• Dot matrix printers
▫ Impact
p printer
p
▫ Used to print to multi-sheet
pages
▫ Print head strikes inked ribbon
▫ Line printers
▫ Band printers
▫ Speed measured in characters per second

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Dot Matrix Print Head

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Commonly Used Printers

• Ink-jet printers
▫ Non impact printer
Non-impact
▫ Inexpensive home printer
▫ Color output common using CMYK
x Cyan, magenta, yellow, black
▫ Sprays ink onto paper
▫ Speed measured
easu ed in pages per
pe minute
ute
▫ Quality expressed as dots per inch

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Dots Per Inch

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Commonly Used Printers

• Laser printer
▫ Non-impact
Non impact printer
▫ Produces high quality documents
▫ Color or black and white
▫ Print process
x Laser draws text on page
x Toner sticks to text
x Toner melted to page
▫ Speed measured in pages per minute
▫ Quality expressed as dots per inch

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Comparing Printers
• Determine what you need
• D
Determinei what
h you can spend
d
• Initial cost
• Cost of operating
• Image quality
• Speed

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Commonly Used Printers

• All-in-one peripherals
▫ Scanner copier printer and fax
Scanner, copier,
▫ Popular in home offices
▫ Prices are very reasonable

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High-Quality Printers
• Special purpose printers
▫ Used by a print shop
▫ Output is professional grade
▫ Prints to a variety of surfaces

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High-Quality Printers
• Photo printers
▫ Produces film quality pictures
▫ Prints very slow
▫ Prints a variety of sizes

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High-Quality Printers
• Thermal wax printers
P d
▫ Produces b ld color
bold l output
▫ Color generated by melting
wax
▫ Colors do not bleed
▫ Operation costs are low
▫ Output is slow

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High-Quality Printers

• Dye sublimation printers

▫ Produces realistic output
▫ Very high quality
▫ Color is produced by
evaporating ink
▫ Operation costs are high
▫ Output is very slow

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High-Quality Printers

• Plotters
▫ Large high quality blueprints
▫ Older models draw with pens
▫ Operational costs are low
▫ Output is very slow

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