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Chapter 3 PDF
Chapter 3 PDF
Chapter 3
Output Devices
3.1 Monitors
CRT monitors
Advantage:
Wider angle of viewing than most LCD monitors
They allow the use of light pens
Least expensive monitors to buy
Disadvantages:
Heavyweight devices
Have large footprint
They consume more power than LCD monitors
They run very hot and can cause fires if left unattended
They can flicker, which can lead to headaches and eyestrain problems
They produce higher electromagnetic fields than LCD monitors
Uses:
They are only used in specialist areas, such as computer-aided design (CAD)
They are used with light pens to allow designs to be created on screen
LCD monitors
Advantages:
Lighter than CRT monitors
Have smaller footprint than CRT monitors
Less power consumption than CRT monitors
They run cooler than CRT monitors
Do not suffer from a flickering image, unlike CRT monitors
Produce lower electromagnetic fields than CRT monitors
Give sharper image than CRT monitors
Disadvantages:
More expensive to buy than CRT monitors
Narrower angle of viewing compared to CRT monitors
LCD monitors are often referred to as TFT monitors (TFT is a general term for modern thin screens)
Uses:
Used as the main output device for most modern computers
Many LCD screens offer touch-screen input
Mobile phones, tablets, laptops and portable video games all use LCD screens
LED monitors
Advantages of LED monitors over LCD monitors:
Thinner
Lighter devices
Less power consumption
They run cooler
They give sharper image
We can summarize the differences between the 3 monitors in the following diagram:
3.2 Printers
Laser printers
Definition:
Printers that use static electricity and toner to produce output.
Advantages:
High quality printing
- Higher quality printing of black and white output than inkjet printers
- Higher quality printing than dot matrix printers
Can print on both sides
They can handle very large print jobs
Faster printing speed than inkjet and dot matrix printers
Toner cartridge lasts for a long time
Have larger paper trays than inkjet printers
Disadvantages:
Higher initial cost than inkjet and dot matrix printers
Coloured laser printers tend have high running cost
Produce health hazards such as toner/ozone particles in the air
Have smaller paper trays than dot matrix printers
Inkjet printers
Definition:
Printers that use liquid ink to produce output.
Advantages:
High quality printing
- Higher quality printing of coloured output than laser
printers
- Higher quality printing than dot matrix printers
Lower initial cost than laser printer and dot matrix printers
Very lightweight and have a small footprint
health hazards such as toner/ozone particles in the air
Disadvantages:
Slower printing speed than laser printer
Cannot do large print jobs
High running cost as:
- Ink cartridges run out too quickly
- Ink is expensive to buy
Dot-matrix printers
Definition:
Printers that use matrix of pins and an inked ribbon to produce output.
Advantages:
Best printer to work in dusty/dirty environments
Carbon copies or multi-part outputs can be produced
Easy to use if continuous stationery is required
Very cheap to run and maintain (lower running cost than laser and
inkjet printers)
Disadvantages:
Very noisy
Higher initial cost than inkjet
Slower printing speed than laser and inkjet printers
Lower quality printing than laser and inkjet printers
The following table is a comparison between laser, inkjet and dot matrix printers:
Dot
Lowest Lowest High Lowest
matrix
3-D printers
Definition:
Output devices used to produce solid 3D objects.
Advantages:
Easier produce customized items than using traditional
ways as only 3D-printer is used
Faster to produce customized items than using traditional ways
Cost of manufacturing is less than costs involved in manufacturing using traditional ways
Parts for machinery that are no longer made could be manufactured using 3D printers
Medical benefits are emerging, such as producing artificial organs, prosthetics and
precision-made items for reconstructive surgery
Disadvantages:
3D-printers are expensive to buy (high initial cost)
Can be used to produce items t
3-D printing can be used to produce dangerous items (such as, weapons)
Potential job losses if technology takes over from some types of manufacturing
Laser printer They are used where low noise is required (for example, in an office)
If fast, high-quality, high-volume printing is required
Produce prototypes
Produce customized items, for example:
3D Printer - Produce prosthetic limbs to exactly fill the recipient
- Produce customized items for surgical equipment
- Making parts for items no longer in production
Disadvantages:
Very high initial cost
Very slow at printing
Have a very large footprint compared to a printer
Uses:
Producing architectural drawings
Producing engineering drawings
Drawing animation characters (cartoon characters)
Multimedia projector
Advantages:
Enables many people to see a presentation rather than crowding around
a small computer screen
Avoids the need for several networked computers
Disadvantages:
Expensive to buy
Difficult to set up
Uses:
Training presentations
Advertising presentations
Home cinema systems
Speakers
Advantages:
Sounds amplified through speakers can be much louder than the original
sound
It can create a good atmosphere when making a presentation
They can help visually impaired people through reading aloud text on the
screen
Very simple technology
Disadvantages:
Speaker output can be disturbing to others in an office environment
To get high-quality sound, the required speakers can be quite expensive
Speakers can have a large footprint
Uses:
Used in all phones and built in to most computers
Outputs sound from multimedia presentations
Helps visually impaired people through reading aloud text on the screen
Plays downloaded sound files
3.4 Actuators
Definition:
An actuator is a mechanical output device that produces movement
They can rotate, close, push and pull an object
Advantages:
They allow remote operation of many devices (for example, pumps in a nuclear reactor
where remote operation is a big safety factor)
They are relatively inexpensive devices
Disadvantages:
They are an additional device in the system that could go wrong
Because they are usually analogue devices, computer signals need to converted using a
DAC to enable computer control