Output devices allow computers to communicate information to users or other systems in various forms, including visual, audio, and tactile experiences. Examples include monitors, printers, speakers, and Braille displays. Some output devices can also function as input devices, such as CD-RW drives.
Output devices are computer hardware components that allow a computer system to communicate information to a user or to another system. This information can be in any form and includes sounds, images and even tactile experiences. Output devices can usually only be used to send data from the computer; items called input devices allow users and other systems to send data to the computer.
Some of the more common output devices allow computers to present information visually. The display unit called a monitor which can be found plugged into almost every personal computer is the best example of this. Text, pictures, and other images are displayed on the monitor, allowing users to interact with computer programs and receive data. Video projectors are another type of output device. They work similar to monitors, but display images over a much larger area. Computer printers are another type of output device that can be easily found. Printers allow the computer to produce paper documents, pictures and images through the use of inks and other dyes.
Audio output devices are also common. Computer speakers are the primary source of this form of output. They allow your computer to make sounds that include music, audio tracks from digitized television programs, and even the voices of other users. Headphones also do the same thing, but are placed closer to the ears so that sounds cannot be heard by others.
Computers can even communicate with users through the sense of touch. Refreshable Braille displays, or Braille terminals, allow computers to send information via raised dots that are “read” with the fingertips. Force feedback devices, or haptic devices, are sometimes built into joysticks and mice so users can feel vibration and pressure. Touch output devices are less common than many other types, but can still be extremely important to users.
Rarely, output devices can also be input devices. A storage device like a CD-RW drive is an excellent example of this. Your computer uses it as an output device when it writes information to a CD-ROM or other media that can be read by other computers. However, the computer uses it as an input device when reading information from a CD-ROM or other storage medium to which data is written by another system.
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