Definition Definition

What Is Output Device? Types of Output Devices with Practical Example

What is Output Device?

Output Device is the hardware that displays the computer’s requests or processed data. The most commonly used are the display screen and the printer; others include disks, magnetic tapes, graphic plotters, and even the spoken word.

Understanding Output Device

An output device is actually a part of device or computer components that gets data from a computing device and then converts the obtained information into a set that the reader can follow. Print, graphics, sound, and documents are the most frequently identified mediums (printed on paper).

Types of Output Device

The majority of computerized work is done with certain interfaces. The outcome (retrieved data) is called the output from the operating system during the procedure, while the instruments or tools utilized to collect the output are termed the output devices.

The main 4 components of output devices are -

  1. Visual, 
  2. Data, 
  3. Print, and 
  4. Sound. 

Varities of Output Devices

Multiple output devices are linked to the desktop depending on the type of computer and the specifications. The following are the most popular output devices:

  • 3D Printer
  • Headphones
  • Braille reader
  • Braille embosser
  • Flat-panel
  • GPS
  • Printer 
  • Monitor
  • Plotter
  • Speakers
  • Projector
  • Sound card
  • Video card
  • SGD (Speech-generating device)
  • TV
  • COM (Computer Output Microfilm)

Practical Example

Shelly is a high school student who decided to buy a computer for various purposes. She needs a monitor, keyboard, mouse, soundbox and other necessary output devices. When she asked her mother about this she said, Without an output device, the system can still work. 

Shelly responded that there is no way to tell what the software is doing without an output device. There is no indication of mistakes or the requirement for more information. The system will still work if I disconnect my monitor from it, but it will be less useful, she added. After this conversation, her mother understood why output devices are very much needed. 

In Sentences

  • Any piece of computer hardware that translates data into an understandable form or, traditionally, into an external machine-readable version to be used with other non-computerized devices is referred to as an output device.

 

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