Display Devices Essay

528 Words3 Pages
Display devices are peripheral equipment that contain a television like viewing screen. Most display devices fall into one of two categories: monitors and display terminals. A monitor is an output device that consists of only the viewing screen. A display terminal is typically an input/output “communications workstation” that includes the screen (for output) and an attached keyboard (for input). In practice, one commonly finds monitors plugged into and sitting on top of the system units of microcomputers. The keyboard is usually a separate input device that also connects to the system unit. Although the monitor is strictly an output device, the user can also see keyboard input on the display because the computer routes it to the monitor as output. Display terminals, on the other hand, are generally hooked up to either mainframes, minicomputers, or supercomputers in communications networks. After all, communication is the primary function of these display devices. The keyboard unit is cabled directly to the display unit, which in turn is hooked up to the computer. Display devices are handy when the user requires only small amounts of output and has to see what is being sent as input to the computer system. A student writing a program for a class, an airline clerk making inquiries to a flight information database, a stockbroker analyzing a security, and a bank teller checking the status of a customer account would each employ a display device. However, the display is useful only up to a point. If, for example, the student writing the program wanted to take a copy of it home he or she would have to direct the output to a printer. Many features differentiate the hundreds of display devices currently on the market. A discussion of some of the more noteworthy features follows Text versus Graphics : Many of the display devices sold today are capable of providing

More about Display Devices Essay

Open Document