3.

OUTPUT DEVICES
 These are devices that translate information processed by the computer into a form
that humans can understand.ie are the devices which enables user of computer to get
the result of the processed data.
 Display the information to the user.
 Example: Monitor, Printer, Speakers, Projector etc.
Categories of Output
1. Softcopy:-Is the data that is shown on a display screen or is in audio or voice e g:-Monitor,
Speakers etcSoft copy:

2. Hardcopy:- Is the printed output e g printer, plotters etc. A printed paper is a good example of
Hard copy output.
Hard copy: Printed on paper or other permanent media

Monitor
This is the display device for a personal computer. It display result in a form of text, graphs, images, video
etc.

Types of Monitor
There are two types of monitor:

1. Cathode Ray Tube monitor (CRT)

2. Flat Panel/LCD (Liquid crystal display) monitor.
CRT Monitors
Is Just like a television set. CRT monitors are heavy and use more electrical power than flat panel
displays, but they are preferred by some graphic artists for their accurate color rendition, and
preferred by some gamers for faster response to rapidly changing graphics

LCD Monitors
Flat-screen monitors are light in weight and .they take up very little desk space.
Have little energy consumption and have liquid that reduce the intensity of contacted rays. Monitor
screen size is measured diagonally across the screen, in inches.

Printer
This is the output device which produces the hardcopy (printed) output.
 Types of Printer

1. Dot matrix printers

2. Ink Jet Printer
3. Laser Printer

1. Dot Matrix Printers

Quality is poor, the printers are noisy

2. Ink Jet Printer

Its Cheap, high-quality, full-color printing. Also it is perfect for photographs. Ink-jet printers are very
quiet in use.

3. Laser Printer
Laser printers are very complex devices, and thus expensive to buy. However they are very cheap to
use. It is very fast in printing compared to other printers (just a few seconds per page).

Speakers
This is the output device which produces the output in a form of sound.
 Projector
Projector: This is the hardware device that enables an image to be projected onto a flat surface. These
devices are commonly used in meetings and presentations as they allow for a large image that
everyone in a room can see.

4. STORAGE DEVICES
Are devices used to saves data and programs.
Types of Storage Devices
 Temporary (Primary) storage devices
 Permanent (Secondary) Storage Devices

Temporary (Primary) storage devices

This memory is directly accessible to CPU. Data and instruction are stored temporarily for processing and
anything stored in will be lost when the power is turned off. They are inform of memory chips mounted on
motherboard.
Example: RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory)

i) RAM (Random Access Memory)

Random Access Memory is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and
data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer’s processor. When a computer
shuts down properly, all data located in Random Access Memory is returned back to permanent storage on
the hard drive or flash drive. At the next boot-up, RAM begins to fill with programs automatically loaded at
startup, a process called booting.
NB: RAM is called “random access” because any storage location can be accessed directly.

 RAM is a read/write memory i.e. the process of storing information in main memory is normally
referred to as writing while the process of getting instructions is normally referred to as reading.
 It is volatile memory. it retains information so long as power is on.
 RAM is a temporal storage memory.
 Increase in RAM capacity means better computer performance.

If RAM fills up, the processor needs to continually go to the hard disk to overlay old data in RAM with new,
slowing down the computer’s operation. Unlike the hard disk which can become completely full of data so
that it won’t accept any more. RAM never runs out of memory, but It keeps operating much more slowly
than you may want it to.
Most personal computers are designed to allow you to add additional RAM modules up to a certain limit.
Having more RAM in your computer reduces the number of times that the computer processor has to read
data in from your hard disk, an operation that takes much longer than reading data from RAM. (RAM access
time is in nanoseconds; hard disk access time is in milliseconds.)

RAM is divided into:

a) Dynamic (Random Access Memory (DRAM): It uses a combination of capacitors and transistors to
store data in form of charge. The capacitor loses charge after some time meaning it loses data. It therefore
needs refreshing.
It is cheaper and small in size thus and is used as system memory.
b) Static (Random Access Memory (SRAM): It uses transistors and flip flop to store data (Once a flip-
flop stores a bit, it keeps that value until the opposite value is stored in it). It does not need refreshing to
maintain data.
It is faster but costly and is used as cache memory in CPU.

ii) ROM (Read Only Memory)

 ROM is read memory i.e. the information can only be read from. Computer reads these instructions
and cannot save any information in this type of memory.
 It is non-volatile i.e. data cannot be erased when power supply is switched off.
 ROM is “built-in” computer memory.
 ROM contains the programming that allows your computer to be “booted up” or regenerated each
time you turn it on. The ROM is sustained by a small long-life battery in your computer.
 There are various types: PROM, EPROM, EEPROM ETC.

a) Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM)

It is a memory chip on which data can be written only once. Once a program has been written onto a
PROM, it remains there forever. The difference between a PROM and a ROM (read-only memory) is
that a PROM is manufactured as blank memory, whereas a ROM is programmed during the
manufacturing process. To write data onto a PROM chip, you need a special device called a PROM
programmer or PROM burner. The process of programming a PROM is sometimes called burning the
PROM. Example of PROM include CD-R & DVD -R

b) Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM)

This is a special type of PROM that can be erased by exposing it to ultraviolet light. Once it is erased, it
can be reprogrammed. An EEPROM is similar to a PROM, but requires only electricity to be erased by
exposure to Ultra-violet light. {CD-RW & DVD-RW}
 b) Permanent/Ssecondary Storage devices
 Is used to hold data and programs permanently regardless whether power supply to computer is
on/off, it holds/store information permanently for future use.
 A computer commonly has two types of storage: Internal and External storage devices.
i. An Internal Storage e.g. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
ii. An external / Removable Storage e.g. Floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD,
Flash disk etc.
 Secondary storage is used for long term (permanent) storage of data and programs. The use of
secondary storage devices such as magnetic disks and optical disks greatly enlarge the storage
capacities of computer systems. Before the contents of secondary storage can be processed, they
must be brought into the primary (main) storage unit.
 Secondary memory is where programs and data are kept on a long-term basis. Examples of
secondary memory are HDD,CD‘s, Flash disk.
 When you save your work does not go into ROM. Go to other storage devices like HDD.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

 Hard disk Drive (HDD): This stores all programs and files, as well as the operating system. In
general, all data, information you have save in your computer are stored in HDD.
 The capacity of the HDD is a measure of how much information it can store. There are HDD
which have 10GB, 20GB, and 30GB ,200 GB, 320GB, 500GB,1000GB etc.

Floppy Disk Drive (FDD)

 Floppy disk drive (FDD): This magnetically reads and writes information onto floppy diskettes,
which are in form of removable storage media.
 The capacity of the floppy diskette is that it only holds 1.44 MB of information, although most PCs
still have a floppy drive.
 Optical Disks
 Optical disk: Is a removable disk on which data is written and read through the use of laser beam
 Most of optical disk are used in music industry. Examples of optical disks are;
1. CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable).
2. CD-RW (Compact Disk Rewritable).
3. DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk).

CD-ROM drive
A CD-ROM drive: Is a secondary storage device that reads information stored on a compact disc. The
CD-ROM is an optical media that can hold about 700MB.

There are two types of CDs (Compact disk).

CD-R (Compact Disc - Recordable): There is no possibility of rewriting data

.
CD-RW (Compact Disk - Rewritable): There is possibility of rewriting data.
 DVD ROM
DVD ROM: The DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) looks like a CD, but the storage capacity is significantly
higher than CDs. DVDs can hold about 4.7GB of data up to 18 GB of data.

Flash Drive
Flash Drive. A USB Flash Drive is a portable solid state memory device that plugs into a USB port on
your computer. They have many other names (such as key drive, pocket drive, thumb drive, pen drive).

Solid State Drive {SSD}

SSD can be thought of as an over sized and more sophisticated version of the humble USB memory stick.
Like a memory stick, there are no moving parts to an SSD. Rather, information is stored in microchips.

An SSD does not have a mechanical arm to read and write data (like a HDD), it instead relies on an
embedded processor (or “brain”) called a controller to perform alot of operations related to reading and
writing data. Thus the controller ensure speed in data retrival from an SSD.

Standard unit of measuring computer storage capacity

This includes the unit of measuring Computer Storage Capacity and size of file or folder.
 Bit: Is a smallest unit of measuring computer storage capacity and size of information. The
computer stores information as a string of zeros
and ones (1)
 Byte: A byte consists of eight bits. A byte is equals to one character .A character is a letter,
number, or symbol - it is about anything that be typed on a keyboard.

Kilobyte (KB): A kilobyte (KB) consists of 1024 bytes, approx 1,000 bytes.
 1KB is about 140 words
Megabyte (MB): A megabyte (MB) consists of 1024 kilobytes.
One megabyte equals about 1000 KB
One megabyte equals about 1,000,000 bytes
One megabyte equals about 500 pages of text, or one large book
 Gigabyte (GB): A gigabyte (GB) consists of 1024 megabytes approx 1,000,000,000 bytes. 112
One gigabyte equals about 1000 MB
One gigabyte equals about 1,000,000 KB
One gigabyte equals about 1,000,000,000 bytes
One gigabyte equals over 1,000 books of text
Storage Capacity Measurement
i 1 Byte = 8Bits
ii 1 Character = 1Byte
iii 1 Kilobyte (KB) = 1024 Bytes
iv 1Kilobyte = 1024 Character
v 1Megabytes (MB) = 1024KB
vi 1Gigabytes (GB) = 1024MB
vii 1Terabytes (TB) = 1024GB
viii 1Petabytes (PB) = 1024 Terabytes

5. Communication Devices
Communication devices used for the purpose of linking/connecting computers together. It includes
Network cards, fiber optic cable, coaxial cable, twisted pair, modem, satellites, switch etc.

Modem
Network card
ix

Computer Case/System Case

 A computer case (also known as a computer chassis, cabinet, box, and tower, enclosure, housing
or simply CPU case) is the enclosure that contains the main components of a computer. OR
 IS a metal or plastic box that protect the important components against dust and damage
 A computer case is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a CPU .
Models of Computer Cases
1. The desktop model
Sits on a desk horizontally. The monitor can be set on top.

2. Tower case Model The tower model stands upright in a vertical position that allows easy placement on
the floor. Mini-tower, mid-tower, and full tower cases are available.
Components inside the Computer
Motherboard

 Motherboard is the largest printed circuit board which is used to connect all of the computer's
essential components. Motherboard also known as system board, main board or logic board

 Components of the Motherboard

 The CPU

 The RAM

 Memory sockets

 The expansion slots for additional boards

 The ports for external devices

 The Read Only memory (ROM)

 Adapter cards (Network, modem, Video and Sound Cards

MOTHERBOARD/SYSTEM BOARD
adapter
processor chip
cards

memory
chip

memory slots
Expansion
slots for motherboard
adapter
cards