3.4 Input and Output Terms

A device, usually external to a computer, that is plugged into a computer's communication port or is connected wirelessly.

• Peripheral

• Scanner

• FireWire

• Touch screen

A display device that allows a user to interact with a computer by touching, tapping, and swiping areas on the screen.

• Touch screen

• Infrared

• Camera lens

• Camera shutter

A printer that sprays small dots of ink from an ink reservoir onto a sheet of paper.

• Inkjet printer

• Laser printer

• Scanner

• Bluetooth

A printer that uses electrical charges and heat to fuse tiny plastic particles (called toner) to the paper.

• Laser printer

• Inkjet printer

• Infrared

• Bluetooth

A device that scans paper documents and converts them into digital files.

• Scanner

• Universal Serial Bus (USB)

• Touch screen

• Camera lens

A common interface used to connect peripherals, such as mice, keyboards, printers, and digital cameras to a computer.

• Universal Serial Bus (USB)

• Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector

• Inkjet printer

• Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) connector

An interface used to connect peripherals such as digital cameras and external hard drives to a computer

• FireWire

• Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector

• Bluetooth

• Photosensitive material

A connector, identified by its blue color and three rows of pins, that is used to connect older monitors to a computer.

• Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector

• Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector

• Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) connector

• Touch screen

A connector, typically white with three rows of eight pins, designed to connect digital monitors to a computer.

• Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector

• High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector

• Thunderbolt

• Camera lens

A connector now available on a wide variety of devices such as computers, monitors, TVs, Blu-Ray players, and more.

• High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector

• Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector

• Photosensitive material

• Universal Serial Bus (USB)