1.

Laser Printer :
Laser Printer is a type of Non-Impact Printer which prints
characters or images without striking paper. It is Introduced by
Digital Equipment Corporation in1970. It provides a high speed
and high quality printing than Dot Matrix printer.
2. Dot Matrix Printer :
Dot Matrix Printer is a type of Impact Printer which prints
characters or images by striking print hammer or wheel against
an inked ribbon. It is invented by Gary Starkweather in 1969. It
provides a slow speed and low quality printing than Laser
printer.

Difference between Dot matrix printer and Laser printer :

S.No. DOT MATRIX PRINTER LASER PRINTER

Laser printer is
Dot matrix printer is Introduced
Introduced by Digital
01. by Digital Equipment
Equipment Corporation
Corporation in1970.
in1970.

Dot Matrix Printer is a type of It is a type of Non-

Impact Printer which prints Impact Printer which
02. characters or images by striking prints characters or
print hammer or wheel against images without striking
an inked ribbon. paper.
 Printing speed of Dot matrix
03. printer is slower than that of
Laser Printer.
Printing quality of Dot matrix
04. printer is lower than that of
Laser Printer.
Normally it uses continuous
05.
paper sheet for printing process.
It works having pins pushed
06. against an ink soaked ribbon to
paper for printing.
It includes Serial Dot Matrix
07.
printers and Line Dot Matrix.
Little noise is generated during
08.
printing process.
Printing speed of Laser
printer faster than that
of Dot Matrix Printer.
Printing quality of Laser
printer is higher than
that of Dot Matrix
Printer.
Normally it uses
individual paper sheet
for printing process.
It uses fine ink powder
and heat the powder on
the paper for printing.
It includes Black and
White or color printers.
No noise is generated
during printing process.
 Inked ribbon is used for Cartridge is used for
09.
printing process. printing process.

Provides a printing speed of 30-
10.
550 characters per second.
Provides a printing
speed of 20 pages per
minute.

11. It is less expensive. It is more expensive.

Optical Mark Reader (OMR) is the technology of

electronically extracting data from marked fields such as
checkboxes or bubbles from pre-printed forms. OMR
technology scans a printed form and reads from predefined
positions. It records the data where marks are made on the form.
This is widely used for processing the large number of hand-
filled forms which have to be processed quickly and with great
accuracy.
Optical Character Reader (OCR) is used to convert different
types of documents such as scanned paper documents, PDF files
or images captured by a digital camera into machine-encoded
text. It is widely used as a form of data entry from printed paper
data records into electronic editable text which can be easily
searched, stored etc.
Below is a table of differentiation between Optical Mark Reader
(OMR) and Optical Character Reader (OCR):

S.
OMR OCR
No.

It stands for Optical

It stands for Optical Mark
Character Reader or
1. Reader or Optical Mark
Optical Character
Recognition.
Recognition.

It is used in scanning and

It is used to process data
2. converting different types
from printed forms.
of documents.
 It is hard to implement as
3. It is easy to implement.
compared to OMR.

It provides more accuracy

4. Its accuracy level is good.
as compared to OCR.

Storing documents is not It allows storing

5.
possible. documents.

It was first used in 1914 to

It was first used in 1857 in
6. help blind people in
telegraphs.
reading.

Its application is in Its application is in google

7. surveys, answer sheets, books, bank statements,
questionnaires and ballots. business documents etc.

It does not require timing

8. It required timing tracks.
tracks.

It is useful in grading, The visually impaired

calculating marks, etc. It is people find it useful. The
9.
the rapid method of data text to speech can be used
entry. by them.
 It does not require an
An advanced recognition
advanced level recognition
10. engine is needed for OCR
engine when compared to
compared to OMR.
OCR.

An input/output device, often known as an IO device, is any

hardware that allows a human operator or other systems to
interface with a computer. Input/output devices, as the name
implies, are capable of delivering data (output) to and receiving
data from a computer (input). An input/output (I/O) device is a
piece of hardware that can take, output, or process data. It
receives data as input and provides it to a computer, as well as
sends computer data to storage media as a storage output.
Input Devices
Input devices are the devices that are used to send signals to the
computer for performing tasks. The receiver at the end is the
CPU (Central Processing Unit), which has work to send signals
to the output devices. Some of the classifications of Input
devices are:
• Keyboard Devices
• Pointing Devices
• Composite Devices
• Game Controller
• Visual Devices
• Audio Input Devices
Some of the input devices are described below.
Keyboard
The keyboard is the most frequent and widely used input device
for entering data into a computer. Although there are some
additional keys for performing other operations, the keyboard
layout is similar to that of a typical typewriter.
Generally, keyboards come in two sizes: 84 keys or 101/102
keys but currently keyboards with 104 keys or 108 keys are also
available for Windows and the Internet.

Keyboard
Types of Keys
• Numeric Keys: It is used to enter numeric data or move
the cursor. It usually consists of a set of 17 keys.
• Typing Keys: The letter keys (A-Z) and number keys (09)
are among these keys.
• Control Keys: These keys control the pointer and the
screen. There are four directional arrow keys on it. Home,
 End, Insert, Alternate(Alt), Delete, Control(Ctrl), etc., and
Escape are all control keys (Esc).
• Special Keys: Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, NumLk, Tab, etc.,
and Print Screen are among the special function keys on the
keyboard.
• Function Keys: The 12 keys from F1 to F12 are on the
topmost row of the keyboard.
Mouse
The most common pointing device is the mouse. The mouse is
used to move a little cursor across the screen while clicking and
dragging. The cursor will stop if you let go of the mouse. The
computer is dependent on you to move the mouse; it won’t
move by itself. As a result, it’s an input device.
A mouse is an input device that lets you move the mouse on a
flat surface to control the coordinates and movement of the on-
screen cursor/pointer.
The left mouse button can be used to select or move items, while
the right mouse button when clicked displays extra menus.
Mouse
2. Compare Input & Output Devices.
Answer:

Input Device Output Device

Data is accepted by the user of the It shows the data after

device processing to the user

It accepts the user’s data and

It receives the data
transmits it to the processor for
from the processor and
saving in the secondary memory or
returns it to the user
processing.

More complex designing Less complex designing

These devices are used

These devices are used to accept the
to display or show the
data
data

Example: Monitor,
Example: Keyboard, mouse, etc
Printer, etc

5. Compare Impact & Non-Impact Printers.

Answer:
Impact Printers Non-Impact Printers

Slow Speed Fast Speed

Makes a lot of Noisy They are less Noisy

Cheap Costly

Poor quality as compared to non-

Good quality printing
impact printers

It works by hammering a set of Ink is deposited in

metal pins or a character set into several forms during
the paper printing

Certainly! A keyboard is an input device that allows users to

input text, numbers, and various commands into a computer or
electronic device. It consists of a set of keys, each representing a
specific character, symbol, or function. When a key is pressed, it
sends an electrical signal to the computer, which then interprets
the signal and processes the corresponding character or action.

Keyboards come in various layouts and designs, but they

typically have a set of alphanumeric keys representing letters
and numbers, as well as additional keys for special characters,
punctuation, function keys (F1, F2, etc.), modifier keys (Shift,
Ctrl, Alt), and more. Some keyboards also include multimedia
keys for controlling audio and video playback, volume
adjustment, and other media-related functions.

Keyboards can be connected to computers and devices using

different methods, such as USB (Universal Serial Bus),
Bluetooth, or other proprietary connectors. They are an essential
input device for text entry, data input, and interacting with
software applications. Keyboards are commonly used for tasks
such as writing documents, sending emails, coding, gaming, and
navigating through various interfaces.

Overall, keyboards play a crucial role as input devices in

computing, enabling users to communicate with machines by
entering textual and command-based information efficiently and
accurately.
Joystick
A joystick is a pointing device that is used to move the cursor on
a computer screen. A spherical ball is attached to both the
bottom and top ends of the stick. In a socket, the lower spherical
ball slides. You can move the joystick in all four directions.
Joystick
The joystick’s function is comparable to that of a mouse. It is
primarily used in CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and playing
video games on the computer.
Track Ball
Track Ball is an accessory for notebooks and laptops, which
works on behalf of a mouse. It has a similar structure to a
mouse. Its structure is like a half-inserted ball and we use fingers
for cursor movement. Different shapes are used for this like
balls, buttons, or squares.
Light Pen
A light pen is a type of pointing device that looks like a pen. It
can be used to select a menu item or to draw on the monitor
screen. A photocell and an optical system are enclosed in a tiny
tube. When the tip of a light pen is moved across a monitor
screen while the pen button is pushed, the photocell sensor
element identifies the screen location and provides a signal to
the CPU.

Light Pen
Scanner
A scanner is an input device that functions similarly to a
photocopier. It’s employed when there’s information on paper
that needs to be transferred to the computer’s hard disc for
subsequent manipulation. The scanner collects images from the
source and converts them to a digital format that may be saved
on a disc. Before they are printed, these images can be
modified.
Scanner
Optical Mark Reader (OMR)
An Optical Mark Reader is a device that is generally used in
educational institutions to check the answers to objective exams.
It recognizes the marks present by pencil and pen.
Optical Character Reader (OCR)
OCR stands for optical character recognition, and it is a device
that reads printed text. OCR optically scans the text, character
by character turns it into a machine-readable code, and saves it
to the system memory.
Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)
It is a device that is generally used in banks to deal with the
cheques given to the bank by the customer. It helps in reading
the magnetic ink present in the code number and cheque
number. This process is very fast compared to any other process.
Bar Code Reader
A bar code reader is a device that reads data that is bar-coded
(data that is represented by light and dark lines).Bar-coded data
is commonly used to mark things, number books, and so on. It
could be a handheld scanner or part of a stationary scanner. A
bar code reader scans a bar code image, converts it to an
alphanumeric value, and then sends it to the computer to which
it is connected.

Bar Code Reader

Web Camera
Because a web camera records a video image of the scene in
front of it, a webcam is an input device. It is either built inside
the computer (for example, a laptop) or attached through a USB
connection. A webcam is a computer-connected tiny digital
video camera. It’s also known as a web camera because it can
take images and record video. These cameras come with
software that must be installed on the computer in order to
broadcast video in real-time over the Internet. It can shoot
images and HD videos, however, the video quality isn’t as good
as other cameras (In Mobiles or other devices or normal
cameras).

Web Camera

Digitizer
Digitizer is a device that is used to convert analog signals to
digital signals. it converts signals into numeric values. An
example of a Digitizer is Graphic Tablet, which is used to
convert graphics to binary data.
Microphone
The microphone works as an input device that receives input
voice signals and also has the responsibility of converting it also
to digital form. It is a very common device that is present in
every device which is related to music.
Output Devices
Output Devices are the devices that show us the result after
giving the input to a computer system. Output can be of many
different forms like image, graphic audio, video, etc. Some of
the output devices are described below.
Monitor
Monitors, also known as Visual Display Units (VDUs), are a
computer’s primary output device. It creates images by
arranging small dots, known as pixels, in a rectangular pattern.
The amount of pixels determines the image’s sharpness.
The two kinds of viewing screens used for monitors are
described below.
• Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor: Pixels are minuscule
visual elements that make up a CRT display. The higher the
image quality or resolution, the smaller the pixels.
• Flat-Panel Display Monitor: In comparison to the CRT,
a flat-panel display is a type of video display with less
volume, weight, and power consumption. They can be hung
on the wall or worn on the wrist.
Flat-panel displays are currently used in calculators, video
games, monitors, laptop computers, and graphical displays.
Monitor
Television
Television is one of the common output devices which is present
in each and every house. It portrays video and audio files on the
screen as the user handles the television. Nowadays, we are
using plasma displays as compared to CRT screens which we
used earlier.
Printer
Printers are output devices that allow you to print information on
paper. There are certain types of printers which are described
below.
• Impact Printers
• Character Printers
• Line Printers
• Non-Impact Printers
 • Laser Printers
• Inkjet Printers

Printer
Impact Printer
Characters are printed on the ribbon, which is subsequently
crushed against the paper, in impact printers. The following are
the characteristics of impact printers:
• Exceptionally low consumable cost.
• Quite noisy
• Because of its low cost, it is ideal for large-scale printing.
• To create an image, there is physical contact with the paper.
Character Printers
Character Printer has the capability to print only one character at
a time. It is of two types.
• Dot Matrix Printer
 • Daisy Wheel
Line Printers
Line Printers are printers that have the capability to print one
line at a time. It is of two types.
• Drum Printer
• Chain Printer
Non-Impact Printers
Characters are printed without the need for a ribbon in non-
impact printers. Because these printers print a full page at a
time, they’re also known as Page Printers. The following are the
characteristics of non-impact printers:
• Faster
• They don’t make a lot of noise.
• Excellent quality
• Supports a variety of typefaces and character sizes
Laser Printers
Laser Printers use laser lights for producing dots which will
produce characters on the page.
Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers are printers that use spray technology for printing
papers. High-quality papers are produced in an Inkjet printer.
They also do color printing.
Microprocessor
A microprocessor is basically the brain of the computer. We can
also call it simply a processor or CPU. Furthermore, a
microprocessor is basically a computer processor that is
mounted on a single IC (Integrated Circuit). It means that all
the functions of the processor are included on a single chip. In
1971, Intel introduced the first commercial microprocessor
which was Intel 4004.
Furthermore, the basic task of a microprocessor is to input the
instructions from the memory, decode, and process them and
produce the output. It performs three basic tasks while
processing the information. They are as follows:
1. Performing some basic calculations using ALU for
example, addition, division, multiplication, subtraction, etc.
2. Moving data from one location to another.
3. It has a Program Counter (PC), which is a pointer that
stores the address of the next instruction. It keeps track of
the PC and performs instructions accordingly.
Types of Microprocessors
We have three basic types of microprocessors. They are as
follows:
1. CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer)
As the name suggests, the instructions are in a complex form. It
means that a single instruction can contain many low-level
instructions.
The Switch is a network device that is used to segment the
networks into different subnetworks called subnets or LAN
segments. It is responsible for filtering and forwarding the
packets between LAN segments based on MAC address.
Switches have many ports, and when data arrives at any port, the
destination address is examined first and some checks are also
done and then it is processed to the devices. Different types of
communication are supported here like unicast, multicast, and
broadcast communication.
Features of Network Switches
• It operates in Data Link Layer in OSI Model.
• It performs error checking before forwarding data.
• It transfers the data only to the device that has been
addressed.
• It operates in full duplex mode.
• It allocates each LAN segment a limited bandwidth.
• It uses Unicast (one-to-one), multicast (one-to-many), and
broadcast (one-to-all) transmission modes.
• Packet Switching techniques are used to transfer data
packets from source to destination.
• Switches have a more significant number of ports.
Why Are Network Switches Valuable?
Switches are one of the most important things for transferring
information between different endpoints. Some of the benefits
are mentioned below.
• Switches are having full-duplex communication which
helps in making effective use of bandwidth.
• Switches help to provide a wired connection to printers,
IoT devices, wireless points, and many more devices.
• IoT Devices send data through Network Switches that help
in making smarter surroundings with the help of Artificial
Intelligence.
• Network Devices are made with the help of Switches that
carry a large number of traffic in telecommunication.
Types of Switches
Switches are mainly classified into the following types that are
mentioned below.
• Virtual Switches: Virtual Switches are the switches that
are inside Virtual Machine hosting environments.
• Routing Switches: These are the switches that are used to
connect LANs.They also have the work of performing
functions in the Network Layer of the OSI Model.
• Unmanaged Switches: Unmanaged Switches are the
devices that are used to enable Ethernet devices that help in
automatic data passing. These are generally used for home
networks and small businesses. In case of the requirement
 of more switches, we just add more switches by plug and
play method.
• Managed Switches: Managed Switches are switches
having more complex networks. SNMP (Simple Network
Management Protocol) can be used for configuring
managed switches. These types of switches are mostly used
in large networks having complex architecture. They
provide better security levels and precision control but they
are more costly than Unmanaged switches.
• LAN Switches: LAN (Local Area Network) Switches are
also called ethernet switches or data switches. LAN
switches always try to avoid overlapping of data packets in
the network just by allocating bandwidth in such a manner.
• PoE Switches: Power over Ethernet(PoE) are the switches
used in Gigabit Ethernets. PoE help in combining data and
power transmission over the same cable so that it helps in
receiving data and electricity over the same line.
• Smart Switches: Smart Switches are switches having some
extra controls on data transmissions but also have extra
limitations over managed Switches. They are also called
partially managed switches.
• Stackable Switches: Stackable switches are connected
through a backplane to combine two logical switches into a
single switch.
 • Modular Switches: These types of switches help in
accommodating two or more cards. Modular switches help
in providing better flexibility.
How Does a Network Switch Works?
When the source wants to send the data packet to the
destination, the packet first enters the switch and the switch
reads its header and finds the MAC address of the destination to
identify the device then it sends the packet out through the
appropriate ports that lead to the destination devices.
Switch establishes a temporary connection between the source
and destination for communication and terminates the
connection once the conversation is done. Also, it offers full
bandwidth to network traffic going to and from a device
simultaneously to reduce collision.

How Does a Network Switch Works?

Switching Techniques
Switching techniques are used to decide the best route for data
transmission between source and destination. These are
classified into three categories :
1. Circuit Switching
2. Message Switching
3. Packet Switching
How To Set Up a Network Switch?
There are different kinds of switches that work according to the
tasks defined. For a small network LAN, or for a home network,
a network switch is used by plugging into a port of the router.
Below mentioned are the steps which are used in setting up
network switches.
Step 1: Switch has to be bought as per the requirement of the
network.
Step 2: The switch port has to be connected directly to the
router using the cable. Generally, if there is an uplink port
present in the switch, the wire should be connected to that port,
if the uplink power is not present, then the wire has to be
connected to any port of the router.
Step 3: After proper connection, the IP addresses of devices are
configured.
Difference between Network Switch and Router

Network Switch Router

The router is primarily a

Network Switch works on Layer 2
device of Layer 3 of the
of the OSI Model.
OSI Model.

The resource is shared among

Data is moved between
multiple devices with the help of
two or more computers
a single LAN using a network
with the help of a router.
switch.
Network Switch Router

Network switches uses data

Routers use data packets.
frames.

Switches only work in a Wired Router works with both

network connection. wired and wifi networks.

Switches use MAC Addresses for

Routers use IP Addresses
transferring data to the proper
for the same work.
destination.

Uses of Network Switches

Network Switches are an important part of Network
communication. Some of the use cases are mentioned below.
• Network switches help provide automatic link connections
that remove time-consuming settings and provide easy
access to network devices.
• Switches provide a better, more secure, reliable network
having more control over data.
• Generally, switches work in full duplex mode, which helps
in continuous data transmission and that improves better
connectivity.
• As MAC Address is used for the devices connected to it,
that helps in the delivery of messages to only the required
destination, not everywhere.
 • Network Switches work for home networks or local
networks where streaming works are performed regularly.
Difference between Network Switch and Hub

Network Switch Hub

Network Switch is a device of Hub is a physical device of

layer 2 of the OSI Model. Layer 1 of the OSI Model.

Hub is a simple device as

Network Switch is a little more
compared to Network
complex than a Hub.
Switch.

Network Switch easily manages

Communication Collisions
data in and out, hence less
usually happen in a Hub.
communication collision.

The main task of Hub is to

Network Switches transfer data
connect all nodes of the
together by connecting devices.
network.

Switches prevent collision with Hubs cannot help in

the help of Ethernet frames. preventing collisions.

Advantages of Switches
• Prevents traffic overloading in a network by segmenting the
network into smaller subnets.
 • Increases the bandwidth of the network.
• Less frame collision as the switch creates the collision
domain for each connection.
Disadvantages of Switches
• It can not stop traffic destined for a different LAN segment
from traveling to all other LAN segments.
• Switches are more expensive.

Output device
Speakers
Speakers are devices that produce sound after getting a
command from a computer. Nowadays, speakers come with
wireless technology also like Bluetooth speakers.
Projector
Projectors are optical devices that have the work to show visuals
on both types of screens, stationary and moving both. It helps in
displaying images on a big screen. Projectors are generally used
in theatres, auditoriums, etc.
Plotter
Plotter is a device that helps in making graphics or other images
to give a real view. A graphic card is mandatorily required to
use these devices. These are the pen-like devices that help in
generating exact designs on the computer.
Braille Reader
Braille Reader is a very important device that is used by blind
users. It helps people with low vision or no vision to recognize
the data by running their fingers over the device to understand
easily. It is a very important device for blind persons as it gives
them the comfort to understand the letters, alphabets, etc which
helps them in study.
Video Card
A video Card is a device that is fitted into the motherboard of
the computer. It helps in improvising digital content in output
devices. It is an important tool that helps people in using
multiple devices.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Global Positioning System helps the user in terms of directions,
as it uses satellite technology to track the geometrical locations
of the users. With continuous latitudinal and longitudinal
calculations, GPS gives accurate results. Nowadays, all smart
devices have inbuilt GPS.
Headphones
Headphones are just like a speaker, which is generally used by a
single person or it is a single-person usable device and is not
commonly used in large areas. These are also called headsets
having a lower sound frequency.
Both the Input and Output Devices of the Computer
There are so many devices that contain the characteristics of
both input and output. They can perform both operations as they
receive data and provide results. Some of them are mentioned
below.
USB Drive
USB Drive is one of the devices which perform both input and
output operations as a USB Drive helps in receiving data from a
device and sending it to other devices.
Modem
Modems are one of the important devices that helps in
transmitting data using telephonic lines.
CD and DVD
CD and DVD are the most common device that helps in saving
data from one computer in a particular format and send data to
other devices which works as an input device to the computer.
Headset
The headset consists of a speaker and microphone where a
speaker is an output device and a microphone works as an input
device.
Facsimile
A facsimile is a fax machine that consists of a scanner and
printer, where the scanner works as an input device and the
printer works as an output device.