LO4. Produce Output/Data Using Computer System

Information Sheet 4.1: Computer Application in Printing, Scanning and Sending Facsimile

If you have several computers and peripherals (such as printers and scanners), to get the best from them, you should network them together.

Sharing printers over a network

A computer network allows you to share internet connections, data and resources within your business, improving both efficiency and speed of working.

Originally, all computer networks used fixed wiring to link PCs and peripherals. However, many businesses now have wireless networks – which are ideal for workers who need mobility – or wired networks with wireless hubs in shared spaces.

Types of office printers

Printers are essential for most businesses. There are three basic types of printers:

Laser printers produce color or black print and are suitable for most office printing needs. They are more expensive than other types of printers but are more economical if you do lots of printing and are relatively fast.
Inkjet printers can carry out either color or black printing. Some inkjet printers can produce photographic quality images. Although cheap to purchase, inkjet supplies like paper and ink make them expensive per page printed. They are also slower than comparable laser printers.
Impact printers, such as dot matrix printers, are now rarely used except for special purposes, eg for printing forms used with accounts packages.

You can connect printers directly to desktop PCs and laptops, or share them on a wired or wireless network. Shared printers are preferable for most small offices, but some workers may need a personal printer in a secure location, particularly if they are dealing with sensitive or confidential information.

As with most computer equipment, unless you have in-house expertise, it is worth paying for a maintenance contract for your printer. Access to the right support can help reduce disruption and downtime in case of any equipment failure. See more on hardware installation, maintenance and support.

Office scanners

Scanners are used to capture images digitally. They can be useful in an office for storing content digitally that is only available in print and for extracting text from documents such as books. You can connect scanners directly to a desktop PC.

Multi-function devices: advantages and disadvantages

A small office usually needs a printer, a photocopier and perhaps a scanner. These can be combined in one multi-function device. They have several advantages:

the total cost may be lower than the combined cost of separate units
they save floor and desk space
there is less to install

However, such devices may not deliver all the performance available from separate units and, if they fail, you may lose all the functions at once and will need to replace the entire unit.

Sending Fax Documents from Computers

You can send a document created with a Windows application from a computer connected to the machine to another fax machine.

Connect computers to the machine via parallel port, LAN, wireless LAN, or USB 2.0.

To send a fax, simply select [Print…] from the Windows application, then select LAN-Fax as the printer, and then specify a destination. LAN-Fax enables paperless faxing from your computer to the other destinations.
In addition to sending faxes, the LAN-Fax Driver allows this machine to be used for printing out documents prepared on a computer for proof checking.
To use the LAN-Fax Driver, connect this machine to computers and make the necessary network settings, and then install the LAN-Fax Driver and the related utilities on your computer.

Information Sheet 4.2: Types and Function of Computer Peripheral Devices

A peripheral device is a device that either enters information into a computer system or receives information from the computer system. The normal workflow of a computer system is the following.

It receives data and commands from the user, processes the data according to the given commands, presents the processed data to the user, and stores or prints the processed data if the user gives a command to save or print.

Except for the components that process the given data, all other components of a computer system are known as peripheral devices.

In simple words, if a hardware component is not part of the core components and is used either to put information into the computer system or to get information from the computer system, then it is a peripheral device. The core components of a computer system are the components that control the computer system and process the data

A computer system can function without peripheral devices but it cannot function without core components. Examples of core components are CPU, motherboard, power supply, RAM, and ROM. Keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, scanner, and USB drive are examples of peripheral devices.

Types of peripheral devices

Peripheral devices are classified into three types. These types are input devices, output devices, and input/output devices.

An input device inserts data or commands into the computer system. A keyboard, mouse, scanner, barcode reader, digital pen, webcam, microphone are some examples of input devices.

An output device receives the processed data from the computer system and presents that data to the user. A monitor, printer, speaker, headphone, and projector are some examples of output devices.

An input/output device can perform both input and output functions. A hard drive, USB drive, memory card, tape drive, and NIC are some examples of input/output devices.

Examples of peripheral devices

So far we have discussed what a peripheral device is and how many types of peripheral device are. Now, let’s discuss some most common peripheral devices and their functions.

Keyboard: A keyboard is the most common and important input device. It allows the user to enter letters, numbers, and symbols. When a user presses a key on a keyboard, the keyboard sends a unique signal to the computer. The processing unit of the computer receives the signal and translates the signal to know which key is pressed.

Mouse: A mouse is another important input device. It uses point-and-click technology to interact with the system. Most mice have two buttons and a scroll wheel between them. To track motion, a ball was used in older mice. Modern mice use laser light to track motion.

Webcam: A webcam is a popular input device. It captures live videos and photos. Usually, it is inbuilt on laptops and tablets. Mostly, it is used for video calls and live presentations.

Scanner: A scanner is another popular input device. It is used to scan documents. Normally, it is used to save and use a soft copy of the document.

Monitor: A monitor is one of the most important output devices. It receives output from the processing unit and displays that output. The output displayed on the monitor is temporary. Because of this, the output displayed on the monitor is called the soft copy of the output. To make it permanent, you have to store it on other output devices.

Printer: A printer is another important output device. It prints the given output. After printing, the output is permanently stored on the paper. Because of this, the output printed on the paper is called the hard copy of the output. There are mainly three types of printers: dot-matrix, inkjet, and laser. A dot printer uses pins and an ink-coated ribbon for printing. An inkjet printer uses liquid ink for printing while a laser printer uses a laser toner for printing.

Speaker: A speaker is a popular output device. It plays the audio output signals. Laptops and tablets have inbuilt speakers. On desktop computers, they can be attached via ports.

Hard disk: A hard disk is the most important input/output device. It provides both input and output functionalities. When a computer reads data from the hard disk, the hard disk provides input functionality. When the computer stores data on the hard disk, the hard disk provides output functionality.

USB drive: USB drives are another popular input/output device. They are compact and small. They are mostly used to transfer data between computers that are not connected. When you transfer data from a computer to the USB drive, the USB drive provides output functionality. When you transfer data from a USB drive to the computer, the USB drive provides input functionality.

NIC: NIC stands for the network interface card. A NIC is an input/output device. A computer uses a NIC to connect the network. When the computer sends data to the network, it uses the output function of the NIC. When the computer receives data from the network, it uses the input function of the NIC.