if the printer has the capability of printing duplex (double-sided),
increasing the RAM will speed up the printing process to handle large
documents.
1-8-1-5 Plotters
are another type of printer that exists in the marketplace. These
printers essentially print images onto very large pieces of paper, e.g.,
posters, drafting or architectural plans, etc. Many companies who
manufacture plotters have replaced this technology with color lasers that
can handle large size paper sheets.
1-9 The Ports
Ports are the connection plugs at the back of a computer (or other
device) that allow you to connect an input/output device. Ports generally
are used for connecting drives, display devices, keyboards, pointing
devices, printers and modems.
Ports can be categorized into these types:
! Parallel ports come in a variety of sizes and are generally used for
connecting printers.
! Serial ports are used for connecting a mouse or modem.
! SCSI, or Small Computer System Interface, ports are used to connect
devices that have high performance requirements, such as a CD writer.
! USB, or Universal Serial Bus, ports are used to connect newer models
of devices such as mouse, modems, keyboards, scanners, etc. These
support the plug-and-play (the operating system will recognize the new
device and try to install it the first time it detects it) and hot plugging (can
remove the device even though the device is still working and the
computer recognizes it’s now unplugged) features in newer operating
systems.
! Network or Internet ports These ports allow you to connect either to
another computer on a network, a modem, or the Internet directly (the last
two depend on the type of Internet connection you have).
!Midi, or musical instrument digitized interface, ports will appear similar
to a parallel or serial port but are specialized to handle musical types of
devices.
! Infrared ports work similar to a wireless connection where there is a
device that is installed on the computer (or output device) that recognizes
the infrared light waves.
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