SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series
Computer
/ PC Hardware Tips
What
Are All These PC Ports?
by my-tech-guide.com
Ports
are to a PC what indents are to a Lego block. Without them,
the item is virtually useless. The ports on a personal
computer hook it up to the world: ports that welcome
the mouse and keyboard, and thus allow the user to communicate
with the machine, make it aware of its wishes, and command
it to performance. Then there is the printer which allows
for the output to be received. The list goes on and on. Many
different ports serve a variety of different needs, but there
are some ports that are of top priority, and no computer
is -or should be- without them.
The
number one type of port, of course, is the PS/2 port. IBM
introduced it back in 1987 and the technology stuck. This
port is the connection from the user to the personal computer.
It allows for the connection of a mouse and a keyboard,
and it enables the computer user to access functions, type
in commands, and generally communicates any need the user
may have to the machine itself.
Secondary
to these ports are the serial ports. Even though
they may play a second fiddle, they are by no means less
important. These ports allow for the connection of a modem,
which these days for many a user is the connection to the
Internet and the outside world. Dial up Internet access
is more and more becoming a thing of the past, and modems
play an every increasing role in modern computing. While
some modems now make use of different ports, the serial
ports are nonetheless essential to the vast majority of
Internet surfers.
Third
in line is the parallel port. While it may support
other functions, it is almost always used for one thing:
the printer. Input is important, but output is essential.
What good does it do to have a presentation that looks
wonderful on screen, but cannot be shared with the other
participants at the two o’clock meeting? This port will
support a wide variety or printers, and is one of the most
important ports.
Fourth
are the USB ports. Most computers will sport at
least two of these ports, yet some may have more. Frankly,
a computer can never have too many USB ports, since their
versatility is legendary. These ports allow for the connection
of scanners, external hard drives, as well as the newer
versions of keyboards. The humble mouse, as well, may make
use of a USB port. Without these kinds of ports, a computer
would remain a one-dimensional machine with little user
friendliness.
Fifth
in line is the VGA port. This port connects the
computer to the monitor and allows the user to actually
see what s/he is creating. Without a monitor it is impossible
to ascertain one’s progress, and without a VGA port it
would be impossible to hook up any kind of monitor. In
the old days, VGA referred to the humble 640x480 monitor
capabilities. In the mid 1990s monitors capable of displaying
more than 640x480 were introduced, and suddenly the ports
for these monitors was renamed to SVGA - super VGA. These
days, anyone will be hard-pressed to find a computer monitor
that does not meet SVGA standards, and thus the port is
now simply referred to as VGA again.
Sixth
is the kind of port that almost has outlived its usefulness:
the game port. Back in the day, the game port
allowed for the connection of one (sometimes two) joysticks,
and allowed the user to play any number of computer games
without the awkward keyboard navigation. Since the arrival
of the USB ports, and more importantly the USB hubs, the
game port has taken somewhat of a backseat to the USB port.
Users no longer have to rely on only this one port to hook
up their peripherals, but instead are now able to rely
on the USB technology to not only hook up joysticks, but
also steering wheels, pedals, and any number of other gadgets
that make playing more fun.
In
closing, it is amazing to witness the evolution of the personal
computer. Give it a try! Look at the back of an older machine
and take a trip down memory lane.
# # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
> Home > Computer
Hardware Articles: Main Page |
