Computer and Peripheral Connection Systems
A quick guide to hooking up your discount computer accessories

Computer and Peripheral connection systems in desktop PC's are very simple and often referred to as Plug and Play technology.

In Price Lists For Computer Components ... Basic Outline and Pricing Guide to Computer Parts, you learned about a few basic computer parts being important parts of computers (even if they are not often talked about) and their pricing.

In this article you will see a few of the more popular accessories which can be very useful, how to hook them up using Plug and Play but you can also use your PC without them.

Plug and Play

Basically, the different discount computer accessories you may wish to hook up to your desktop come with a P&P system that Windows Operating System easily recognizes.

All you really have to do is plug the accessory into the proper open slot inside the computer case, or into the open slot that appears on the front or back of the outside of your computer case.

Once you plug the item in; you just reboot (restart) your computer and Windows will recognize the added hardware; and prompt you to answer a couple questions if needed.

Wired Or Wireless?

Accessories come with or without wires. A wireless mouse or keyboard is not a rarety any more, you can buy them everywhere. They allow you to very comfortably use them as you do not have to worry about wires on your desk. However, you still need to have wireless networking capability within your computer so the wireless accessory is recognized.

A home network which is wireless is also very useful when you want all the home computers to be connected and share printers or internet connections. Wireless printers and scanners are also available, so you can create a fully wireless home network if you like. Even if these networks are more commonly used in offices, home users can also find them very useful.

Printers, Scanners and Copiers

A printer is a very useful device to have. You can print docs or photos on them. Inkjet and laserjet are the two most commonly used types of printers. The laser versions cost a bit more but they print in better quality and you can get an immediately dry printout.

An inkjet printer can be bought at price of $30 while laserjet prices start at about $80.

With the help of a scanner you can take photos of things like documents or objects. If you want to put images and written documents on your computer, you can easily scan them with a scanner, but three dimensional objects can also be scanned on a PC.

The majority of the scanners come in a flat format and can be kept on your desktop. After you scan something into your computer a digital image will appear which can be edited further. Scanned text documents can be turned into text files with some conversion and editing.

A better quality color scanner will cost you about $100.

If you do not want to have too many devices, you can opt for a combination of a printer/scanner which can be added with a copier and a fax.

You can save some money if you buy such combined machines as you can get 4 for the price of 1 and save a lot of extra space in your office or home.

Printers and scanners will simply plug into the ports available on the back of the computer; you can also use a switch to hook up multiple printers, a printer and scanner, or other combination of needed hardware. If you use a switch; you plug the switch into the back of the computer case, then plug your devices into the switching slots.

Gaming Devices

Games are very popular among computer users and they are usually state of the art technology. If you use a lot of games, try getting some special devices like joysticks or steering wheels or game pads. These tools can give you total satisfaction while using a game even if they are not a must to have.

These pieces of hardware plug into the PCI slots on the back of your computer; most now use the USB ports for easy plug and play.

Gaming devices start at the price of $10, but they can go up to over $400 for more sophisticated units.

TV Adapters

Stereo systems and video players are more and more replaced by computers. If you have a computer you can create a home system to watch movies or listen to music on DVDs. You can even hook up your computer to your TV to watch movies or record your favorite shows on TV.

Video cards usually offer options to connect the computer to a TV and viewing something that comes from your computer on your television set. You can also buy external devices if you want to watch your favorite TV shows on your computer screen. VCRs can also be replaced by connections to cable TV for recording different programs.

Memory Card Readers

Digital cameras and PDAs are installed with memory cards for data storage. Data may be transferred from these devices to your PC if you have a memory card reader. The best type of card readers are able to read different formats and can be plugged into USB ports.

Prices of most memory card readers can vary from $20 to $30.

And some more...

We have talked about the most commonly used accessories offered for home computer users, but the list is by far not complete.

Webcams can be used for live video on the Internet, speakers are useful for listening to music, you can make long distance calls for free, and even send documents with fax modems.

The list goes on with devices like projectors enabling several people to see whats on a computer’s monitor, home or office network hardware and accessories to store backup computer data.

Today’s range of computer hardware is amazingly versatile. Whatever needs you may have, you can find the right acccessories, with the ease of use of Plug and Play technology, for your needs.






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