Definition[]
A peripheral (also peripheral equipment) is
| “ | [a]ny external device attached to a computer, including monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, optical scanners, and the like.[1] | ” |
The term also tends to be applied to devices that are hooked up externally through some form of computer bus like a USB. Typical examples include joysticks, printers and scanners.
Overview[]
Some people do not consider internal devices such as video capture cards to be peripherals because they are inside the computer case; for them, the term peripherals is reserved exclusively for devices that are hooked up externally to the computer.
The term has somewhat fallen out of modern usage; it was mainly used in the early days of the home computer market to refer to things like floppy disk drives and modems. Today most of these devices are installed inside the computer case, and external devices typically function on their own such as MP3 players and cell phones.
References[]
- ↑ Practices for Securing Critical Information Assets, Glossary, at 56.
See also[]
- Bar code printer
- Barcode reader
- Cathode ray tube
- Computer display
- Computer terminal
- Disk drive
- Dumb terminal
- Earbuds
- Flash card reader
- Flatbed scanner
- Game controller
- Graphics terminal
- Headset
- Intelligent terminal
- Keyboard
- Keypad
- Laser printer
- Media storage devices
- Modem
- Mouse
- Multifunction printer
- Numeric keypad
- Optical disc drive
- Optical scanner
- Pointing device
- Printer
- Scanner
- Storage
- Tape cartridge
- Thumb drive
- USB memory stick
- Universal serial bus
- Wireless modem
- Zip drive
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