Peripheral 60644 223117499 2008-07-02T17:26:29Z Thibbs 2071715 propose merge {{Mergefrom|Peripheral device|date=June 2008}} {{Merge-multiple|Video game accessory|date=July 2008}} :''For an account of the words ''periphery'' and ''peripheral'' as they are used in biology, sociology, politics, computer hardware, and other fields, see the [[periphery]] disambiguation page.'' {{wiktionary|peripheral}} A '''peripheral''' is a piece of [[computer hardware]] that is added to a host [[computer]], i.e any hardware except the computer, in order to expand its abilities. More specifically, the term is used to describe those devices that are optional in nature, as opposed to hardware that is either demanded or always required in principle. The term also tends to be applied to devices that are hooked up externally, typically through some form of [[computer bus]] like [[Universal Serial Bus|USB]]. Typical examples include [[joystick]]s, [[computer printer|printer]]s and [[image scanner|scanner]]s. Devices such as [[computer display|monitor]]s and [[disk drive]]s are not considered peripherals when they are not truly optional. Some people do not consider internal devices such as [[video capture card]]s to be peripherals because they are added inside the computer case; for them, the term peripherals is reserved exclusively for devices that are hooked up externally to the computer. It is debatable however whether [[PCMCIA card]]s qualify as peripherals under this restrictive definition, because some of them go fully inside the laptop, while some, like [[WiFi]] cards, have external appendages. Due to these considerations, the term has somewhat fallen out of modern usage; it was mainly used in the early days of the [[home computer]] boom to refer to things like [[floppy disk drive]]s and [[modem]]s. Today most devices are integrated inside the computer's case, and external devices typically function on their own such as mp3 players and cell phones. The term is different from computer accessories: Computer peripheral has a narrow meaning that refers only to the input output devices of a computer, whereas, computer accessories has a broader meaning, that refers, all the parts that support a computer which includes motherboards, sensors, chips, including all the input and output devices. ==List of common peripherals== * [[Computer storage|Storage]] ** Removable (Writes/reads portable media) *** [[CD]] **** [[CD-ROM]] **** [[CD-RW]] **** [[CD-R]] *** [[DVD]] **** [[DVD-ROM]] **** [[DVD-RW]] **** [[DVD-R]] *** [[HD DVD]] **** [[HD DVD-ROM]] **** [[HD DVD-R]] **** [[HD DVD-RW]] **** [[HD DVD-RAM]] **** [[HD DVD/DVD-RW Combo]] *** [[Blu-ray Disc]] **** [[BD-ROM]] **** [[BD-RW]] **** [[BD-R]] **** [[BD/DVD-RW Combo]] *** [[USB flash drive]] *** [[Tape drive]] *** [[Floppy disk]] *** [[Punch card]] ** Non-removable *** [[Disk drive]] *** [[Disk array controller]] [[Input]] {{main|Input device}} ** Manual *** [[Computer keyboard|Keyboard]] *** [[Pointing device]]s **** [[Computer mouse|Mouse]] **** [[Trackball]] **** [[Joystick]] **** [[Touch screen]] *** [[Gamepad]] **[[Power cord|Power Cord]]/[[Transformer]] **[[Microphone]] ** [[Brain-computer interface]] ** [[Image scanner]] ** [[Computer terminal]] ** [[Speech recognition|Computer speech recognition]] ** [[Webcam]] ** [[Digitizing tablet]] ** [[Barcode reader]] * [[Output]] (see also [[output device]], [[display device]], [[graphical output device]], [[computer display]]) {{main|output device}} ** Printing *** [[Plotter]] *** [[Computer printer|Printer]] *** [[Braille embosser]] ** Sound *** [[Speech synthesis|Computer speech synthesis]] *** [[Sound card]] *** [[Speakers]] ** Visual *** [[Digital Camera]] *** [[Graphics card]] *** [[Computer monitor|Monitor]] ** [[Refreshable Braille display]] * [[Computer network|Networking]] ** [[Modem]] ** [[Network card]] * Expansion ** [[docking station]] * except memory and processor ==See also== *[[Peripheral device]] *[[Expansion card]] *[[Computer hardware]] [[Category:Computer peripherals| ]] [[bs:Periferija]] [[bg:Периферно устройство]] [[ca:Perifèric]] [[cs:Periferie]] [[de:Peripheriegerät]] [[es:Periférico de ordenador]] [[eo:Flankaparato]] [[eu:Periferiko (ordenagailua)]] [[fr:périphérique informatique]] [[hu:Periféria]] [[nl:Randapparaat]] [[ja:周辺機器]] [[la:Periphericum]] [[pt:Periférico]] [[ro:Periferic]] [[sl:Periferna naprava]] [[fi:Oheislaite]]