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You can now purchase a dazzling array of accessories for computers, and navigating the options has become a momentous task. So, TechSoup has created an introduction to the most commonly used computer accessories.

Monitors

The monitor is probably the most ubiquitous computer accessory. Without the graphical display a monitor provides, none of us would be able to get anything done on a computer. Monitors typically come in sizes from 15 inches to 21 inches (measured diagonally). Almost all are now color, but grayscale and monochrome monitors are still available and useful when color is not needed. Flat screen monitors are becoming a more common and inexpensive option when space is at a premium.

See the article, Choosing the Right Monitor, for more information.

Printers

Printers make it possible to print newsletters, labels, envelopes, and any other document that you can create on a computer. Laser printers and inkjet printers are currently the most common technologies in most libraries, but there are still some dot matrix and line printers lying around for printing labels and text. Newer printers can print in almost any font, allow color printing, and provide some relatively amazing print quality when you can afford it. See the article, Printer Primer for more information.

Scanners

If you need to digitize documents, pictures, or make copies, a scanner is the tool. The cost of scanners has gone down dramatically in recent years, and they are becoming a common appliance. Your library can use a scanner with a computer and a modem to fax documents. See the article, Scanners Demystified, for more information.

Modems

For standalone computers, a modem is still the most common way to get online and access the Internet over a phone line. Internal or external, a modem converts a phone line's analog waves into the digital signal that a computer can understand.

See the article, Guide to Modems, for more information.

Digital cameras

Similar to traditional cameras, digital cameras can record images. However, rather than using film, they store the information digitally. While film allows for nearly infinitesimal resolution, digital print quality is limited by the amount of memory that is available in the camera. High-end digital cameras, coupled with high-quality photo printers, now approach the results of a traditional camera. The technology is improving rapidly, and there are many benefits to a digital camera.

• There's no additional processing cost.

• Images can be easily uploaded to a computer.

• Images are nearly Web-ready.

• Instantaneous results -- you can usually view images immediately on the camera's small screen.

Storage

Removable storage such as portable hard drives, Zip drives and disks, and SuperDisk drives and disks can give you more storage than a traditional floppy drive, while allowing you to take the data with you when you need to. In fact, when you purchase an external, removable drive, you can take the whole drive with you. There are numerous brands to choose from and they simply connect to your computer, allowing you to transfer files from your hard drive to the removable storage device.

CD-RW drives

While CD-ROM drives have been around for sometime, they could only be used for reading information (installing software, getting large files, or playing music.). Now, many CD drives are read-write (the RW in CD-RW), which means you can store information on them and pass them on. While in the past, CD-RW discs created with a CD-RW drives could only be read by another CD-RW drive, a new MultiRead standard enables CD-ROM players to read discs created by CD-RW drives.

DVD-ROM drives

DVD (short for Digital Video Disc) is a more recent digital storage technology that can store more information than traditional CD-ROMs. They are also backward compatible --meaning they can also read CR-RW discs and CD-ROMs. The read-only format supports discs with capacities of from 4.7 GB to 17 GB. Because of their capacity, they are becoming a popular way to distribute movies, and may eventually replace CD, VHS, and Laserdisc as the medium of choice for digital audio and video.

Tape drives

As one of the older storage mediums, tape drives store data on special tapes that have relatively high levels of capacity. However, because they access data sequentially (similar to a cassette player), they are too slow for daily access. Many organizations use tape drives for backing up network server data or data that is not needed in a timely fashion.