Laptop Buttons, Sockets, and Slots

What are All the Buttons, Sockets, and Slots Used For?

Tips for watching the video. Take a look at a laptop and count the number of buttons, sockets, and slots you see. You probably counted more than 10. There aren't quite as many as you'll find on a desktop computer, but still, all of these can be overwhelming for a new laptop user.

Each laptop computer is different, therefore the buttons, slots, and sockets will vary from computer to computer. However, there are certain features that are common and you can expect to find on most laptop computers.

.........................................

Laptop Buttons, Drives, and Ports

Power Button
Power Button
The power button is used to power the computer on and off. It is usually directly above the keyboard, but can also be located on any of the four sides of the laptop casing. In addition to turning the computer on and off, you can use the power button on some computers to place the computer in different energy-saving modes such as hibernate, sleep, and standby. It is a good idea to read your manual to learn how these features work on your computer.


CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory) Drive
A CD-ROM drive, also known as an optical drive, allows you to play a CD-ROM , just like a CD player allows you to listen to music. With a CD-ROM drive you can listen to music (if your computer is sound-enabled), view files, and install software that is located on a CD.

Example Optical Drive -- DVD A CD writer is a device that can be used in conjunction with a CD-ROM drive and allows you to copy or burn information onto specific types of CDs called CD-RW (Compact Disk ReWritable) and CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable) discs.

DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read-Only Memory) Drive
A DVD-ROM drive, also known as an optical drive, reads DVD discs, all types of CDs, and can display movies from digital video discs. DVDs can hold more data than a CD, so they are a good storage option. A DVD burner is a device that can be used in conjunction with a DVD-ROM and allows you to copy information onto DVD discs. It is considered a type of storage.

In many of the computers you can purchase today, the CD and DVD-ROM or burners are combined.

SD Port
................................................................

Laptop Buttons, Drives, and Ports

On the sides of the laptop computer are connection ports that are made to fit specific plug-in devices, as well as assorted drives and buttons. The arrangement of these vary from computer to computer, and many companies have their own special connectors for the specific devices. Some of the ports are color coded to match a color on the device, which will help you determine which port is used with a particular device.

View of Back Laptop Ports

Back of Laptop Labeled

1. Power Cord Connector
   This is where you connect your AC power adapter.


2. Ethernet Port
   This port looks a lot like the modem or telephone port but it is actually wider. You can use this port for networking and also connecting to the Internet.


3. PS/2 Port
   This port is the mouse and keyboard port.


4. Composite Video Port
   Some laptops include a composite video port that allows you to connect your laptop to a television. This port may look familiar to you because many home electronic devices, such as television sets and camcorders, include this port. The composite video port is seen less on new laptops as other ports become more popular for the same tasks.


5. Audio In/Audio Out
   Every computer has a bank of audio ports where you can connect various devices, including speakers, microphones, headsets, and more.


6. USB Port
   Almost every laptop computer on the market today comes with two or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports. These USB ports let you attach a variety of devices such as mice, printers, keyboards, web cameras, USB/flash drives, and digital cameras to your computer quickly. Almost every peripheral made comes in a USB version, and installing the devices using USB ports is much easier than connecting devices using parallel and serial ports.

Back of Laptop Labeled

1. Monitor Port
   An external monitor can be connected to this port. Even though the laptop comes with a built-in screen, some users like to turn their laptop into a desktop unit by connecting external parts such as a monitor, keyboard, and printer.


2. Serial Port
   The serial port is the other original port on the first personal computer. On recent computers, the serial port has been replaced by the USB port, as both ports can be used to plug in external devices such as a mouse or keyboard. Most peripherals use the USB drive because USB drives do not require you to reboot your computer when a new device is added, whereas serial ports do.


3. Parallel Port
   The parallel port is one of the two original ports on the first personal computer. It is commonly known as the printer port since this port is used to connect your printer to your computer; however, with the rise in use of the USB ports, you can expect to see a decrease in the use of this port. Currently, a large number of parallel port printers are still manufactured and used on older computers that don’t have USB support.


4. FireWire Port
   FireWire is actually the Apple brand name for the IEEE 1394 port, but the term caught on and it is commonly referred to as the FireWire port. It is the standard port used with digital video cameras and high-resolution scanners. It is commonly used to upload audio/video from the device to the computer using a FireWire cable. FireWire ports are not on every computer; however, you can buy an adapter card to add them. The laptop in the image does not have a FireWire port.

...................................................

Challenge!

• Find out what types of drives are on your computer (e.g, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM).
• Count the number is USB Ports there are on your computer.