peripheral device

peripheral device
    n 1: (computer science) electronic equipment connected by cable
         to the CPU of a computer; "disk drives and printers are
         important peripherals" [syn: {peripheral}, {computer
         peripheral}, {peripheral device}]
    

peripheral
device
peripheral device

   <hardware> (Or "peripheral device", "device") Any part of a
   computer other than the {CPU} or {working memory},
   i.e. {disks}, {keyboards}, {monitors}, {mice}, {printers},
   {scanners}, {tape drives}, {microphones}, {speakers},
   {cameras}, to list just the less exotic ones.

   High speed working {memory}, such as {RAM}, {ROM} or, in the
   old days, {core} would not normally be referred to as
   peripherals.  The more modern term "device" is also more
   general in that it is used for things such as a {pseudo-tty},
   a {RAM drive}, or a {network adaptor}.

   Some argue that, since the advent of the {personal computer},
   the {motherboard}, {hard disk}, keyboard, mouse, and monitor
   are all parts of the base system, and only use the term
   "peripheral" for optional additional components.

   (2002-09-03)