Peripherals

A peripheral is any computer device that is not part of the essential computer (the processor, memory, and data paths) but is situated relatively close by. A near synonym is input/output (I/O) device. Some peripherals are mounted in the same case with the main part of the computer as are the hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and network interface cards. Other peripherals are outside the computer case, such as the printer and image scanner, attached by a wired or wireless connection.