What Are Ports?

Most system units feature built-in,exterior sockets that enable you to plug in external hardware devices. These sockets are known as ports.Serial ports can transmit data only a single bit at a time. However, they require very inexpensive cables, and they can reliably send data over, long distances. In contrast,parallel ports can transmit data one byte at a time making data transfer several times faster than those through serial ports.but they require more expensive cables and cannot reliably send send data across distances greater than 50 feet.

Parallel ports typically connect nearby printers and tape drives to a microcomputer system, whereas serial ports connect cast serial ports for keyboards and mice; they connect displays through dedicated parallel ports.When you need to plug in an I/O device to a desktop system unit that has no built port for it, your normally must buy a special add-in board that has a port on it. When you install the board ,the port typically extends through an opening in the back of the system unit so that you can plug the I?O device into it. For a notebook or hand held computer, a PC card provides add-in board functionality for external connections.

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