Ports Continued 2 (visual)

The VGA port is most commonly used to connect the monitor to the computer. It uses an analog signal and will not look quite as good as DVI connections, but the majority of people probably won't notice unless two screens are placed side-by-side, one connected through VGA and the other through DVI. The VGA cord end looks like this.

The DVI port is a digital connection to the monitor and is becoming more popular for many interested in large screens and good graphics. The DVI plug has several varieties demonstrated by this picture. The duel link connections are designed for very large monitors, and the single link connections is for monitors which are 24 inches or less.

The parallel port has been around for quite a while and is used mostly for printers now, but is used also for scanners, and external drives. This port as still used quite often, but is also outdated just like the serial port. USB has taken over the role that this port is used for. Computer manufacturers should really get rid of this port and only have it as an option if the person really needs it. Apple abandoned this port at the same time that they produced the iMac. USB to parallel cords are available if you must use a parallel device.