Connect and Extend
Even in the earliest days of computing, it was obvious that a computer had to have ways for information to enter and leave the system to connect to other hardware. Devices external to computers that added functionality were peripheral to the main system, and that’s why we call them peripherals to this day. A computer could also connect to some kind of communication system, like a network or hub.
We use a port to connect to peripherals, networks, and other kinds of external systems. A port can connect two computing devices, too, like two smartphones or a tablet to a computer. The connection requires cabling—typically with metal inside its insulated cover, but sometimes containing a fiber optic strand—to connect a central computational ...
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