A Joystick
and
game
paddles
Baud
Is
a unit
of
data
transmission
speed-Ine
number
of
signal
events per second. Baud
Is
sometImes equIVolentto bIfs
per
second.
Joysticks
and
hand
controls
If you plan
10
plan to play arcade games, you'll need a joystick
or
hand controls, The majority
of
arcade games require
such
a device.
Joysticks
and
hand
controls
(induding gamepaddles and Imck
balls) control thc movement
of
creatures
or
objects in many game
programs. A joystick
is
a movablc lcvcr similar
10
the kind
of
control found
in
airplanes. With game paddles, you control
movement by turning a knob. With a track ball, you roll
a ball
(mounted
in
a base) with the palm
of
your hand.
All
these devices
have buttons you press to
do
things like fire torpedocs
or
throw
forward passes.
Modems
A
modem,
short for modulator/demodulator, links your
computer
by telephone to othcr computcrs and information services. If you
plan to cxchange
data with your company's
mainframe
compUlcr,
10
use an information service for stock market quotations, for
research,
or
for electronic banking, you'll need a
modem
and
a
communications
program.
Different modems
send
and
receive information at different
transmission speeds,
or
baud.
The most popular Apple modems
transmit
300 baud, 1200 baud,
or
300/1200
baud
(both rates
available). Modems that transmit at 1200
baud
cost morc, but
they're four times faster
than 3OO·baud
modems-a
valid
consideration
if
you're paying long-distance
phone
rates. Modems
with higher bauds (2400, 4800, 9600, 19,200) are also available.
\X'hen two computers communicate, they must transmit at thc same
baud.
If
you need to communicate with a computer that works only
at
300
baud,
but
you want higher-speed communications, choose a
modem that yeu can switch between
300
and 1200 baud.
-
A
modem
94
Chapter
6:
Peripheral Devices
-
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