PORT

An opening through which things enter or leave your computer. A port is 
usually located on the back of the computer, and looks like a plug with
many pins on it (a male plug), or a plug with many holes in it (a female 
plug). There are many different types of ports, but the two most common 
types are:


	COMMUNICATIONS PORT			    PRINTER PORT
device names are COM1:, COM2:, AUX:	device names are LPT1:, LPT2:, PRN:
(sometimes called a serial port)	(sometimes called a parallel port)

A communications port is an opening	A printer port is an opening through 
through which other computers or	which data is transferred to a device
devices (like a modem or a mouse)	(usually a printer) by your computer.
transfer data into or out of your	A printer port is sometimes called a 
computer. A communications port is	parallel port because several things 
sometimes called a serial port		can be transferred at one time       
because only one thing at a time	through it (as opposed to only one   
can be transferred through it (as	thing at a time which is all a serial
opposed to several things at a		port can do).			     
time by a parallel port).

  ┌──────────┐                                 ┌──────────┐──■────┌───────┐ 
  │┌─────┐ ║ │─■─■┐                            │┌─────┐ ║ │──■───┐│p      │ 
  ││     │ ║ │    ■                            ││     │ ║ │──■──┐││ r     │ 
  ││ PC  │   │    ■        ┌m────────┐         ││ PC  │   │──■──┌─┤  i    ├─┐ 
  ││     │ ║ │    ■      ┌─┤ o   ═══ │         ││     │ ║ │──■──│ │   n   │ │ 
  │└─────┘ ║ │    └■─■─■─┘ │  u  ═══ │         │└─────┘ ║ │──■──│╠│    t  │╣│ 
  │          │             │   s ═══ │         │          │──■──│ ──────e── │ 
  └──────────┘             └────e────┘         └──────────┘──■──│        r  │ 
 /░░░░░░░░░░/                                 /░░░░░░░░░░/      └───────────┘ 
/░░░░░░░░░░/      Serial Port                /░░░░░░░░░░/  Parallel Port 

