What is computer connectivity?

Computer connectivity is the property of the computer, which enables it to be connected to another device via a computer connector or autonomously.

What is a computer connector?

A computer connector is any connector that is used in computers to connect to external devices. These connectors have specific names and properties. Some of the common computer connectors are D-subminiature, edgecard, Centronics, USB, FireWire, BNC, RJ-11, and various pin and socket serial and parallel connectors. Most computer connectors are electrical or optical.

digital cameras use which connectors to connect to computers?
With advancement in the digital camera technology, digital cameras can now connect to the computer directly to transfer data via numerous connectors or ports.

• Serial port - Early models of digital cameras used the serial port. A serial port is a serial communication physical interface, which enables the transfer of two-way information one bit at a time. This is slowly being rendered obsolete.

• USB port - This port is being widely used now by digital cameras. The USB mass storage device class (umass) is a set of computing communications protocols that is defined by the USB Implementers Forum and runs on the Universal Serial Bus. This standard provides an interface to a variety of storage devices and can connect upto 8 devices at a time. The USB mass storage does not specify which file system (FAT, NTFS, UNIX, etc.) has to be used on the device using it; instead it provides a method whereby sectors can be read out as on any hard disk device. Operating systems can format this storage area with any file system they like.

• FireWire port - This port is also used extensively. Almost all modern digital camcorders use this connection port. FireWire (also known as i.Link or IEEE 1394) is a personal computer/digital audio/digital video serial bus interface standard. It offers isochronous real-time data services along with high-speed communications. Due to its lower implementation costs, a simplified and an adaptable cabling system, FireWire has replaced parallel SCSI in various applications. All Sony, Dell, and Macintosh computers have a built-in FireWire port to facilitate professional audio/video use.

• Bluetooth - Bluetooth technology is widely used among various devices. Bluetooth provides a connection route, which is secure, globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency, to connect and exchange data between devices like laptops, PCs, digital cameras, printers, mobile phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), as well as with video game consoles like Nintendo Wii. According to the inventors of the Bluetooth technology, the 10th century king of Denmark, Harald Bluetooth, took to diplomacy and made negotiation possible between warring parties, which makes the term Bluetooth an apt name for their technology that allows different devices to talk to each other.

• 802.11 Wi-Fi - Some digital cameras are able to connect to computer networks wirelessly via the 802.11 Wi-Fi, like the Kodak EasyShare One.

• Card Reader - The card reader is gaining increasingly popularity as it is capable of reading several types of storage media, and possesses the ability to transfer data at a high speed to the computer. Utilization of the card reader avoids the drainage of the camera battery as the device draws power from the USB port during the process of download.

Earlier digital cameras used Picture Transfer Protocol or proprietary methods and software supplied by the manufacturer, whereas nowadays most digital cameras are viewable as USB Mass Storage.