We live in the millennial world where we cannot carry out our work without a computer. Be it a PC, a laptop, a tablet or a phone (which is also technically a computer), you need to keep updating your gadgets to keep up with the trend.

While you are at it, you will also feel the need to accessorize and enhance its functionality. This is done through computer accessories and peripherals.
In this brief article, we are going to try and understand what computer accessories and peripherals are, what the difference between the two is and which are the few computer accessories and peripherals that have become a part of our daily lives.

In other words, those that have become a need.

What is a computer accessory?

Any form of hardware that is attached to a computer and performs a specific function is called a computer accessory. This additional function might not be necessary for the computer’s regular working. In other words, the computer can survive without a computer accessory.

What is a computer peripheral?

By definition, a computer peripheral is also an external component that is attached to a computer to enhance its functionality. In this case, similar to the above, a computer can easily function without it.

Difference between computer peripherals and accessories

In order to make you understand the difference easily, let us take an example of a mobile phone.

In the case of a phone, you would add a casing or a cover to make it look more attractive and also add earphones so that the music-listening experience is enhanced. Here, the phone case or cover would be counted as an accessory and the earphones attached would be counted as peripherals. To put it differently, peripherals give more function than floss and accessories can easily be done without.
While thinking of the scenario in this manner, a computer does not need much to operate on a regular basis. Give it a monitor, keyboard and a mouse, with the CPU of course, and you’ll find it perfectly fine. The whole idea of computer accessories and peripherals is to improve the existing functionality and enhance the experience while using the computer.

Computer accessories and peripherals used in daily life

Some of the most commonly available and known computer accessories are as follows:

Printer

As we all know, a printer is a device that is manually connected to our PC or laptop and is used to take physical printouts of the items we create on the system. These days, 3D printers are making the rounds. The concept is identical in a 3D printer, the only difference being that the end product is 3-dimensional, while the usual printer gives a 2-dimensional result on paper. The best choice while purchasing a printer now would be the Canon Pixma. Although Canon has come out with many versions in this series, it would be ideal to buy one depending on its functionality in lieu of your existing model.

Headphones

Headphones, earphones, in-the-ear earphones, cordless earphones, earphones with Bluetooth connectivity – all of these variations can come under the humble category of headphones. You will find a wide range of choice when it comes to the brand, model, and products while purchasing earphones. Some of the known brands that you can rely on are Sennheiser, Sony, Philips, and Bose. These have been on the market for time immemorial and are sure to churn out the best-in-class products.

Speakers

Like headphones, speakers are another needed luxury today. You will barely find people who don’t have a state-of-the-art speaker system. They would have made the purchase for just music interests, for work or even for commercial or office use. Whatever be the reason, a sound speaker system is a need in today’s world. Our best picks would be—JBL Professional Series, the Mackie SRM650, the Bose Professional Series and any product from Electro-Voice.
While purchasing any kind of computer accessories and peripheral, always ensure that you are buying the latest version. If you end up buying a product that is going to become obsolete just to save some money, then it is a waste on your investment anyway.