Meaning – The term plug and play, refers to the capability of a hardware or software component to be installed on a system with minimal effort and to be available for use immediately thereafter.
In a plug-and-play system, the user does not have to manually install drivers for the device or even tell the computer that a new device has been added. Instead, the computer automatically recognizes the device, loads new drivers for the hardware if needed, and begins to work with the newly connected device.
While Plug and Play usually refer to computer peripheral devices, such as keyboards and mice, it can also be used to describe internal hardware. For example, a video card or hard drive may be a Plug and Play device, meaning the computer will recognize it as soon as it is installed.
Example of usage – “When the time came to buy herself a new computer, she decided to go for the Apple Mac as it was a plug and play device. She connected the computer to the power outlet and she was good to go as everything essential was already pre-installed.”
