for people who simply want to buy and use computer technology, "plug and play" is the ideal mode. This means that a computer could be purchased from vendor X, a second computer from vendor Y, a program from vendor Z, and a printer from vendor A, and all these parts could be connected and used with the same ease that people expect with stereo system components. The way to achieve this ideal is through standards. Just as stereo components are built to use a standard voltage, produce or use a standard type of signal, and connect with standard plugs and cables, computers and application programs need to use certain standards for communication protocols and file access. This "plug and play" mode is getting closer today because of vendors' and manufacturers' support and adoption of standards.