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Glossary
TECHNICAL NOTE: Some features defined in this glossary may not be available on your device.
Acronyms
The following acronyms may appear in this User’s Guide.
AC
BIOS
BD-ROM bps
CD
CD-ROM
CD-RW
CMOS
CPU
DC
DMA
DIMM
DOS
Alternating Current
Basic Input/Output System
Blu-ray Disc Read-Only Memory bits per second
Compact Disc
Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
Compact Disc Rewrite Memory
Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor
Central Processing Unit
Direct Current
Direct Memory Access
Dual Inline Memory Module
Disk Operating System
137
138 Glossary
DPI Dots Per Inch
DVD Digital Versatile (or Video) Disc
DVD-ROM Digital Versatile (or Video) Disc Read-Only
Memory eSATA external Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment
FAT
FCC
GB
GBps
HDD
HDMI
File Allocation Table
Federal Communications Commission gigabyte gigabytes per second
Hard Disk Drive
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HDMI CEC High-Definition Multimedia Interface Consumer
Electronics Control
HTML Hypertext Markup Language
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
I/O
IRQ
ISP
KB
LAN
LCD
LED
MB
MBps
MIDI
PC
PCI
PCMCIA
RAM
RGB
Input/Output interrupt request
Internet Service Provider kilobyte
Local Area Network
Liquid Crystal Display
Light Emitting Diode megabyte megabytes per second
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
Personal Computer
Peripheral Component Interconnect
Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association
Random Access Memory
Red, Green Blue light (monitor)
Glossary 139
RFI
ROM
RTC
SD
SDRAM
SSD
TFT
USB
URL
WAN www
Radio Frequency Interference
Read-Only Memory
Real-Time Clock
Secure Digital
Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
Solid State Drive
Thin Film Transistor
Universal Serial Bus
Uniform Resource Locator
Wide Area Network
World Wide Web
Terms
The following terms may appear in this User’s Guide.
A
active-matrix display —A liquid crystal display (LCD) made from an array of liquid crystal cells using active-matrix technology. Also known as a “TFT display,” in its simplest form there is one thin film transistor (TFT) for each cell. This type of display works well with computers because of its shallow depth and high-quality color. Active-matrix displays are viewable from wider angles than most passive-matrix displays.
adapter —A device that provides a compatible connection between two units. For example, the computer’s internal display adapter receives information from the software and translates it into images on the screen. An adapter can take a number of forms, from a microprocessor to a simple connector. An intelligent adapter (one that is capable of doing some processing) may also be called a controller.
Alternating Current (AC) —The type of power usually supplied to residential and commercial wall outlets. AC reverses its direction at regular intervals. Compare
Direct
Current (DC)
.
application —A computer program that you use to perform tasks of a specific type. Applications include word processors, spreadsheets, and database management systems. See also
program
.
140 Glossary
B
backup —A copy of a file, usually on a removable disk, kept in case the original file is lost or damaged.
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) —See
BIOS
.
baud rate —The speed at which a communication device, such as a printer or modem, transmits information. Baud rate is the number of signal changes per second (not necessarily the same as bits per second). See also
bits per second
.
Blu-ray Disc (BD) —Offering more storage capacity than
DVDs, the format was developed to allow for more data storage and to enable recording and playback of highdefinition video (HD).
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) —Basic instructions, stored in read-only memory (ROM), containing the information the computer needs to check hardware and load the operating system when you start up the computer.
bits per second (bps) —A way of measuring the speed at which information is passed between two devices. This is the basic unit of measure used in modem communications, and is similar, but not identical, to the baud rate. See also
baud rate
.
boot —To start the computer. The term “boot” originates from bootstrap program (as in “pulling itself up by its bootstraps”), a program that loads and initializes the operating system.
See also
reboot
.
boot disk —See
system disk
.
boot priority (startup sequence) —The order in which the computer accesses its internal storage drives to locate the startup files. Under the default startup sequence, the computer looks for the startup files in the external media before checking the internal storage drive.
bus —An electrical circuit that connects the central processing unit (CPU) with other parts of the computer, such as the video adapter, disk drives, and ports. It is the pathway through which data flows from one device to another. See also
bus speed, frontside bus
.
bus speed —The speed at which the central processing unit
(CPU) communicates with the other parts of the computer.
Glossary 141
C
cache —A section of very fast memory in which frequently used information is duplicated for quick access. Accessing data from cache is faster than accessing it from the computer’s main memory. See also
CPU cache, L1 cache, L2 cache
.
CD —An individual compact disc. See also
CD-ROM
.
CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) —A form of high-capacity storage that uses laser optics instead of magnetic means for reading data. See also
CD
. Compare
DVD-ROM
.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) —The chip that functions as the “brain” of the computer. It takes information from outside sources, such as memory or keyboard input, processes the information, and sends the results to another device that uses the information.
character —Any letter, number, or symbol you can use on the computer. Some characters are non-printing characters, such as a paragraph break in a word-processing program. A character occupies one byte of computer storage.
Charm/charms —Start screen icons that slide out from the right side of the screen and direct you to various Windows ® functions.
chip —A small piece of silicon containing computer logic and circuits for processing, memory, input/output, and/or control functions. Chips are mounted on printed circuit boards.
click —To press and release the pointing device’s primary button without moving the pointing device. In the Windows ® operating system, this refers to the pointing device’s left button, unless otherwise stated. See also
double-click
.
color palette —A set of specified colors that establishes the colors that can be displayed on the screen at a particular time.
compatibility —The extent to which computers, programs, or devices can work together harmoniously, using the same commands, formats, or language as another.
configuration —(1) The collection of components that make up a single computer system. (2) How parts of the system are set up (that is, configured).
142 Glossary controller —A device that controls the transfer of data from a computer to a peripheral device and vice versa. For example, disk drives, monitors, keyboards, and printers all require controllers.
CPU —See
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
.
CPU cache —A section of very fast memory residing between the CPU and the computer’s main memory that temporarily stores data and instructions the CPU will need to execute commands and programs. See also
cache, L1 cache, L2 cache
.
cursor —An on-screen symbol (usually a flashing vertical line) that indicates the position where characters will appear when you enter data.
D
Desktop —Offers the traditional look and feel of the Windows ® desktop found in Windows ® 7 and earlier releases of the
Windows ® operating system.
default —The setting selected by a program when the user does not specify an alternative setting.
device —A component attached to the computer. Devices may be external (outside the computer’s case) or internal (inside the computer’s case). Printers, disk drives, and modems are examples of devices.
device driver —A program (called a “driver”) that permits a computer to communicate with a device.
dialog box —An on-screen window displayed by the operating system or a program giving a direction or requesting input from the user.
Direct Current (DC) —The type of power usually supplied by batteries. DC flows in one direction. Compare
Alternating
Current (AC)
.
Direct Memory Access (DMA) —A dedicated channel, bypassing the CPU, that enables direct data transfer between memory and a device.
directory —See
folder
.
disable —To turn a computer option off. See also
enable
.
E
Glossary 143 disc —A round, flat piece of material, designed to be read from and written to by optical (laser) technology, and used in the production of optical discs, such as CDs and DVDs.
Compare
disk
.
disk —A round, flat piece of material that can be magnetically influenced to hold information in digital form, and used in the production of magnetic disks, such as hard disks. Compare
disc
. See also
hard disk
.
disk drive —The device that reads and writes information and programs on external media or hard disk. It rotates the disk at high speed past one or more read/write heads.
document —Any file created with an application and, if saved to disk, given a name by which it can be retrieved. See also
file
.
double-click —To press and release the pointing device’s primary button rapidly twice without moving the pointing device. In the Windows ® operating system, this refers to the pointing device’s left button, unless otherwise stated.
download —(1) In communications, to receive a file from another computer through a modem or network. (2) To send font data from the computer to a printer. See also
upload
.
drag —To hold down the mouse button while moving the pointer to drag a selected object. In the Windows ® operating system, this refers to the left mouse button, unless otherwise stated.
driver —See
device driver
.
DVD —An individual digital versatile (or video) disc. See also
DVD-ROM
.
DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile [or Video] Disc Read-Only
Memory) —A very high-capacity storage medium that uses laser optics for reading data. Each DVD-ROM can hold as much data as several CD-ROMs. Compare
CD-ROM
.
emulation —A technique in which a device or program imitates another device or program.
enable —To turn on a computer option. See also
disable
.
144 Glossary
F
eSATA —An external device that supports hot swapping and fast data transfer. Very useful in storing and transferring large files.
executable file —A computer program that is ready to run.
Application programs and batch files are examples of executable files. Names of executable files usually end with a .bat or .exe extension.
expansion device —A device that connects to a computer to expand its capabilities. Other names for an expansion device are port expander, port replicator, docking station, or network adapter.
extension —See
file extension
.
external device —See
device
.
file —A collection of related information, saved on disk with a unique name. A file may be a program, information used by a program, or a document. See also
document
.
File Allocation Table (FAT) —The section of a storage drive that keeps track of the location of stored files.
file name —A set of characters that uniquely identifies a file within a particular folder. It consists of two parts: the actual name and the file name extension. See also
file extension
.
file extension —The three characters following the period
(pronounced “dot”) at the end of a file name. The extension indicates the type of file. Examples are .exe for program files and .hlp for help files. See also
file name
.
folder —Also called directory. A container for organizing files saved to a disk. A folder is symbolized on screen by a graphical image (icon) of a file folder. A folder can contain files and other folders.
format —(verb) To prepare a blank disk for use with the computer’s operating system. Formatting creates a structure on the disk so the operating system can write information to the disk or read information from it.
frontside bus —The primary pathway (bus) between the CPU and the computer’s main memory. Also called “system bus.”
See also
bus
.
Glossary 145
Function key —(1) A feature in which certain keys in combination with the Fn key can set system options or control system parameters, such as the battery save mode.
(2) A key or combination of keys that activates a memory resident program.
function keys —The keys labeled F1 through F12 , typically located on the keyboard. Their function is determined by the operating system and/or individual programs.
G
ground —A conductor to which all components of an electric circuit are connected. It has a potential of zero (0) volts, is connected to the earth, and is the point of reference for voltages in the circuit.
H
hard disk —A storage device composed of a rigid platter or platters that can be magnetically coded with data. Hard disks hold much more information than some external media and are used for long-term storage of programs and data.
The primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is usually fixed, but some computers have secondary hard disks that are removable.
hardware —The physical components of a computer system.
Compare
software
.
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) —An interface used to transmit high quality audio and video signal via a single cable in digital format, providing better picture quality than analog signal.
HDMI-CEC (HDMI Consumer Electronics Control) —
One A/V component can control another while using this function, if connected with HDMI cables. See also
HDMI
.
Hibernation —A feature of many Toshiba computers that saves to the internal storage drive the current state of your work, including all open files and programs, when you turn the computer off. When you turn on the computer again, your work is returned to the same state it was when the computer was turned off. See also
Sleep, Suspend
.
hot swapping —The ability to add or remove devices from a computer while the computer is running and have the operating system automatically recognize the change.
146 Glossary
I
interlaced —A method of refreshing a computer screen, in which only every other line of pixels is refreshed. Interlaced monitors take two passes to create a complete screen image. Compare
non-interlaced
.
internal device —See
device
.
Internet —The decentralized, world-wide network of computers that provides electronic mail, the World Wide Web, and other services. See also
World Wide Web
.
K
keyboard shortcut —A key or combination of keys that you use to perform a task instead of using a pointing device such as a mouse.
L
icon —A small image displayed on the screen that represents a function, file, or program.
L1 (level one) cache —Memory cache built into the processor to help improve processing speed. See also
cache, CPU cache, L2 cache
.
L2 (level two) cache —Memory cache installed on the motherboard to help improve processing speed. It is slower than L1 cache and faster than main memory. See also
cache, CPU cache, L1 cache
.
LAN (Local Area Network) —A group of computers or other devices dispersed over a relatively limited area and connected by a communications link that enables any device to interact with any other on the network.
LED (Light Emitting Diode) —A solid state lamp (SSL) that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the source of light, which offers long life and high efficiency output. Multiple diodes are used together, since the light created by individual light-emitting diodes is small compared to incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps.
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) —A type of display that uses a liquid substance between two transparent electrode panels.
When an electric current passes through the electrodes, the molecules in the liquid form a crystalline pattern that polarizes the light passing through it. A filter over the electrodes permits only non-polarized light to pass to the surface of the display, creating light and dark pixels.
Glossary 147 load —To move information from a storage device (such as a hard disk) into memory for processing.
local area network —See
LAN
.
logical drive —A section of a disk that is recognized by the operating system as a separate disk drive. A system’s logical drives may differ from its physical drives. For example, a single hard disk drive may be partitioned into two or more logical drives.
M
memory —Typically refers to the computer’s main memory, where programs are run and data is temporarily stored and processed. Memory can be volatile and hold data temporarily, such as RAM, or it can be nonvolatile and hold data permanently, such as ROM. A computer’s main memory is RAM. See also
RAM, ROM
.
microprocessor —See
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
.
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) —A standard for connecting musical instruments, synthesizers, and computers. The MIDI standard provides a way of translating music into a form computers can use, and vice versa.
motherboard —The computer’s main circuit board that contains the processor, memory, and other primary components.
MS-DOS prompt —See
system prompt
.
multi-function drive —A DVD drive that can read and write to
CD and DVD media.
multimedia —A combination of two or more media, such as sound, animation, and video in a computer program or presentation.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface —See
MIDI
.
N
network —A collection of computers and associated devices that are connected by communications facilities. A network allows you to share data and peripheral devices, such as printers, with other users and to exchange electronic mail.
148 Glossary non-interlaced —A method of refreshing a computer screen, in which each pixel of every line is refreshed as the electron beam scans across and down the screen. Compare
interlaced
.
non-system disk —A disk for storing programs and data that cannot be used to start the computer. Compare
system disk.
O
online —Available through the computer. Online may refer to information being read from your own computer’s internal storage drive, such as online documentation or online Help, or to information coming from another company on a company network or the Internet.
P
operating system —A set of programs that controls how the computer works. Examples of operating systems are the
Windows Vista ® , Windows ® 7, and Windows 8 operating systems.
optical disc drive —A drive which reads plastic coated discs on which information is recorded digitally, and uses a laser to read data, music, or videos.
palette —See
color palette
.
password —A unique string of characters entered by a user to verify his or her identity to the computer or the network.
PC Card —A credit-card-sized expansion card designed to increase the capabilities of computers. PC Cards provide functions such as modem, fax/modem, hard disk drive, network adapter, sound card, or SCSI adapter.
peripheral —Any device, such as a printer or joystick, that is attached to the computer and controlled by the computer’s
CPU.
pixel —Short for “picture element.” The smallest dot that can be produced on a screen or printer.
Plug and Play —Generally, refers to the computer’s ability to automatically configure itself to work with peripheral devices.
When capitalized, refers to a standard that, when followed by a device manufacturer, allows a computer to configure itself automatically to work with the device.
Glossary 149 pointer —An icon (usually an arrow) that moves on the screen when you slide your finger across the touch pad or move a mouse. Used to point to and select/activate on-screen items, such as icons, menu items, and buttons. The shape and purpose of the pointer varies depending on the program you are using and what you are doing.
pointing device —Any device, such as the touch pad or a mouse, that enables you to move the pointer on the screen.
port —A socket on the computer where you plug in a cable for connection to a network or a peripheral device.
processor —See
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
.
program —A set of instructions that can be executed by a computer. The general classes of programs (also called software) are operating system, application, and utility. See also
operating system, application, utility
.
properties —The attributes of an object or device. For example, the properties of a file include the file’s type, size, and creation date.
R
RAM (Random Access Memory) —Volatile memory that can be written to as well as read. Volatile here means that information in RAM is lost when you turn off your computer.
This type of memory is used for your computer’s main memory. See also
memory
. Compare
ROM
.
Random Access Memory —See
RAM
.
Read-Only Memory —See
ROM
.
reboot —See
boot, restart
.
removable disk —A disk that can be removed from a disk drive. A Flash drive is one example of a removable disk.
resolution —A measure of the sharpness of the images that can be produced by a printer or displayed on a screen. For a printer, resolution is expressed in dots per inch (dpi). For a screen, it is expressed as the number of pixels available horizontally and vertically. restart —Synonymous with reboot. To reset the computer by reloading the operating system without turning the computer off. See also
boot
.
150 Glossary
S
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) monitor —A monitor that reproduces all colors by mixing red, green, and blue light in various combinations.
RJ45 connector —An eight-wire connector used to connect a computer to a network.
ROM (Read-Only Memory) —Non-volatile memory that can be read but not written to. Non-volatile here means that information in ROM remains whether or not the computer is receiving power. This type of memory is used to store your computer’s BIOS, which is essential instructions the computer reads when you start it up. See also
BIOS, memory
. Compare
RAM
.
Secure Digital (SD) —A small, portable, non-volatile memory card used to store and transfer data between digital products, providing encryption capability for content security.
select —To highlight or otherwise specify text, data, or graphics with the intent to perform some operation on it.
shortcut —See
keyboard shortcut
.
Sleep —A feature of some Windows ® operating systems that allows you to turn off the computer without exiting your open applications and to continue from where you left off when you turn the computer on again.
software —See
program
. Compare
hardware
.
solid state drive —A data storage device that utilizes solidstate memory as opposed to a hard disk (see also
hard disk
).
Solid state drives hold a large amount of information and are used for storage of programs and data.
Start screen —Displays the new Windows ® operating system look and feel.
Suspend —A feature of some Windows ® operating systems that allows you to turn off the computer without exiting your open applications and to continue from where you left off when you turn the computer on again.
Swipe —Swipe an open window to the left or right of the screen to display the next or previous window.
Glossary 151
T
system prompt —The symbol (in the MS-DOS ® operating system, generally a drive letter followed by a “greater than” sign) indicating where users are to enter commands.
TFT display —See
active-matrix display
.
Touch —To activate items displayed on the screen, such as apps, setting icons, and on-screen buttons by touching them with your finger.
Tile/Tiles —A list of square or rectangular icons on the Start screen representing applications that can be accessed by selecting them.
U
Universal Serial Bus (USB) —USB is a serial bus that supports data transfer. USB allows hot swapping of peripherals. See also
bus, hot swapping, serial
.
upload —To send a file to another computer through a modem or network. See also
download
.
USB —See
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
.
USB Flash drive —A small, portable flash memory card that plugs into a computer’s USB port and functions as a portable hard drive. They are smaller and more durable than an external hard drive because they do not contain any internal moving parts, but have less storage capacity. See also
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
.
utility —A computer program designed to perform a narrowly focused operation or solve a specific problem. Utilities are often related to computer system management.
W
Web —See
World Wide Web
.
Wi-Fi ® —A registered trademark term of the Wi-Fi Alliance that stands for Wireless Fidelity, and is another term for the communication protocol to permit an Ethernet connection using wireless communication components.
World Wide Web (www) —The worldwide network of Web sites linked together over the Internet. A user of the Web can jump from site to site regardless of the location of the computer hosting the site. See also
Internet
.

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