Toshiba Encore 8 User Manual
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Glossary111 DOS Disk Operating System DPI Dots Per Inch DVD Digital Versatile (or Video) Disc DVD-ROMDigital Versatile (or Video) Disc Read-Only Memory eSATAexternal Serial Advanced Technology Attachment FATFile Allocation Table FCC Federal Communications Commission GB gigabyte GBps gigabytes per second HDD Hard Disk Drive HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface HDMI CECHigh-Definition Multimedia Interface Consumer Electronics Control HTMLHypertext Markup Language IEEEInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers I/O Input/Output IRQ interrupt request ISPInternet Service Provider KB kilobyte LAN Local Area Network LCD Liquid Crystal Display LED Light Emitting Diode MB megabyte MBps megabytes per second MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface PC Personal Computer PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association RAM Random Access Memory
112Glossary RGB Red, Green Blue light (monitor) RFI Radio Frequency Interference ROM Read-Only Memory RTC Real-Time Clock SD Secure Digital SDRAM Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory SSD Solid State Drive TFT Thin Film Transistor USB Universal Serial Bus URLUniform Resource Locator WANWide Area Network www Wo r l d W i d e We b Te r m s The following terms may appear in this User’s Guide. Aactive-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) .
Glossary113 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. Bbackup—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 high- definition 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.
114Glossary 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. Ccache—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.
Glossary115 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). 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. DDesktop—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.
116Glossary 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. 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.
Glossary117 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. Eemulation—A technique in which a device or program imitates another device or program. enable—To turn on a computer option. See also disable. 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. Ffile—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.
118Glossary 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. 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. Gground—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. Hhard 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.
Glossary119 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. Iicon—A small image displayed on the screen that represents a function, file, or program. 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. Kkeyboard shortcut—A key or combination of keys that you use to perform a task instead of using a pointing device such as a mouse. LL1 (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.
120Glossary 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. 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. Mmemory—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.