Toshiba Satellite 3000 S Manual

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Glossar y
TECHNICAL NOTE: Some features defined in this glossary 
may not be available on your computer.
Acronyms
The following acronyms may appear in this user’s guide.
AC alternating current
BIOS basic input/output system
bps bits per second
CDcompact disc
CD-ROM  compact disc read-only memory
CD-RW  compact disc rewrite memory
CMOS complementary metal-oxide semiconductor
COM1  communications port 1 (serial port)
COM2  communications port 2 (serial port)
CPU central processing unit
DC direct current 

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232
DMA  direct memory access
DIMM  dual inline memory module
DOS  disk operating system
DPI  dots per inch
DSTNdual supertwist nematic
DVD  digital versatile (or video) disc
DVD- ROMdigital versatile (or video) disc read-only memory
ECP enhanced capabilities port
EPROMerasable programmable read-only memory
FATfile allocation table
FCC  Federal Communications Commission
FIR fast infrared
GB gigabyte
HDD  hard disk drive
HTMLHypertext Markup Language
IEEEInstitute of Electrical and...

Glossary
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RFI radio frequency interference
ROM read-only memory
RTC real-time clock
SCSI  small computer system interface
SDRAM  synchronous dynamic random access memory
SRAM  static random access memory
SVGA  super video graphics adapter
TFT thin film transistor
USB universal serial bus
URLuniform resource locator
WA Nwide area network
www World Wide Web
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...

Glossary
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234
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...

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235
byte — A sequence of eight bits. A byte is the smallest addressable unit 
of data. See also bit, gigabyte, kilobyte, megabyte.
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...

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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 — A...

Glossary
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237
disk drive — The device that reads and writes information and programs 
on a diskette or hard disk. It rotates the disk at high speed past one or 
more read/write heads.
diskette — A thin, flexible disk in a protective jacket that stores 
magnetically encoded data. Diskettes can be removed from the 
computer and come in two sizes: 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch. Your 
computer uses 3.5-inch diskettes. See also double-density diskette, 
high-density diskette.
document — Any file created with...

Glossary
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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...

Glossary
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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.
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 diskettes and are used for long-term storage of 
programs and data. The primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is...

Glossary
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Kkeyboard shortcut — A key or combination of keys that you use to 
perform a task instead of using a pointing device such as the 
AccuPoint. 
kilobyte (KB) — A unit of data equal to 1024 bytes. See also byte.
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...