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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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 Electronics Engineers
I/O input/output
IRQ interrupt request
ISPInternet service provider
KB kilobyte
LAN  local area network
LCD liquid crystal display
LPT1  line printer port 1 (parallel port)
LSI large-scale integration
MB megabyte
MIDI  Musical Instrument Digital Interface
PC personal computer
PCI  Peripheral Component Interconnect
PCMCIA  Personal Computer Memory Card International 
Association
RAM  random access memory 
						

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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 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 
notebook 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). 
						

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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.
BIOS (basic input/output system) — Basic instructions, stored in read-
only memory (ROM), containing the information the computer needs 
in order to check hardware and load the operating system when you 
start up the computer.
bit: — Short for “binary digit.” A bit is the smallest unit of information 
used by a computer. A group of eight bits is a byte. See also byte.
bits per second (bps) — A way of measuring the speed at which 
information is passed between two devices. The basic measure used in 
modem communications, bps 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 disk drives to locate the startup files. Under the default 
startup sequence, the computer looks for the startup files in the diskette 
drive before checking the hard disk.
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. 
						

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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 storage that uses laser optics instead of magnetic means for 
reading data. See also CD. Compare DV D-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.
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 AccuPoint control button or mouse 
button without moving the AccuPoint or mouse. In Windows, this 
refers to the left mouse button or primary AccuPoint control 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). 
						

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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 symbol that indicates the current position on the screen. The 
shape of the cursor varies, depending on the program you’re using and 
what you’re doing.
Ddefault — 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.
disc — A round, flat piece of metal, 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 diskettes and hard disks. 
Compare disc. See also diskette, hard disk. 
						

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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 an application and, if saved to disk, 
given a name by which it can be retrieved. See also file.
double-click — To press the AccuPoint control button or mouse button 
rapidly twice without moving the AccuPoint or mouse. In Windows, 
this refers to the primary AccuPoint control button or left mouse 
button, unless otherwise stated.
double-density diskette — A 3.5-inch diskette that can hold up to 720 
KB of information (half the capacity of a high-density diskette). See 
also diskette, high-density diskette.
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 AccuPoint control button or mouse button 
while moving the cursor to drag a selected object. In Windows, this 
refers to the primary AccuPoint control button or left mouse button, 
unless otherwise stated.
driver — See device driver.
DVD — An individual digital versatile (or video) disc. See also DV D-
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.
Eemulation — A technique in which a device or program imitates another 
device or program.
enable — To turn on a computer option. See also disable. 
						

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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 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 disk that keeps track of 
the location of files stored on the disk.
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.
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.
Ggigabyte (GB) — A unit of data equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024 x 
1024 x 1024 bytes). See also byte. 
						

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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 
usually fixed, but some computers have secondary hard disks that are 
removable. By default, the hard disk is referred to as drive C.
hardware — The physical components of a computer system. Compare 
software.
Hibernation — A feature of many Toshiba notebook computers that 
saves to the hard disk 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 Standby, Suspend.
high-density diskette — A 3.5-inch diskette that holds 1.44 MB of data. 
See also diskette.
hot 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.
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. 
						

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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 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.
liquid crystal display (LCD) — 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.
Mmegabyte (MB) — A unit of data equal to 1,048,576 bytes (1024 x 1024 
bytes). See also bytes.
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 RAM, ROM.
microprocessor — See central processing unit (CPU).