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14 Users Guide
Glossary
P
parallel port
A connector on
the back of the computer for
plugging in a parallel cable
attached to a parallel device,
such as a printer. Data is
transferred, one byte at a time,
through eight data wires (one for
each bit in the byte). All eight
bits travel side by side and arrive
at the same time. A parallel port
is faster than a serial port, which
lets data through one bit at a
time. See also digital and
serial port.
path
A sequence of information
that directs the operating system
to a file. For example,
C:\Windows\Clouds.bmp is the
path to a bitmap file named
Clouds. It is located in a folder
named Windows, which is
located on the C: drive.
PC card
A removable device
that is designed to plug into a
PCMCIA slot to accommodate
devices such as a modem, fax, or
rotating storage media.
peripheral
An external device
connected to a computer.
Examples are a monitor,
keyboard, mouse, printer,
scanner, joystick, and digital
camera.
pixel
One of the individual dots,
or picture elements, that
compose a graphical image.
See also graphics.
playlist
Tracks chosen to play
from a CD or DVD.
plug-and-play
A feature,
introduced with Windows 95, to
simplify the use of some
peripheral devices. After the
device has been installed (in
accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions),
you can plug it into the computer
while the computer is running.
The operating system
automatically recognizes the
new device. (In order to connect
a non-plug-and-play device, you
must first shut down the
computer.) See also peripheral.