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Glossary 177
shortcut, the original file is not affected. Also, you can
rename a shortcut icon.
shutdown — The process of closing windows and exiting
programs, exiting the operating system, and turning off
your computer. You can lose data if you turn off your
computer before completing a shutdown.
smart card — A card that is embedded with a processor
and a memory chip. Smart cards can be used to
authenticate a user on computers equipped for smart
cards.
software — Anything that can be stored electronically,
such as computer files or programs.
S/PDIF — Sony/Philips Digital Interface — An audio
transfer file format that allows the transfer of audio from
one file to another without converting it to and from an
analog format, which could degrade the quality of the file.
standby mode — A power management mode that shuts
down all unnecessary computer operations to save energy.
Strike Zone™ — Reinforced area of the platform base
that protects the hard drive by acting as a dampening
device when a computer experiences resonating shock or
is dropped (whether the computer is on or off).
surge protectors — Prevent voltage spikes, such as those
that may occur during an electrical storm, from entering
the computer through the electrical outlet. Surge
protectors do not protect against lightning strikes or
against brownouts, which occur when the voltage drops
more than 20 percent below the normal AC-line voltage
level.
Network connections cannot be protected by surge
protectors. Always disconnect the network cable from the
network connector during electrical storms.
SVGA — super-video graphics array — A video standard
for video cards and controllers. Typical SVGA resolutions
are 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768.
The number of colors and resolution that a program
displays depends on the capabilities of the monitor, the
video controller and its drivers, and the amount of video
memory installed in the computer.
S-video TV-out — A connector used to attach a TV or
digital audio device to the computer.
SXGA — super-extended graphics array — A video
standard for video cards and controllers that supports
resolutions up to 1280 x 1024.
SXGA+ — super-extended graphics array plus — A video
standard for video cards and controllers that supports
resolutions up to 1400 x 1050.
system board — The main circuit board in your computer.
Also known as the motherboard.
system setup — A utility that serves as an interface
between the computer hardware and the operating
system. System setup allows you to configure user-
selectable options in the BIOS, such as date and time or
system password. Unless you understand what effect the
settings have on the computer, do not change the settings
for this program.
system tray — See notification area.
T
TAPI — telephony application programming interface —
Enables Windows programs to operate with a wide variety
of telephony devices, including voice, data, fax, and video.
text editor — A program used to create and edit files that
contain only text; for example, Windows Notepad uses a
text editor. Text editors do not usually provide word wrap
or formatting functionality (the option to underline,
change fonts, and so on).
travel module — A plastic device designed to fit inside
the module bay of a portable computer to reduce the
weight of the computer.
U
UMA — unified memory allocation — System memory
dynamically allocated to video.
UPS — uninterruptible power supply — A backup power
source used when the electrical power fails or drops to an
unacceptable voltage level. A UPS keeps a computer
running for a limited amount of time when there is no
electrical power. UPS systems typically provide surge
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