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174
Default Value
A preprogrammed value to be used if you fail
to set your own.
DIMM
Dual-in-line Memory Module.
Disk
A spinning platter of magnetic data storage
media. If the platter is very stiff it is a hard disk,
if it is highly flexible it is a floppy disk,if it is a
floppy disk in a hard housing with a shutter it is
commonly called a diskette.
Disk Drive
The hardware which spins the disk and has the
heads and control circuitry for reading and
writing the data on the disk.
Diskette
A floppy disk in a hard housing with a shutter.
DMA
Direct Memory Access.Special circuitry for
memory to memory transfers of data which do
not require CPU action.
COM Port
Abbreviation for communication port.
This is your serial interface connection to
other equipment.
Command
An instruction which you give your operating
system. Example: run a particular application
or format a floppy disk.
Configuration
The combination of hardware and software that
makes up your system and how it is allocated
for use.
CRT
Cathode Ray Tube.A display device which uses
a beam of electronic particles striking a lumi-
nescent screen. It produces a visual image by
varying the position and intensity of the beam.
Data
The information a system stores and processes.
DC
Direct current.A voltage or current that does
not fluctuate periodically with time.
CD-ROM
Compact Disc Read Only Memory. This is a
form of digital data storage which is read opti-
cally with a laser rather than with a magnetic
head.A typical CD-ROM can contain about
600MB of data and is not subject to heads crash-
ing into the surface and destroying the data
when there is a failure nor to wear from reading.
CHS Translation
Cylinder, Head and Sector translation.
Conversion of hard disk access addressing to
the cylinder, head and sector form. The termi-
nology is historical left from the days when data
was stored on a series of cylindrical drums. The
head designates the reading device, similar to
the head on your cassette recorder only mount-
ed on a movable arm. Another addressing
method is LBA.
CMOS RAM
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
Random Access Memory. This is a technology
for manufacturing random access memory
which requires very low levels of power
to operate.