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Glossary
Glossary
AC Adapter
A device which converts the AC voltage from a
wall outlet to the DC voltage needed to power
your LifeBook notebook.
Active-Matrix Display
A type of technology for making flat-panel displays
which has a transistor or similar device for every pixel
on the screen.
BIOS
Basic Input-Output System. A program and set of
default parameters stored in ROM which tests and
operates your LifeBook notebook when you turn it on
until it loads your installed operating system from disk.
Information from the BIOS is transferred to the
installed operating system to provide it with informa-
tion on the configuration and status of the hardware.
Bit
An abbreviation for binary digit. A single piece of
information which is either a one (1) or a zero (0).
bps
An abbreviation for bits per second. Used to describe
data transfer rates.
Boot
To start-up a computer and load its operating system
from disk, ROM or other storage media into RAM.
Bus
An electrical circuit which passes data between the CPU
and the sub-assemblies inside your LifeBook notebook.
Byte
8 bits of parallel binary information.
Cache Memory
A block of memory built into the microprocessor which
is much faster to access than your system RAM and used
in specially structured ways to make your overall data
handling time faster.
CardBus
A faster, 32-bit version of the PC Card interface
which offers performance similar to the 32-bit
PCI architecture.
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 luminescent 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.
DDR
Double Data Rate
Fast version of SDRAM that provides twice the band-
width of standard SDRAMs.
Default Value
A pre-programmed value to be used if you fail to
set your own.
DIMM
Dual-in-line memory module.
DISE
Drive Image Special Edition (DISE) by PowerQuest.
Provides a way to restore your computer if you experi-
ence a hard disk crash or other system failure. DISE is
used to restore the factory image and restore the system
to its original state.
Disk
A spinning platter of magnetic data storage media. If the
platter is very stiff it is a hard drive, 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.
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