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Glossary
O
online—Available through the computer. Online may refer to
information being read from your own computer’s internal storage
drive, such as online documentation or online Help, or to
information coming from another company on a company network
or the Internet.
operating system—A set of programs that controls how the computer
works. Examples of operating systems are the Windows Vista
®
Home Basic and Windows
®
7 operating systems.
optical disc drive—A drive which reads plastic coated discs on which
information is recorded digitally, and uses a laser to read data,
music, or videos.
P
palette—See color palette.
parallel—Processes that occur simultaneously. In communications, it
means the transmission of more than one bit of information at a
time. On your computer, the parallel port provides a parallel
communications interface between the computer and an appropriate
device. Most modern printers are parallel. Compare serial.
password—A unique string of characters entered by a user to verify his
or her identity to the computer or the network.
PC Card—A credit-card-sized expansion card designed to increase the
capabilities of computers. PC Cards provide functions such as
modem, fax/modem, hard disk drive, network adapter, sound card,
or SCSI adapter.
peripheral—Any device, such as a printer or joystick, that is attached to
the computer and controlled by the computer’s CPU.
pixel—Short for “picture element.” The smallest dot that can be
produced on a screen or printer.
Plug and Play—Generally, refers to the computer’s ability to
automatically configure itself to work with peripheral devices.
When capitalized, refers to a standard that, when followed by a
device manufacturer, allows a computer to configure itself
automatically to work with the device.
pointer—An icon (usually an arrow) that moves on the screen when you
slide your finger across the TouchPad or move a mouse. Used to
point to and select/activate on-screen items, such as icons, menu
items, and buttons. The shape and purpose of the pointer varies
depending on the program you are using and what you are doing.