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Glossary
Random Access Memory—See RAM.
Read-Only Memory—See ROM.
reboot—See boot, restart.
removable disk—A disk that can be removed from a disk drive. A Flash
drive is one example of a removable disk.
resolution—A measure of the sharpness of the images that can be
produced by a printer or displayed on a screen. For a printer,
resolution is expressed in dots per inch (dpi). For a screen, it is
expressed as the number of pixels available horizontally and
vertically.
restart—Synonymous with reboot. To reset the computer by reloading
the operating system without turning the computer off. See also
boot.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) monitor—A monitor that reproduces all
colors by mixing red, green, and blue light in various combinations.
RJ11 connector—A modular connector used on most U.S. telephone
systems and direct-connect modems. The RJ11 connector is a
6-wire connector.
RJ45 connector—An eight-wire connector used to connect a computer
to a network.
ROM (Read-Only Memory)—Non-volatile memory that can be read
but not written to. Non-volatile here means that information in ROM
remains whether or not the computer is receiving power. This type
of memory is used to store your computer’s BIOS, which is
essential instructions the computer reads when you start it up. See
also BIOS, memory. Compare RAM.
S
Secure Digital (SD)—A small, portable, non-volatile memory card used
to store and transfer data between digital products, providing
encryption capability for content security.
select—To highlight or otherwise specify text, data, or graphics with the
intent to perform some operation on it.
serial—Processes that occur one at a time. In communications, it means
the transmission of one bit at a time sequentially over a single
channel. On your computer, the serial port provides a serial interface
between the computer and an appropriate device. Compare parallel.