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GLOSSARY
Glossary-4
capacity: The amount of data that can
be stored on a magnetic storage
device such as a diskette (floppy
disk) or hard disk. It is usually
described in terms of kilobytes (KB),
where one KB = 1024 bytes and
megabytes (MB), where one MB =
1024 KB.
card: Synonym for board. See board.
CardBus: An industry standard bus
for 32-bit PC Cards.
CD-ROM: A Compact Disk-Read
Only Memory is a high capacity disk
that can be read from but not written
to. The CD-ROM drive uses a laser,
rather than magnetic heads, to read
data from the disk.
character: Any letter, number,
punctuation mark, or symbol used by
the computer. Also synonymous with
byte.
chassis: The frame containing the
computer.
chip: A small semiconductor contain-
ing computer logic and circuitry for
processing, memory, input/output
functions and controlling other chips.
CMOS: Complementary Metal-Oxide
Semiconductor. An electronic circuit
fabricated on a silicon wafer that
requires very little power. Integrated
circuits implemented in CMOS
technology can be tightly packaged
and are highly reliable.
cold start: Starting a computer that is
currently off (turning on the power).
commands: Instructions you enter at
the terminal keyboard that direct the
actions of the computer or its periph-
eral devices.
communications: The means by
which a computer transmits and
receives data to and from another
computer or device.
Compact Flash: A small removable
mass storage device, designed with
flash technology, a non-volatile
storage solution that does not require
a battery to retain data indefinitely.
compatibility: 1) The ability of one
computer to accept and process data in
the same manner as another computer
without modifying the data or the
media upon which it is being trans-
ferred. 2) the ability of one device to
connect to or communicate with
another system or component.
components: Elements or parts (of a
system) which make up the whole
(system).
computer program: A set of instruc-
tions written for a computer that
enable it to achieve a desired result.
computer system: A combination of
hardware, software, firmware, and
peripheral components assembled to
process data into useful information.
configuration: The specific compo-
nents in your system (such as the
terminal, printer, and disk drives) and
the settings that define how your
capacity