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User’s Manual Glossary-8
Glossary
G
gigabyte (GB): A unit of data storage equal to 1024 megabytes. See also
megabyte.
graphics: Drawings, pictures, or other images, such as charts or graphs, to
present information.
H
hard disk: A storage device composed of a rigid platter or platters that can
be magnetically coded with data. Hard disks hold much more
information than diskettes and are used for long-term storage of
programs and data. The primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is
usually fixed, but some computers have secondary hard disks that
are removable. By default, the hard disk is referred to as drive C.
hard disk drive (HDD): An electromechanical device that reads and writes
a hard disk. See also hard disk.
hardware: The physical electronic and mechanical components of a
computer system: typically, the computer itself, external disk drives,
etc. See also software and firmware.
hertz: A unit of wave frequency that equals one cycle per second.
host computer: The computer that controls, regulates, and transmits
information to a device or another computer.
hot key: The computer’s feature in which certain keys in combination with
the extended function key, FN, can be used to set system
parameters, such as speaker volume.
I
icon: A small graphic image displayed on the screen or in the indicator
panel. In Windows, an icon represents an object that the user can
manipulate.
i.LINK (IEEE1394): This port enables high-speed data transfer directly
from external devices such as digital video cameras.
input: The data or instructions you provide to a computer, communication
device or other peripheral device from the keyboard or external or
internal storage devices. The data sent (or output) by the sending
computer is input for the receiving computer.
instruction: Statements or commands that specify how to perform a
particular task.
interface: 1) Hardware and/or software components of a system used
specifically to connect one system or device to another. 2) To
physically connect one system or device to another to exchange
information. 3) The point of contact between user, the computer, and
the program, for example, the keyboard or a menu.
interrupt request: A signal that gives a component access to the
processor.