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Glossary
137
non-system disk—A disk for storing applications and data
that cannot be used to start the computer. Compare
system disk
.
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 applications that controls how
the computer works. Examples of operating systems are
the Windows Vista
®
, Windows
®
7, and Windows 8
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
.
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.