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Glossary
pointer—An icon (usually an arrow) that moves on the
screen when you slide your finger across the touch pad
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 application you are using and what
you are doing.
pointing device—Any device, such as the touch pad or a
mouse, that enables you to move the pointer on the
screen.
port—A socket on the computer where you plug in a cable
for connection to a network or a peripheral device.
processor—See
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
.
program—A set of instructions that can be executed by a
computer. The general classes of applications (also
called software) are operating system, application, and
utility. See also
operating system, application, utility
.
properties—The attributes of an object or device. For
example, the properties of a file include the file’s type,
size, and creation date.
R
RAM (Random Access Memory)—
Volatile
memory that
can be written to as well as read.
Volatile
here means
that information in RAM is lost when you turn off your
computer. This type of memory is used for your
computer’s main memory. See also
memory. Compare
ROM
.
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.