Toshiba P30 Series User Manual

User’s Manual

Glossary-2

Glossary

RAM:  random access memory
ROM:  read only memory
RTC:  real time clock
SCSI:  small computer system interface
TFT:  thin-film transistor
USB:  Universal Serial Bus
VESA:  Video Electronic Standards Association
VGA:  video graphics array 
XGA:  extended graphics array

A

adaptor:  A device that provides an interface between two dissimilar 

electronic devices. For example, the AC adaptor modifies the power 

from a wall outlet for use by the computer. This term also refers to 

the add-in circuit cards that control external devices, such as video 

monitors and magnetic tape devices. 

application:  A group of programs that together are used for a specific task 

such as accounting, financial planning, spreadsheets, word 

processing and games.

ASCII:  American Standard Code for Information Interchange. ASCII code 

is a set of 256 binary codes that represent the most commonly used 

letters, numbers, and symbols.

B

BIOS:  Basic Input Output System. The firmware that controls data flow 

within the computer. See also firmware.

  Derived from "binary digit," the basic unit of information used by the 

computer. It is either zero or one. Eight bits is one byte. See also 

byte.

boot:  Short for bootstrap. A program that starts or restarts the computer.  

The program reads instructions from a storage device into the 

computer’s memory.

bps:  Bits per second. Typically used to describe the data transmission 

speed of a modem.

buffer:  The portion of the computer’s memory where data is temporarily 

stored. Buffers often compensate for differences in the rate of flow 

from one device to another.

bus:  An interface for transmission of signals, data or electric power.
byte:  The representation of a single character. A sequence of eight bits 

treated as a single unit; also the smallest addressable unit within the 

system.