Toshiba M200 User Manual

ANSI:  American National Standards
Institute.  An organization established
to adopt and define standards for a
variety of technical disciplines.  For
example, ANSI defined the ASCII
standard and other information
processing requirements.

antistatic:  A material used to prevent
the buildup of static electricity.

application:  A group of programs
that together are used for a specific
task such as accounting, financial
planning, spreadsheets, word process-
ing, and games, etc.

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.

async:  Short for asynchronous.

asynchronous:  Lacking regular time
relationship.  As applied to computer
communications, asynchronous refers
to the method of transmitting data that
does not require a steady stream of bits
to be transmitted at regular time
intervals.

AUTOEXEC.BAT:  A batch file that
executes a series of MS-DOS com-
mands and programs each time you
start the computer.

VESA:  Video Electronic Standards
Association

VGA:  video graphics array

VRT:  voltage reduction technology

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.

allocate:  To assign a space or
function for a specific task.

alphanumeric:  Keyboard characters
including letters, numbers and other
symbols, such as punctuation marks or
mathematical symbols.

alternating current (AC):  Electric
current that reverses its direction of
flow at regular intervals.

analog signal:  A signal whose
characteristics such as amplitude and
frequency vary in proportion to (are
an analog of) the value to be transmit-
ted.  Voice communications are analog
signals.