Toshiba M200 User Manual

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G
LOSSARY
  Glossary-5
system works.  You use the HW Setup
program to control your system
configuration.
control keys:  A key or sequence of
keys you enter from the keyboard to
initiate a particular function within a
program.
controller:  Built-in hardware and
software that controls the functions of
a specific internal or peripheral device
(e.g. keyboard controller).
co-processor: A circuit built into the
processor that is dedicated to intensive
math calculations.
CPS:  Characters per second.  Typi-
cally used to indicate the transmission
speed of a printer.
CPU:  Central processing unit.  The
portion of the computer that interprets
and executes instructions.
CRT:  Cathode Ray Tube.  A vacuum
tube in which beams projected on a
fluorescent screen-producing luminous
spots.  An example is the television
set.
cursor:  A small, blinking rectangle or
line that indicates the current position
on the display screen.
D
data:  Information that is factual,
measurable or statistical that a
computer can process, store, or
retrieve.
data access arrangement: Circuitry
that isolates a modem or other device
from telephone lines.
data bits:  A data communications
parameter controlling the number of
bits (binary digits) used to make up a
byte.  If data bits = 7 the computer can
generate 128 unique characters.  If
data bits = 8 the computer can
generate 256 unique characters.
DC:  Direct Current.  Electric current
that flows in one direction.  This type
of power is usually supplied by
batteries.
default:  The parameter value
automatically selected by the system
when you or the program do not
provide instructions.  Also called a
preset value.
delete:  To remove data from a disk
or other data storage device.  Synony-
mous with erase.
device driver:  A program that
controls communication between a
specific peripheral device and the
computer.  The CONFIG.SYS file
contains device drivers that MS-DOS
loads when you turn the computer on.
dialog box: A window that accepts
user input to make system settings or
record other information.
disk drive:  The device that randomly
accesses information on a disk and
copies it to the computer’s memory.  It
also writes data from memory to the
disk.  To accomplish these tasks, the
disk drive