Toshiba PPM78U05L01E User Manual
User’s Manual
Glossary-3
PORTÉGÉ M780
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
transmitted. Voice communications are analog signals.
transmitted. Voice communications are analog signals.
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.
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
processing and games.
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.
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.
data that does not require a steady stream of bits to be transmitted
at regular time intervals.
B
backup: A duplicate copy of files kept as a spare in case the original is
destroyed.
batch file: A file that can be executed from the system prompt containing a
sequence of operating system commands or executable files.
binary: The base two number system composed of zeros and ones (off or
on), used by most digital computers. The right-most digit of a binary
number has a value of 1, the next a value of 2, then 4, 8, 16, and so
on. For example, the binary number 101 has a value of 5. See also
ASCII.
number has a value of 1, the next a value of 2, then 4, 8, 16, and so
on. For example, the binary number 101 has a value of 5. See also
ASCII.
BIOS: Basic Input Output System. The firmware that controls data flow
within the computer. See also firmware.
bit:
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.
byte.
board: A circuit board. An internal card containing electronic components,
called chips, which perform a specific function or increase the
capabilities of the system.
capabilities of the system.
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.
computer’s memory.