Bandwidth- A frequency measurement, expressed in cycles per second
(hertz) or bits per second (bps), of the amount of information that can flow
through a channel.
Basic Input/output system (BIOS)- A setup of programs encoded in read-only
memory (ROM) on IBM PC-compatible computers. These programs handle startup operations
such as the power-on self-test (POST) and low-level control for hardware such as disk
drives, keyboard, and monitor.
Benchmark- A standard measurement, determined by a benchmark program, that
is used to test the performance of different brands of equipment.
Bits Per Second (bps)- In asynchronous communications, a measurement of data
transmission speed. In personal computing, bps rates frequently are used to measure
the performance of modems and serial ports.
Boot Sequence- The order in which a computers (BIOS) searches disk drives
for operating system files.
Bus- An internal electrical pathway along, which signals are sent from one part of
the computer to another.
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Cache- A storage area that keeps frequently accessed data or program
instructions readily available so that you don't have to retrieve them repeatedly from
slow storage.
Case- The metal cabinet that contains the motherboard, adapters, and any
components, such as disk drives. There are several different types such as desktop,
mini-tower, mid-tower, and tower.
CD-ROM disk drive- A read-only disk drive designed to read the data encoded on
CD-ROMs and to transfer this data to a computer.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)- A computer's internal storage, processing, and
control circuitry, including the arithmeticlogic unit (ALU), the control unit,
read-only memory (ROM), and random-access memory (RAM).
Clock Speed- The speed of the internal clock of a microprocessor that sets
the pace, measured in megahertz (MHz), at which operations proceed within the
computer's internal processing circuitry.
Computer System- A complete computer installation, including peripherals,
such as hard and floppy disk drives, monitors, mouse, operating system, software,
and printer ,in which all the components are designed to work with each other.
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Fixed Disk- A hard disk, in IBM parlance.
Flash BIOS- A read-only memory (ROM) chip storing the computer's basic
input-output system (BIOS) that you can reprogram with software, instead of having to
remove the BIOS chip, reprogram it in a special machine, and then replace the chip.
Floating-point Unit- A portion of a microprocessor that handles operations
in which the decimal point moves left and right to allow for very high precision when
dealing with very large or very small numbers. This becomes a very important factor when
gaming is an issue.
Floppy Disk- A removable and widely used data storage medium that uses a
magnetically coated flexible disk of Mylar enclosed in a plastic envelope or case. Floppy
Disk Controller- The circuitry responsible for operating a floppy disk drive.
Floppy Disk Drive- A mechanism that enables a computer to read and write
information on floppy disks.
Format- The organization of information for storage, printing, or displaying.
Frame Buffer- A portion of display memory that stores the information used
to generate an image on-screen. Usually the central processing unit (CPU) writes
data to the frame buffer, then the video controller reads it, but dual-ported video
random-access memory (VRAM) allows simultaneous reads and writes.
Full-motion Video Adapter- A video adapter that can display moving video images-
prerecorded or live -in a window that appears on the display.
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Game Port- A socket that lets you connect a joystick, or other game device
to your computer.
Gigabyte- A unit of measurement approximately equal to 1 billion bits
(1,073,741,824). Usually used when starting an amount of memory or disk capacity. One
gigabyte equals 1,000M (megabytes).
Graphics Accelerator Board- A video adapter that includes a graphics
coprocessor and all the other circuitry normally found on a video adapter. The
graphics accelerator handles the graphic processing, freeing the central processing
unit (CPU) for other important tasks and thereby dramatically improving your system's
capability to run Microsoft Windows 95 and other graphical applications.
Graphics Coprocessor- A microprocessor specially designed to speed the
processing and display of high- resolution video images.
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Hard Drive- A secondary storage medium that uses several rigid disks coated
with a magnetically sensitive material and housed, together with the recording heads, in
hermetically sealed mechanism. Typical storage range from 850M to 6.4G, although 8.4G hard
drives are now available.
Hard Drive Controller- The circuitry, usually mounted on the hard disk
itself, that controls the spindle motor and the head actuator of a hard
disk. Under instructions from the host adapter, the hard disk controller searches
for needed information and communicates it to the rest of the computer.
Hardware- The electronic components, boards, peripherals, and equipment that make
up your computer system; distinguished from the programs (software) that tell these
components what to do.
Hertz (Hz)- A unit of measurement of electrical vibration; one Hz is equal to one
cycle per second.
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Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)- The expansion bus design of IBM's AT
(advanced Technology) computer, which uses a 16-bit bus with several 8-bit slots for
download compatibility.
Input/Output (I/O) System- One of the chief components of a computer system's
architecture, the link between the microprocessor and its surrounding components.
Intel- The world's largest manufacturer of microprocessors and other semiconductors,
based in Santa Clara, California. About three-fourths of the world's computers have Intel
CPU's. Intels competition includes Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Cyrix.
Interface- The connection between hardware devices, between two applications,
or between a user and an application that facilitates the exchange of data.
ISA Slot- A receptacle on the motherboard designed to conform to the Industry
Standard Architecture (ISA) standard.
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Keyboard- The most frequently used input device. The keyboard provides a set
of alphabetic, numeric, punctuation, symbol, and control keys. When a character key is
pressed, a coded input signal is sent to the computer, which echoes the signal by
displaying a character on-screen.
Kilobyte- The basic unit of measurement for computer memery and disk capacity,
equal to 1,024 bytes. The prefix kilo suggests 1,000, but the computer world is based on
twos, not tens: 2^10=1,024. Because one byte is the same as one character in personal
computing, 1K of data can contain 1,024 characters (letters, numbers, or punctuation
marks).
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L2 Cache- Cache memory that is on the motherboard rather than inside
a microprocessor. Also called secondary cache memory, L2 cache memory dramatically
improves system performance and is essential to every computer system.
Local Bus- A high-speed data path that directly links the computer's central
processing unit (CPU) with one or more slots on the expansion bus. This direct
link means the signal from an adapter (video or hard disk controller, for example) don't
have to travel through the computer's expansion bus, which is significantly slower.
Logical Drives- Sections of a hard drive that are formatted and assigned a
drive letter, each of which is presented to the user as though it were a separate drive.
Low-level format- Defining the physical location of magnetic tracks and sectors
on a disk. This operation, sometimes called a physical format, is different from the high-level
format that establishes the sections where DOS system files are stored and that
records the free and in-use areas of the disk.
Low-power Microprocessor- A Microprocessor that runs on 3.3 volts of
electricity or less.
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MB- Abbreviation for megabyte (1,048,576 bytes).
Math Coprocessor- A secondary microprocessor that frees the central
processing unit (CPU) from tedious, calculation-intensive chores. Math coprocessors
can significantly speed up computer aided design (CAD) drawing and spreadsheet
calculation, but won't significantly improve Windows 95's performance.
Maximum RAM- The amount of random-access memory (RAM) that could be possible
installed on a particular motherboard. Maximum RAM specifications usually are
expressed as "expandable-to" statements in advertisements.
Megahertz (MHz)- A unit of measurement equal to 1 million electrical vibrations or
cycles per second; commonly used to compare the clock speeds of computers.
Memory- The computer's primary storage, such as random-access memory
(RAM), as distinguished from its secondary storage, such as disk drives.
Microprocessor- An integrated circuit that contains the arithmetic-logic
unit (ALU), control unit, and the floating-point unit (FPU) of a computer's central
processing unit (CPU). There are many different microprocessors available such
as Intel MMX 133, 166, 200, and 233; AMD K6, and also Cyrix 166+ and 200+.
Modem- A device that converts the digital signals generated by the serial port
to the modulated analog signals required for transmission over a telephone line and,
likewise, transforms incoming analog signals to their digital equivalents. The speed at
which a modem connect is measure in units called bits per second, or bps.
Monitor- The complete device that produces an on-screen image, including the display
and all necessary internal support circuitry.
Motherboard- A large circuit board that contains the computer's central
processing unit (CPU), microprocessor support chips, random-access memory (RAM),
and expansion slots.
Mouse- An input device, equipped with one or more control buttons, that's housed in
a palm-sized case and designed so that you can roll it about on the table next to your keyboard.
As the mouse moves, its circuits relay signals that correspondingly move a pointer
on-screen.
MS-DOS- The standard, single-user operating system of IBM and IBM-compatible
computers, introduced in 1981.
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