providing a high-speed data
path
between
the
processor
and devices such as video, drives, and
networks.
PCI
Express
— A modification to the PCI
interface
that
boosts
the
data transfer rate between
the
processor
and
the devices attached
to it. PCI
Express can transfer data
at
speeds
from
250 MB/sec
to 4
GB/sec.
If the PCI
Expr
ess
chip
set and
the
device are capable
of different speeds,
they
will
operate
at the
slower
speed.
PCMCIA —
Personal
Computer Memory
Card
International Association
— The
organization
that
establishes
standar
d
s
for PC
Car
d
s.
PIO —
programmed
input/output — A
method
of
transferring data between
two
devices through
the
processor as
part of the
data
path.
pixel — A
single
point on
a display screen. P
i
x
e
ls
ar
e
arranged
in
rows and columns
to
create an image.
A video
resolution, such
as 800
x
600, is expressed as
the
number
of
pixels across by
the
number
of
pixels
up
and
down.
Plug-and-Play
— The ability of the
computer
to
automatically configure
devices. Plug and Play
provides
automatic installation, configuration, and
compatibility
with
existing hardware
if the
BIOS, operating system,
and
all
devices are Plug and Play
compliant.
POST —
power-on self-test
—
Diagnostics
programs,
loaded automatically by
the
BIOS,
that
perform
basic
tests
on the
major computer components, such as
memory, hard drives, and video.
If no
problems
ar
e
detected
during
POST,
the
computer continues
the start-
up.
processor
— A
computer
chip that
interprets and
e
x
ecutes
program instructions. Sometimes
the
processor is r
e
ferr
ed
to
as
the CPU
(central processing
unit).
PS/2
—
personal system/2
— A
type
of
connector
for
attaching a PS/2-compatible keyboard, mouse,
or
k
e
ypad.
PXE —
pre-boot execution environment
— A
WfM
(Wired for
Management) standard
that
allows
network
e
d
computers
that do not
have an operating system
to be
configured and started r
e
motely
.
R
RA
I
D
—
redundant array
of
independent disks
— A
method
of
providing data redundancy. Some
common
implementations
of RAID
include
RAID
0,
RAID 1,
RAID 5, RAID
10, and
RAID 50.
RAM —
random-access memory
— The primary
temporary storage area
for
program instructions and
data.
Any
information
stored
in RAM
is
lost
when you
shut
down your
computer.
readme
file — A text file
included
with
a software package
or
hardware product. Typically, readme files
provide
installation
information
and describe new
product
enhancements
or
correction
s
that
have
not
yet
been
documented.
read-only
—
Data and/or files you can view
but cannot
edit or
delete.
A file
can have read-only status
if:
• It
resides
on
a physically write-protected
floppy disk,
CD, or
D
V
D.
• It
is located
on
a network
in
a directory and
the
system
administrator
has assigned rights only
to
specific
individuals.
refresh rate
— The
frequency, measured
in Hz, at which
your screen's
horizontal lines are recharged
(sometimes
a
l
so
referred
to
as
its
vertical frequency).
The
higher
the
refresh rate,
the
less video flicker can be seen by
the
human
eye.
resolution — The
sharpness and
clarity of
an
image
produced by a
printer or
displayed
on
a
monitor. The
higher
the
resolution,
the
sharper
the image.
RFI —
radio frequency interference
—
Interference
that
i
s
generated
at
typical
rad
i
o
frequencies,
in the
range
of 10
kHz to
100,000
MHz.
Radio frequencies are
at the lower
end
of the
electromagnetic frequency spectrum and
ar
e
more likely
to
have interference
than the
higher
fr
equency
radiations, such
as
infrared and
light.
ROM —
read-only memory
—
Memory
that
stores
data
and programs
that
cannot be deleted
or written to
by
the
computer.
ROM,
unlike
RAM,
retains
its
contents
after
you shut down your computer. Some programs essential
to
the
operation
of
your computer reside
in ROM.
RPM —
revolutions per
minute — The
number
of
rotations
that
occur per
minute.
Hard drive speed is
often
measured
in rpm.
RTC —
real
time
clock
—
Battery-powered clock
on the
Glossary
155
To Next Page
Loading...
