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Glossary: Dell OptiPlex L60 Systems User's Guide

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Glossary

Dell™ OptiPlex™ L60 Systems User's Guide

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S U V W Z

A

AC — alternating current — The form of electricity that powers your computer when you plug the AC adapter power cable into an electrical outlet.

ACPI — Advanced Configuration and Power Interface — A Microsoft® Windows® operating system utility that can be set up to put a computer in standby or hibernate mode to conserve battery or electrical power.

AGP — accelerated graphics port — A dedicated graphics port that allows system memory to be used for video-related tasks. AGP delivers a smooth, true-color video image because of the faster interface between the video circuitry and the system memory.

antivirus software — A program designed to identify, quarantine, and/or delete a virus from your computer.

ASF — Alert Standards Format — A standard to define a mechanism for reporting hardware and software alerts to a management console. ASF is designed to be platform and operating system independent.

B

backup — A copy of a program or data file on a floppy disk, tape, CD, or hard drive. As a precaution, you should back up the data files on your hard drive regularly.

battery — An internal power source used to operate portable computers when not connected to an AC adapter and an electrical outlet.

BIOS — basic input/output system — A program (or utility) that serves as an interface between the computer hardware and the operating system. Unless you understand what effect the settings have on the computer, do not change the settings for this program. Also referred to as the system setup program.

bit — The smallest unit of data interpreted by your computer.

boot sequence — Allows you to specify the order of the devices from which the computer attempts to boot.

bootable CD — A CD that you can use to start your computer. In case your hard drive is damaged or your computer has a virus, ensure that you always have a bootable CD or bootable disk available.

bootable disk — A disk that you can use to start your computer. In case your hard drive is damaged or your computer has a virus, ensure that you always have a bootable disk or bootable CD available.

bps — bits per second — The standard unit for measuring data transmission speed.

BTU — British thermal unit — A unit of heat equal to about 252 calories.

bus — A communication pathway between the components in your computer.

bus speed — The speed, given in MHz, that indicates how fast a bus can transfer information.

byte — A basic data storage unit used by your computer. A byte is usually equal to 8 bits.

C

C — Celsius — A temperature measurement system where 0° is the freezing point and 100° is the boiling point of water.

cache — An area where data or instructions are stored for quick retrieval. The cache enhances the efficiency of many microprocessor operations. There are two types of cache:

L1 cache — fast, primary cache stored inside the microprocessor.
L2 cache — also called secondary cache; sometimes refers to cache memory external to the microprocessor, although more recent microprocessors incorporate the L2 cache in their architecture.

CD drive — A drive that uses optical technology to read data from CDs.

CD player — The software used to play music CDs. The CD player displays a window with buttons you use to play a CD.

CD-RW drive — A drive that can read CDs and write to CD-RW (rewritable CDs) and CD-R (recordable CDs) discs. You can write to CD-RW discs multiple times, but you can write to CD-R discs only once.

clock speed — The speed, given in MHz, that indicates how fast computer components that are connected to the system bus operate. Components that are synchronized with the clock speed can run faster or slower, but their speed is determined by multiplying or dividing a factor by the clock speed.

cm — centimeter — A metric unit of measure equal to 0.39 inch.

cm/sec — centimeters per second

Control Panel — Part of the computer console that contains indicators and controls, such as the power switch, hard-drive access indicator, and power indicator.

controller — Chips that control the transfer of data between the microprocessor and memory or between the microprocessor and devices.

cursor — The marker on a display or screen that shows where the next keyboard, touch pad, or mouse action will occur. It often is a blinking solid line, an underline character, or a small arrow.

D

DDR SDRAM — double-data-rate SDRAM — A type of SDRAM that can theoretically improve memory clock speed to at least 200 MHz.

device — Hardware such as a disk drive, printer, or keyboard that is installed in or connected to your computer.

device driver — See driver.

DIN connector — A round, six-pin connector that conforms to DIN (Deutsche Industrinorm) standards; it is typically used to connect PS/2 keyboard or mouse cable connectors.

DMA — direct memory access — A channel that allows certain types of data transfer between RAM and a device to bypass the microprocessor.

DRAM — dynamic random-access memory — Memory that stores information in integrated circuits containing capacitors.

driver — Software that allows the operating system to control a device such as a printer. Many devices will not work properly if the correct driver is not installed in the computer.

dual display mode — A display setting that allows you to use a second monitor as an extension of your display. Also referred to as extended display mode.

DVD — digital versatile disc — A disc usually used to store movies. DVDs are double-sided, whereas CDs are single-sided. DVD drives read most CD media as well.

DVD drive — A drive that uses optical technology to read data from DVDs and CDs.

DVD player — The software used to watch DVD movies. The DVD player displays a window with buttons you use to watch a movie.

DVD-RW drive — A drive that can read DVDs and most CD media and write to DVD-RW (rewritable DVDs) discs.

DVI — digital video interface — A standard for digital transmission between a computer and a digital video display.

DVI Adapter — The DVI adapter, working with the integrated graphics controller on your system, provides a DVI port for your computer. The DVI port provides a direct, digital connection to a digital display, such as a digital flat panel display. Operating system control of the DVI adapter is handled through the integrated graphics driver's user interface, which is located under the Control Panel in Windows operating systems.

E

ECC — error checking and correction — A type of memory that includes special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data as it passes in and out of memory.

ECP — extended capabilities port — A parallel port design that provides improved bidirectional data transmission. Similar to EPP, it uses direct memory access to transfer data and often improves performance.

EIDE — Enhanced integrated device electronics — an improved version of the IDE interface for hard drives and CD drives.

EMI — electromagnetic interference — Electrical interference caused by electromagnetic radiation.

ESD — electrostatic discharge — A rapid discharge of static electricity. ESD can damage integrated circuits found in computer and communications equipment.

expansion card — A circuit board that installs in an expansion slot on the computer's system board, expanding the capabilities of the computer. Examples include video, modem, and sound cards.

extended display mode — A display setting that allows you to use a second monitor as an extension of your display. Also referred to as dual display mode.

F

F — Fahrenheit — A temperature measurement system where 32° is the freezing point and 212° is the boiling point of water.

FCC — Federal Communications Commission — A U.S. agency responsible for enforcing communications-related regulations rating how much radiation computers and other electronic equipment can emit.

floppy drive — A disk drive that can read and write to floppy disks.

folder — A place to organize and group files on a disk or drive. Files in a folder can be viewed and ordered in various ways, such as alphabetically, by date, and by size.

format — The process that prepares a drive or disk for file storage. When a drive or disk is formatted, the existing information on it is lost.

ft — foot — A unit of measurement for length that equals 12 inches.

G

G — gravity — A measurement of weight and force.

GB — gigabyte — A unit of data that equals 1024 MB (1,073,741,824 bytes) and measures drive storage capacity.

GHz — gigahertz — A measurement of frequency that equals one thousand million Hz, or one thousand MHz.

graphics accelerator — A type of specialized video processor that boosts graphics performance.

graphics mode — A video mode that can be defined as x horizontal pixels by y vertical pixels by z colors. Graphics modes can display an unlimited variety of shapes and fonts.

H

hard drive — A drive that reads and writes data on a hard disk. The terms hard drive and hard disk are often used interchangeably.

heat sink — A metal plate on some microprocessors that helps dissipate heat.

hibernate mode — A power management feature that saves everything in memory to a reserved space on the hard drive, and then turns off the computer. When you restart the computer, the memory information that was saved to the hard drive is automatically restored.

Hz — hertz — A unit of frequency measurement that equals 1 cycle per second. Computers and electronic devices are often measured in kilohertz (kHz), megahertz (MHz), gigahertz (GHz), or terahertz (THz).

I

IEEE 1394 — Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. — A high performance serial bus used to connect IEEE 1394-compatible devices, such as digital cameras and DVD players, to the computer.

I/O — input/output — An operation or device that enters and extracts data from your computer. Keyboards and printers are I/O devices.

IR sensor — infrared sensor — A port that allows you to transfer data between the computer and IR-compatible devices without using a cable connection.

IRQ — interrupt request — An electronic pathway assigned to a specific device so that the device can communicate with the microprocessor. Each device connection must be assigned an IRQ. For example, the first serial port in your computer is typically assigned to IRQ4. Although two devices can share the same IRQ assignment, you cannot operate both devices simultaneously.

K

KB — kilobyte — A unit of data that equals 1,024 bytes but is often referred to as 1,000 bytes.

keyboard shortcut — A command requiring you to press multiple keys at the same time. Also referred to as key combination.

kg — kilogram — A unit measuring mass that equals 1,000 grams.

L

LAN — local area network — A computer network covering a small area. A LAN usually is confined to a building or a few nearby buildings. A LAN can be connected to another LAN over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves to form a wide area network (WAN).

LOM — LAN on motherboard — A system board with integrated networking silicon, which eliminates the need for an add-in network card and enables advanced management technologies requiring signals to and from the system board.

M

MB — megabyte — A storage unit equal to 1,048,576 bytes; however, when used to refer to hard drive storage, the term is often rounded to mean 1,000,000 bytes.

MB/sec — megabytes per second — One million bytes per second. This measurement is typically used for disk and tape transfer ratings.

Mbps — megabits per second — One million bits per second. This measurement is typically used for transmission speeds for networks and modems.

memory — A temporary data storage area inside your computer. Because the data in memory is not permanent, Dell recommends that you frequently save your files while you are working on them, and always save your files before you shut down the computer. Your computer can contain several different forms of memory, such as RAM, ROM, and video memory. Frequently, the word memory is used as a synonym for RAM.

memory address — A specific location where data is temporarily stored in RAM.

memory module — A small circuit board containing memory chips, which connects to the system board.

MHz — megahertz — A measure of frequency that equals 1 million cycles per second. The speeds for computer microprocessors, buses, and interfaces are typically measured in MHz.

microprocessor — The primary computational chip inside the computer. As the "brains" of the computer, this chip controls the interpretation and execution of arithmetic and logic functions. Sometimes, the microprocessor is referred to as the processor or the CPU (central processing unit).

mm — millimeter — A unit of length that equals one thousandth of a meter or 1/25 inch.

modem — A device that allows your computer to communicate with other computers over analog telephone lines. There are three types of modems: external, PC Card, and internal. You typically use your modem to connect to the Internet and exchange e-mail.

mouse — A pointing device that controls the movement of the cursor on your screen. Typically you roll the mouse along a hard, flat surface to move the pointer or cursor on your screen.

N

network adapter — A chip that provides network capabilities. A computer may include a network adapter on its system board or it may contain a PC Card with an adapter on it. A network adapter is also referred to as a NIC (network interface controller).

NVRAM — nonvolatile random access memory

A type of memory that stores data when the computer is turned off or loses its external power source.

O

optical drive — A drive that uses optical technology to read or write data from CDs or DVDs. Examples of optical drives include CD drives, DVD drives, CD-RW drives, and CD-RW/DVD combo drives.

P

parallel connector — An I/O port often used to connect a parallel printer to your computer.

partition — A physical storage area on a hard drive that is assigned to one or more logical storage areas known as logical drives. Each partition can contain multiple logical drives.

PC Card — A removable I/O card, slightly larger than a credit card, adhering to the PCMCIA standard. Modems and network adapters are common types of PC Cards.

pixel — A single point on a display screen 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 — An industry-standard specification that makes it easier to add devices to your computer. Plug and Play provides automatic installation and configuration and compatibility with existing hardware.

program — Any software that processes data for you, including spreadsheet, word processor, database, and game packages. Programs require an operating system to run.

PS/2 — Personal System/2 — A type of connector for attaching a PS/2-compatible keyboard, mouse, or keypad.

R

RAM — random-access memory — The primary temporary storage area for program instructions and data. Any information stored in RAM is lost when you turn off 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 corrections 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.
It is located on a network in a directory and the system administrator has assigned read-only rights to you.

refresh rate — The frequency, measured in Hz, at which your screen's horizontal lines are recharged (sometimes also 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.

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 even after you turn off your computer. Some programs essential to the operation of your computer reside in ROM.

S

SDRAM — synchronous dynamic random-access memory — A type of DRAM that is synchronized with the optimal clock speed of the microprocessor.

serial connector — An I/O port often used to connect devices such as a handheld digital device or digital camera to your computer.

service tag — A bar code label on your computer that identifies your computer when you access Dell Support at support.dell.com or when you call Dell for customer or technical support.

setup program — A program that is used to install and configure hardware and software. The setup.exe or install.exe program comes with most Windows software packages. Setup program differs from system setup program.

shutdown — The process of closing windows and programs, exiting the operating system, and turning off your computer. You can lose data if you turn off your computer before completing a shutdown.

standby mode — A power management mode that shuts down all unnecessary computer operations to save energy.

surge protectors — A device that prevents voltage spikes, which occur during electrical storms or following power interruptions, from entering a computer through the electrical outlet. Many surge protectors have a telephone jack for modem protection. Some surge protectors provide warranty coverage for certain types of damage.

Most surge protectors do not protect against lightning strikes, so you should disconnect your computer when lightning is near. Surge protectors also do not offer protection against power interruptions (power fluctuations), which occur when the voltage drops more than 20 percent.

Network connections cannot be protected by surge protectors. Always disconnect the network cable from the network connector during electrical storms.

SVGA — super video graphics array — A video standard for video cards and controllers. Typical SVGA resolutions are 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768.

The number of colors and resolution that a program displays depends on the capabilities of the monitor, the video controller and its drivers, and the amount of video memory installed in the computer.

system board — The main circuit board in your computer. Also known as the motherboard.

system setup program — A program (or utility) that serves as an interface between the computer hardware and the operating system. Unless you understand what effect the settings have on the computer, do not change the settings for this program.

U

UPS — uninterruptible power supply — A backup power source used when the electrical power fails or drops to an unacceptable voltage level. A UPS keeps a computer running when there is no electrical power. UPS systems typically provide surge suppression and may also provide voltage regulation. Small UPS systems provide battery power for a few minutes to enable you to shut down your computer.

USB — Universal Serial Bus — A hardware interface for a low-speed device such as a USB-compatible keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner, set of speakers, or printer. Devices are plugged directly into a 4-pin socket on your computer or into a multi-port hub that plugs into your computer. USB devices can be connected and disconnected while the computer is turned on and they can also be daisy-chained together.

V

V — voltage

video controller — The circuitry on a video card or on the system board (in computers with an integrated video controller) that provides the video capabilities—in combination with the monitor—for your computer.

video memory — Memory that consists of memory chips dedicated to video functions. Video memory is usually faster than system memory. The amount of video memory installed primarily influences the number of colors that a program can display.

video mode — A mode that describes how text and graphics are displayed on a monitor. Graphics-based software, such as the Windows operating system, displays in video modes that can be defined as x horizontal pixels by y vertical pixels by z colors. Character-based software, such as text editors, displays in video modes that can be defined as x columns by y rows of characters.

video resolution — See resolution.

virus — A program that is designed to inconvenience you or to destroy data stored on your computer. A virus program moves from one computer to another via an infected disk, software downloaded from the Internet, or e-mail attachments. When an infected program starts, its embedded virus also starts.

A virus cannot be attached to data. It must be attached to a program that is downloaded into or installed on the computer. When the virus-attached program is run, the virus is activated. Macro viruses, although hidden within documents (data), are similar. It is in the execution of the macro that the damage is done.

A common type of virus is a boot virus, which is stored in the boot sectors of a floppy disk. If the floppy disk is left in the drive when the computer is shut down and then turned on, the computer is infected when it reads the boot sectors of the floppy disk expecting to find the operating system. If the computer is infected, the boot virus may replicate itself onto all of the floppy disks that are read or written in that computer until the virus is eradicated.

V — volt — The measurement of electric potential or electromotive force. One V appears across a resistance of 1 ohm when a current of 1 ampere flows through that resistance.

W

W — watt — The measurement of electrical power. One W is 1 ampere of current flowing at 1 volt.

Z

Zip — A popular data compression format. Files that have been compressed with the Zip format are called Zip files and usually have a filename extension of .zip. A special kind of zipped file is a self-extracting file, which has a filename extension of .exe. You can unzip a self-extracting file by double-clicking it.

Zip drive — A high-capacity floppy drive developed by Iomega Corporation that uses 3.5-inch removable disks called Zip disks. Zip disks are slightly larger than regular floppy disks, about twice as thick, and they hold up to 100 MB of data.

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