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 mobile workstation computers when not connected to an AC adapter and an electrical outlet.
bit — The smallest unit of data interpreted by your computer.
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.
cache — An area where data or instructions are stored for quick retrieval. The cache enhances the efficiency of many microprocessor operations.
carnet — An international customs document that facilitates temporary imports into foreign countries. Also known as a merchandise passport.
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.
Control Panel — A utility that allows you to modify operating system and hardware settings, such as display settings.
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.
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.
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.
extended PC Card — A PC Card that extends beyond the edge of the PC Card slot when installed.
NOTE: If an extended
PC Card is installed, you
may have trouble
inserting a second PC
Card. Always install
extended cards in the top
PC Card connector.
NOTICE: Always remove an extended PC Card before packing the computer
or traveling. If something strikes the exposed end of the PC Card, the system
board may be damaged.
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.
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.
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.
help file — A file that contains descriptive or instructional information about a product. Some help files are associated with a particular program, such as Help in Windows 2000. Other help files function as stand-alone reference sources. Help files typically have a filename extension of .hlp or .chm.
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.
line conditioners — A device that keeps a computer's power source at a constant level and can handle power interruptions (power fluctuations). Line conditioners cannot protect against a complete loss of power.
lockup — A condition during which your computer quits responding to keyboard and touch pad input.
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.
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).
Mini PCI card — A small form factor card that provides mobile workstation computers with integrated communication capabilities, such as a modem, network adapter, or a combination of the two.
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.
modular bay — See module bay.
module bay — A bay that supports devices such as a CD, DVD, or CD-RW drive, second battery, or travel module. Sometimes referred to as modular bay or media bay.
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.
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).
notification area — The section of the Windows taskbar that contains icons for providing quick access to programs and computer functions, such as the clock, volume control, and print status. Also referred to as system tray.
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.
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.
PCMCIA — Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
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.
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 or if it is located on a network 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.
reserve battery — A battery that keeps your computer clock and certain circuitry working.
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.
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.
shortcut — An icon that provides quick access to frequently used programs, files, folders, and drives. When you place a shortcut on your Windows desktop and double-click the icon, you can open its corresponding folder or file without having to find it first. Shortcut icons do not change the location of files. If you delete a shortcut, the original file is not affected. Also, you can rename a shortcut icon.
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.
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. Also referred to as the BIOS.
system tray — The section of the Windows taskbar that contains icons for providing quick access to programs and computer functions, such as the clock, volume control, and print status. Also referred to as notification area.
text editor — A program used to create and edit files that contain only text; for example, Windows Notepad uses a text editor. Text editors do not usually provide word wrap or formatting functionality (the option to underline, change fonts, and so on).
travel module — A plastic device designed to fit inside the module bay and reduce the weight of the computer.
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.
wallpaper — The background pattern or picture on the Windows desktop. To change your wallpaper, access the Display icon through the Control Panel. You can also scan in your favorite picture and make it wallpaper.
write-protected — Files or media that cannot be changed. Use write-protection when you want to protect data from being destroyed. To write-protect a 3.5-inch floppy disk, slide its write-protect tab to the open position.
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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