Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for Advanced Technology Attachment; the disk drive standard that is commonly known as Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The science and technology of authenticating a person’s identity by measuring physiological features. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for basic input/output system. The set of essential software routines that test a PC at start-up and start the OS. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The set of hardware lines used to transfer data among the components of a PC. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A device that sends and receives data through coaxial cables. |
|
|
Term
| Centronics parallel interface |
|
Definition
| The de facto standard for parallel data exchange between PCs and peripherals, originally developed by the printer manufacturer Centronics, Inc. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for cathode-ray tube.The basis for the standard PC display screen. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A type of camera that stores photographic images electronically rather than on film. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A camera that captures and stores images on a digital medium. Also known as a camcorder. |
|
|
Term
| ECP (Extended Capabilities Port) |
|
Definition
| A connection port for peripheral devices, most likely printers. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for electrically erasable programmable read-only memory. A type of EPROM that can be erased with an electrical signal. |
|
|
Term
| electrostatic discharge (ESD) |
|
Definition
| The discharge of static electricity from an outside source—such as human hands—into an integrated circuit, often damaging the circuit. |
|
|
Term
| EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port) |
|
Definition
| A connection port for peripheral devices, most likely printers. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for erasable programmable read-only memory.A type of memory chip that can be reprogrammed after manufacture. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A circuit card that is plugged into a PC’s bus to add extra functions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A scanner that reads human fingerprints for comparison to a database of stored fingerprint images. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A PC and digital video serial bus interface standard offering high-speed
communications. FireWire is also known as IEEE 1394. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Software routines stored in read-only memory (ROM). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A device that reads data from and writes data to floppy disks. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A transformer in a CRT monitor that produces voltages of up to 20,000 volts. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The physical size and shape of a device. It is often used to describe the size of PC cases. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A device that reads data from and writes data to one or more inflexible platters. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A device that absorbs and dissipates heat created by an electronic device, such as a microprocessor. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for liquid crystal display. A type of display that uses a liquid compound with a polar molecular structure sandwiched between two transparent electrodes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An area where data can be stored and retrieved. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A central processing unit (CPU) on a single chip. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Short for modulator/demodulator. A communications device that enables a PC to transmit data over a standard telephone line. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The main circuit board containing the primary components of a PC. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A common pointing device. |
|
|
Term
| network interface card (NIC) |
|
Definition
| An expansion card used to connect a computer to a local area network. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A disk drive that reads and may write data to optical (compact) discs. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An input/output connector for a parallel interface device. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment. PATA is the same as ATA, which was renamed when SATA was introduced. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for programmable read-only memory. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for random access memory. Semiconductor memory that can be read or written by the microprocessor or other devices. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A small amount of high-speed memory. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for read-only memory. A semiconductor circuit in which data is
permanently installed by the manufacturer. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An industry-accepted standard for serial communications. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, which transfers data serially to and from the hard drive. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An acronym for small computer system interface. It is used to connect SCSI devices to PCs. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An input/output connector for serial connectors. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An expansion card that supports the recording and playback of sound. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A device for reading and writing data on magnetic tapes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A pointing device that responds to movement of a finger on a surface. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A pointing device with a stationary housing that contains a ball you roll with your hand. |
|
|
Term
| Universal Serial Bus (USB) |
|
Definition
| A serial bus that connects devices to a PC. USB supports hot plugging. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A small, portable flash memory card that plugs into a PC's USB port and functions as a portable hard drive with up to 2 GB of storage capacity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Electronic components that generate the video signal sent to a video display. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A device that supports a wireless connection through a radio connection to a wireless LAN. |
|
|
