Samsung M6000 - Manual (Page 116)

Samsung M6000 User’s Manual Glossary 105
copies without accessing the disk. This, in turn, speeds up the
performance of the application.
A cache is a buffer for transferring disk sectors in and out of RAM.
Data stored in a disk cache is a copy of data already stored on the
physical disk.
DMA (direct memory access)
A method of transferring data from a device to memory without
having the data pass through the microprocessor. Using DMA can
speed up system performance.
Floppy disk
A removable disk, also called floppy or diskette.
Hard drive
Also called fixed disk. A hard drive is connected to the computer
and can be installed or removed. Data written to a hard drive
remains until it is overwritten or corrupted.
The 2.5-inch hard drive in your computer was designed for use in
a portable computer. Because hard drives in portable computers
are smaller than those in desktop computers, their maximum
storage capacity may be less than that of desktop hard drives.
However, because of their smaller size, the drives handle shock
and vibration better than larger drives, which is important for a
portable computer.
I/O
Input/output. Refers to peripheral devices, such as printers, that are
addressed through an I/O address.
I/O address
I/O stands for input/output. Peripheral devices, such as printers,
are addressed through the I/O port address.
IRQ (interrupt request line)
The IRQ is a hardware line that a device uses to signal the
microprocessor when the device needs the microprocessor’s
services. The number of IRQs is limited by industry standards.
LCD (liquid-crystal display)
The LCD screen on your computer differs from the display screen
of a desktop monitor. Most desktop monitors use CRT (cathode-
ray tube) displays, which work by moving an electron beam across