Toshiba Equium P300 - Manual (Page 183)

User’s Manual Glossary-3
Glossary
A
AACS: A standard for copy protection that is used for HD DVD. It
manages copy and output.
adaptor: A device that provides a compatible connection between two
units. For example, the computer's internal display adapter
receives information from the software and translates it into
images on the screen. An adapter can take a number of forms,
from a microprocessor to a simple connector: An intelligent
adapter (one that is capable of doing some processing) may also
be called a controller.
alphanumeric: Keyboard characters including letters, numbers and other
symbols, such as punctuation marks or mathematical symbols.
alternating current (AC): Electric current that reverses its direction of
flow at regular intervals.
analog signal: A signal whose characteristics such as amplitude and
frequency vary in proportion to (are an analog of) the value to be
transmitted. Voice communications are analog signals.
application: A group of programs that together are used for a specific
task such as accounting, financial planning, spreadsheets, word
processing and games.
ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange. ASCII code
is a set of 256 binary codes that represent the most commonly
used letters, numbers, and symbols.
B
backup: A copy of a file, usually on a removable disk, kept in case the
original file is lost or damaged.
binary: The base two number system composed of zeros and ones (off or
on), used by most digital computers. The right-most digit of a
binary number has a value of 1, the next a value of 2, then 4, 8, 16,
and so on. For example, the binary number 101 has a value of 5.
See also ASCII.
BIOS: Basic Input/Output System. The firmware that controls data flow
within the computer. See also firmware.
bit: Derived from "binary digit," the basic unit of information used by the
computer. It is either zero or one. Eight bits is one byte. See also
byte.