Toshiba SATELLITE M30X - Manual (Page 152)

User’s Manual Glossary-5
Glossary
floppy disk drive (FDD): An electromechanical device that reads and
writes to floppy disks.
folder: An icon in Windows used to store documents or other folders.
format: The process of readying a blank disk for its first use. Formatting
establishes the structure of the disk that the operating system
expects before it writes files or programs onto the disk.
function keys: The keys labeled F1 through F12 that tell the computer to
perform certain functions.
G
gigabyte (GB): A unit of data storage equal to 1024 megabytes. See also
megabyte.
graphics: Drawings, pictures, or other images, such as charts or graphs, to
present information.
H
hard disk: A non-removable disk usually referred to as drive C. The
factory installs this disk and only a trained engineer can remove it
for servicing. Also called fixed disk.
hard disk drive (HDD): An electromechanical device that reads and writes
a hard disk. See also hard disk.
hertz: A unit of wave frequency that equals one cycle per second.
hot key: The computer’s feature in which certain keys in combination with
the extended function key, Fn, can be used to set system
parameters, such as speaker volume.
I
i.LINK (IEEE1394): This port enables high-speed data transfer directly
from external devices such as digital video cameras.
input: The data or instructions you provide to a computer, communication
device or other peripheral device from the keyboard or external or
internal storage devices. The data sent (or output) by the sending
computer is input for the receiving computer.
interface: 1) Hardware and/or software components of a system used
specifically to connect one system or device to another.
2) To physically connect one system or device to another to
exchange information.
3) The point of contact between user, the computer, and the
program, for example, the keyboard or a menu.
I/O: Input/output. Refers to acceptance and transfer of data to and from a
computer.
I/O devices: Equipment used to communicate with the computer and
transfer data to and from it.