Dell Dimension 3100C - Manual (Page 127)

Glossary 127
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 C
ARD — A removable I/O card adhering to the
PCMCIA standard. Modems and network adapters are
common types of PC Cards.
PCI — peripheral component interconnect — PCI is a
local bus that supports 32-and 64-bit data paths,
providing a high-speed data path between the processor
and devices such as video, drives, and networks.
PCMCIA — Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association — The organization that
establishes standards for PC Cards.
PIN — personal identification number — A sequence
of numerals and/or letters used to restrict unauthorized
access to computer networks and other secure systems.
PIO — programmed input/output — A method of
transferring data between two devices through the
processor as part of the data path.
PIXEL — A single point on a display screen. Pixels are
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.
P
LUG - AND -P LAY — The ability of the computer to
automatically configure devices. Plug and Play provides
automatic installation, configuration, and compatibility
with existing hardware if the BIOS, operating system, and
all devices are Plug and Play compliant.
POST — power-on self-test — Diagnostics programs,
loaded automatically by the BIOS, that perform basic
tests on the major computer components, such as
memory, hard drives, and video. If no problems are
detected during POST, the computer continues the
start-up.
PROCESSOR — A computer chip that interprets and
executes program instructions. Sometimes the processor
is referred to as the CPU (central processing unit).
PROGRAM — Any software that processes data for you,
including spreadsheet, word processor, database, and
game packages. Programs require an operating system to
run.
PS/2 — personal system/2 — A type of connector for
attaching a PS/2-compatible keyboard, mouse, or keypad.
PXE — pre-boot execution environment — A WfM
(Wired for Management) standard that allows networked
computers that do not have an operating system to be
configured and started remotely.
R
RAID — redundant array of independent disks — A
method of providing data redundancy. Some common
implementations of RAID include RAID 0, RAID 1,
RAID 5, RAID 10, and RAID 50.
RAM — random-access memory — The primary
temporary storage area for program instructions and data.
Any information stored in RAM is lost when you shut
down your computer.
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 -O NLY — 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,
CD, or DVD.
• It is located on a network in a directory and the
system administrator has assigned rights only to
specific individuals.
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.
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.
RFI — radio frequency interference — Interference that
is generated at typical radio frequencies, in the range of
10 kHz to 100,000 MHz. Radio frequencies are at the