Dell Inspiron 2000 - Manual (Page 30)

The logical circuitry that provides —in combination with the display or monitor—your computer's video capabilities. A display adapter may support more or fewer features than
a specific display or monitor offers. Typically, a display adapter comes with video drivers for displaying popular application programs and operating environments in a variety of
video modes. On Dell portable computers, a display adapter is integrated into the system board.
Display adapters often include memory separate from RAM on the system board. The amount of video memory, along with the adapter's video drivers, may affect the number
of colors or shades of gray that can be simultaneously displayed. Display adapters can also include their own coprocessor for faster graphics rendering.
DMA
Abbreviation for direct memory access. A DMA channel allows certain types of data transfer between RAM and a device to bypass the microprocessor.
DMI
Abbreviation for Desktop Management Interface.
DMTF
Abbreviation for Desktop Management Task Force, a consortium of companies representing hardware and software providers, of which Dell Computer Corporation is a
member.
DOC
Abbreviation for Department of Communications (in Canada).
dpi
Abbreviation for dots per inch.
DPMS
Abbreviation for Display Power Management Signaling. A standard developed by VESA ® that defines the hardware signals sent by a video controller to activate power
management states in a monitor. A monitor is said to be DPMS-compliant when it is designed to enter a power management state after receiving the appropriate signal from a
computer's video controller.
DRAM
Abbreviation for dynamic random-access memory. A computer's RAM is usually made up entirely of DRAM chips. Because DRAM chips cannot store an electrical charge
indefinitely, your computer continually refreshes each DRAM chip in the computer.
driver
See device driver .
DTE
Abbreviation for data terminal equipment. Any device, such as a computer system, that can send data in digital form by means of a cable or communications line. The DTE is
connected to the cable or communications line through a data communications equipment (DCE) device, such as a modem.
DVD
Abbreviation for digital versatile disc. A large-capacity optical disc able to store more data than standard CDs.
DVD-ROM
Abbreviation for digital versatile disc read-only memory. DVD-ROM drives use optical technology to read data from DVDs. DVDs are read-only storage devices; you cannot
write new data to a DVD with standard DVD-ROM drives. Most DVD-ROM drives also read standard CDs.
ECC
Abbreviation for error checking and correction.
ECP
Abbreviation for Extended Capabilities Port. ECP mode, while similar to EPP mode, may provide a performance enhancement to the Microsoft Windows operating system in
that ECP mode can use DMA to transfer data. Also, ECP uses a FIFO buffer for sending or receiving data.
EEPROM
Acronym for electrically erasable programmable read-only memory.
EIDE
Abbreviation for enhanced integrated device electronics. EIDE devices add one or more of the following enhancements to the traditional IDE standard: