Toshiba DynaPad WT12PE-A64 User Manual

Page 159

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Glossary

159

baud rate

—The speed at which a communication device, such

as a printer or modem, transmits information. Baud rate is
the number of signal changes per second (not necessarily
the same as bits per second). See also

bits per second

.

Blu-ray Disc (BD)

—Offering more storage capacity than

DVDs, the format was developed to allow for more data
storage and to enable recording and playback of high-
definition video (HD).

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)

—Basic instructions,

stored in read-only memory (ROM), containing the
information the computer needs to check hardware and load
the operating system when you start up the computer.

bits per second (bps)

—A way of measuring the speed at

which information is passed between two devices. This is
the basic unit of measure used in modem communications,
and is similar, but not identical, to the baud rate. See also

baud rate

.

boot

—To start the computer. The term “boot” originates from

bootstrap program (as in “pulling itself up by its bootstraps”),
a program that loads and initializes the operating system.
See also

reboot

.

boot disk

—See

system disk

.

boot priority (startup sequence)

—The order in which the

computer accesses its internal storage drives to locate the
startup files. Under the default startup sequence, the
computer looks for the startup files in the external media
before checking the internal storage drive.

bus

—An electrical circuit that connects the central processing

unit (CPU) with other parts of the computer, such as the
video adapter, disk drives, and ports. It is the pathway
through which data flows from one device to another. See
also

bus speed, frontside bus

.

bus speed

—The speed at which the central processing unit

(CPU) communicates with the other parts of the computer.

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