Toshiba Portege 7140 - Manual (Page 179)

User's Manual Glossary 3
Version
5
Last Saved on 20/12/99 04:11
Portege 7140CT User's Manual – 7140_UK.doc – ENGLISH – Printed on 20/12/99 as IM_714UK
C
cache memory: High speed memory which stores data that increases
processor speed and data transfer rate. When the CPU reads data
from main memory, it stores a copy of this data in cache memory.
The next time the CPU needs that same data, it looks for it in the
cache memory rather than the main memory, which saves time.
The computer has two cache levels. Level one is incorporated into
the processor and level two resides in external memory.
capacity: The amount of data that can be stored on a magnetic storage
device such as a diskette (floppy disk) or hard disk. It is usually
described in terms of kilobytes (KB), where one KB = 1024 bytes
and megabytes (MB), where one MB = 1024 KB.
card: Synonym for board. See board.
CardBus: An industry standard bus for 32-bit PC Cards.
CD Network Dock: A device that enables one-point connection to a
number of peripheral devices and provides a CD-ROM drive,
additional ports and a LAN jack.
Centronics: The printer manufacturer whose method of data transmission
between a parallel printer and a computer has become an industry
standard.
CGA: Colour/graphics adaptor. A video display protocol defined by the
IBM Colour/Graphics Monitor Adaptor and its associated circuitry.
This protocol supports two-colour 640x200 and four-colour
320x200 graphics, and 16-colour 640x200 and 320x200 text
modes.
character: Any letter, number, punctuation mark, or symbol used by the
computer. Also synonymous with byte.
chassis: The frame containing the computer.
chip: A small semiconductor containing computer logic and circuitry for
processing, memory, input/output functions and controlling other
chips.
CMOS: Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. An electronic circuit
fabricated on a silicon wafer that requires very little power.
Integrated circuits implemented in CMOS technology can be tightly
packaged and are highly reliable.
cold start: Starting a computer that is currently off (turning on the power).
COM1, COM2, COM3 and COM4: The names assigned to the serial and
communication ports.