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Toshiba Portege R400 User Manual

Page 185

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User’s Manual

Glossary-5

Glossary

COM1, COM2, COM3 and COM4: The names assigned to the serial and

communication ports.

commands: Instructions you enter at the terminal keyboard that direct the

actions of the computer or its peripheral devices.

communications: The means by which a computer transmits and receives

data to and from another computer or device. See parallel interface;
serial interface.

compatibility: 1) The ability of one computer to accept and process data in

the same manner as another computer without modifying the data
or the media upon which it is being transferred.
2) the ability of one device to connect to or communicate with
another system or component.

components: Elements or parts (of a system) which make up the whole

(system).

computer program: A set of instructions written for a computer that enable

it to achieve a desired result.

computer system: A combination of hardware, software, firmware, and

peripheral components assembled to process data into useful
information.

configuration: The specific components in your system (such as the

terminal, printer, and disk drives) and the settings that define how
your system works. You use the HW Setup program to control your
system configuration.

control keys: A key or sequence of keys you enter from the keyboard to

initiate a particular function within a program.

controller: Built-in hardware and software that controls the functions of a

specific internal or peripheral device (e.g. keyboard controller).

co-processor: A circuit built into the processor that is dedicated to

intensive math calculations.

CPS: Characters Per Second. Typically used to indicate the transmission

speed of a printer.

CPU: Central Processing Unit. The portion of the computer that interprets

and executes instructions.

CRT: Cathode Ray Tube. A vacuum tube in which beams projected on a

fluorescent screen-producing luminous spots. An example is the
television set.

cursor: A small, blinking rectangle or line that indicates the current position

on the display screen.