Apple IIgs - Manual (Page 74)

Page 74 of 84 II gs
Printed: Thursday, July 25, 2002 12:14:50 PM
icon: A symbol like the one on the back panel of the computer that shows you where to plug in
the monitor or a symbol on the screen that represents a disk, a document, or something else you
can select.
information service: A large data base that you can subscribe to for news, stock quotes, and
other services.
initialize: See format.
input: Information traveling into the computer (like keypresses and mouse moves).
input/output: Abbreviated I/O. Refers to the means by which information is sent between the
computer and its peripheral devices.
insertion point: The place where your next action will take place.
integrated circuit: An electronic circuit including components and interconnections entirely
contained in a single piece of semi-conducting material, usually silicon. Often referred to as
a chip.
integrated software: A group of application programs, usually on one disk, designed to share
data.
interface: Hardware or software that links the computer to a device.
interface card: A circuit board you plug into one of the slots in the Apple IIgs to link the
computer to a peripheral device.
inverse characters: Inverse means opposite. If characters ordinarily show up as light
characters on a dark screen, inverse characters would show up as dark characters on a light
screen. Inverse is one form of highlighting.
I/O: See input/output.
I/O error message: Stands for input/output. A message you get when there's a problem with the
way information is being exchanged with peripheral devices.
jacket: A square of plastic that protects a 5.25-inch disk. You don't remove the jacket (and
expect to ever use the disk again).
joystick: A peripheral device that moves creatures and objects in games.
K: Stands for kilobyte. The unit of measurement for computer memory: 1 K equals 1024 bytes, and
it takes one byte to make one character. The Apple IIgs has 256K of RAM (random-access memory),
expandable by 1 to 8 megabytes with a memory expansion card, and 128K of ROM (read-only
memory).
keyboard: One way to communicate with the computer. It looks like the keyboard on a typewriter,
but programmers can make the keys do anything they want them to.
keyboard-based application: An application that accepts input from a keyboard.
keyboard buffer: A special part of memory where keypresses are stored until the computer is
ready to act on them.
keypad: See numeric keypad.