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Dell Latitude D530 (Early 2008) User Manual

Page 172

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172

Glossary

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RFI — radio frequency interference — Interference that is generated at typical radio

frequencies, in the range of 10 kHz to 100,000 MHz. Radio frequencies are at the

lower end of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum and are more likely to have

interference than the higher frequency radiations, such as infrared and light.
ROM — read-only memory — Memory that stores data and programs that cannot be

deleted or written to by the computer. ROM, unlike RAM, retains its contents after

you shut down your computer. Some programs essential to the operation of your

computer reside in ROM.
RPM — revolutions per minute — The number of rotations that occur per minute.

Hard drive speed is often measured in rpm.
RTC — real time clock — Battery-powered clock on the system board that keeps the

date and time after you shut down the computer.
RTCRST — real-time clock reset — A jumper on the system board of some computers

that can often be used for troubleshooting problems.

S

SAS — serial attached SCSI — A faster, serial version of the SCSI interface (as

opposed to the original SCSI parallel architecture).
SATA — serial ATA — A faster, serial version of the ATA (IDE) interface.
ScanDisk — A Microsoft utility that checks files, folders, and the hard disk’s surface

for errors. ScanDisk often runs when you restart the computer after it has stopped

responding.
SCSI — small computer system interface — A high-speed interface used to connect

devices to a computer, such as hard drives, CD drives, printers, and scanners. The

SCSI can connect many devices using a single controller. Each device is accessed by an

individual identification number on the SCSI controller bus.
SDRAM — synchronous dynamic random-access memory — A type of DRAM that is

synchronized with the optimal clock speed of the processor.
serial connector — An I/O port often used to connect devices such as a handheld

digital device or digital camera to your computer.
Service Tag — A bar code label on your computer that identifies your computer when

you access Dell Support at support.dell.com or when you call Dell for customer service

or technical support.
setup program — A program that is used to install and configure hardware and

software. The setup.exe or install.exe program comes with most Windows software

packages. Setup program differs from system setup.