Glossary – Dell Precision 370 User Manual

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Glossary

Dell Precision™ Workstation 370 User's Guide

Terms in this Glossary are provided for informational purposes only and may or may not describe features included with your

particular computer.

AC —

alternating current — The form of electricity that powers your computer when you plug the AC adapter power cable in

to an electrical outlet.

ACPI —

advanced configuration and power interface — A power management specification that enables Microsoft®

Windows® operating systems to put a computer in standby or hibernate mode to conserve the amount of electrical power

allocated to each device attached to the computer.

AGP —

accelerated graphics port — A dedicated graphics port that allows system memory to be used for video-related tasks.

AGP delivers a smooth, true-color video image because of the faster interface between the video circuitry and the computer

memory.

antivirus software —

A program designed to identify, quarantine, and/or delete viruses from your computer.

APR —

advanced port replicator — A docking device that allows you to conveniently use a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and

other devices with your portable computer.

ASF —

alert standards format — A standard to define a mechanism for reporting hardware and software alerts to a

management console. ASF is designed to be platform- and operating system-independent.

backup —

A copy of a program or data file on a floppy disk, CD, or hard drive. As a precaution, back up the data files from

your hard drive regularly.

battery —

An internal power source used to operate portable computers when not connected to an AC adapter and an

electrical outlet.

battery life span —

The length of time (years) during which a portable computer battery is able to be depleted and

recharged.

battery operating time —

The length of time (minutes or hours) that a portable computer battery holds a charge while

powering the computer.

BIOS —

basic input/output system — A program (or utility) that serves as an interface between the computer hardware and

the operating system. Unless you understand what effect the settings have on the computer, do not change the settings for

this program. Also referred to as system setup.

bit —

The smallest unit of data interpreted by your computer.

Bluetooth™ —

A wireless technology standard for short-range (9 m [29 feet]) networking devices that allows for enabled

devices to automatically recognize each other.

boot sequence —

Specifies the order of the devices from which the computer attempts to boot.

bootable CD —

A CD that you can use to start your computer. In case your hard drive is damaged or your computer has a

virus, ensure that you always have a bootable CD or floppy disk available. Your Drivers and Utilities or Resource CD is a

bootable CD.

bootable disk —

A disk that you can use to start your computer. In case your hard drive is damaged or your computer has a

virus, ensure that you always have a bootable CD or floppy disk available.