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Epson Equity Ie Q50188015-1 User Manual

Page 131

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Operating system

A collection of programs that allow a computer to control its operations.

The operating system determines how programs run on the computer

and supervises all input and output. Your computer comes with

MS-DOS, the operating system by Microsoft.

Option card

A circuit board that you install inside your computer’s main unit to
provide additional capabilities, such as more memory or an internal

modem.

Parallel

The type of interface that transmits data in groups of bits. See also

Interface

and serial.

Parameter

A qualifier added to a command that tells the computer what particular
conditions to look for.

Parity

Data signals sent during communications to detect errors in transmitting

or receiving data.

Partition

To divide a hard disk drive into separate sections for use by different

operating systems.

Pathname

The list of directories and subdirectories the computer must search

through to locate a file. For example, the pathname for a file named
CONTRACT that is located in the BUSINESS subdirectory of the root

directory

is

Peripheral

A device (such as a printer or a modem) connected to a computer that

depends on the computer for its operation.

Port

An input/output socket on a computer to which you can connect a

peripheral device.

GL-8

Glossary