Toshiba Portege R100 User Manual - Page 229

229 Glossary format - (verb) To prepare a blank disk for use with the computer's operating system. Formatting creates a structure on the disk so that the operating system can write information to the disk or read information from it. frontside bus - The primary pathway (bus) between the CPU and the computer's main memory. Also called "system bus." See also bus. function keys - The keys labeled F1 through F12, typically located on the keyboard. Their function is determined by the operating system and/or individual programs. G gigabyte (GB) - A unit of data equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024 x 1024 x 1024 bytes). See also byte. ground - A conductor to which all components of an electric circuit are connected. It has a potential of zero (0) volts, is connected to the earth, and is the point of reference for voltages in the circuit. H hard disk - A storage device composed of a rigid platter or platters that can be magnetically coded with data. Hard disks hold much more information than diskettes and are used for long-term storage of programs and data. The primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is usually fixed, but some computers have secondary hard disks that are removable. By default, the primary hard disk is referred to as drive C. hardware - The physical components of a computer system. Compare software. Hibernation - A feature of many Toshiba notebook computers that saves to the hard disk the current state of your work, including all open files and programs, when you turn the computer off. When you turn on the computer again, your work is returned to the same state it was when the computer was turned off. See also Standby, Suspend. high-density diskette - A 3.5-inch diskette that holds 1.44 MB of data. See also diskette. hot key - (1) A feature in which certain keys in combination with the Fn key can set system options or control system parameters, such as the battery save mode. (2) A key or combination of keys that activates a memory resident program.