Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV600 User Guide - Page 371

371 Glossary P palette-See color palette. parallel-Processes that occur simultaneously. In communications, it means the transmission of more than one bit of information at a time. A parallel port provides a parallel communications interface between a computer and an appropriate device. Compare serial. password-A unique string of characters entered by a user to verify his or her identity to the computer or the network. PC Card-A credit-card-sized expansion card designed to increase the capabilities of notebook computers. PC Cards provide functions such as modem, fax/modem, hard disk drive, network adapter, sound card, or SCSI adapter. peripheral-Any device, such as a printer or joystick, that is attached to the computer and controlled by the computer's CPU. pixel-Short for "picture element." The smallest dot that can be produced on a screen or printer. Plug and Play-Generally, refers to the computer's ability to automatically configure itself to work with peripheral devices. When capitalized, refers to a standard that, when followed by a device manufacturer, allows a PC to configure itself automatically to work with the device. pointing device-Any device, such as the mouse, that enables you to move the cursor on the screen. port-A socket on the computer where you plug in a cable for connection to a network or a peripheral device. processor-See central processing unit (CPU). program-A set of instructions that can be executed by a computer. The general classes of programs (also called software) are operating system, application, and utility. See also operating system, application, utility. properties-The attributes of an object or device. For example, the properties of a file include the file's type, size, and creation date.