Toshiba Satellite M105-S3041 User Manual - Page 265

265 Glossary CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory) - A form of highcapacity storage that uses laser optics instead of magnetic means for reading data. See also CD. Compare DVD-ROM. central processing unit (CPU) - The chip that functions as the "brain" of the computer. It takes information from outside sources, such as memory or keyboard input, processes the information, and sends the results to another device that uses the information. character - Any letter, number, or symbol you can use on the computer. Some characters are non-printing characters, such as a paragraph break in a word-processing program. A character occupies one byte of computer storage. chip - A small piece of silicon containing computer logic and circuits for processing, memory, input/output, and/or control functions. Chips are mounted on printed circuit boards. click - To press and release the TouchPad control button or mouse button without moving the cursor or mouse. In the Windows® operating system, this refers to the left mouse button or primary TouchPad control button, unless otherwise stated. See also doubleclick. color palette - A set of specified colors that establishes the colors that can be displayed on the screen at a particular time. compatibility - The extent to which computers, programs, or devices can work together harmoniously, using the same commands, formats, or language as another. configuration - (1) The collection of components that make up a single computer system. (2) How parts of the system are set up (that is, configured). controller - A device that controls the transfer of data from a computer to a peripheral device and vice versa. For example, disk drives, monitors, keyboards, and printers all require controllers. CPU - See central processing unit (CPU).