Dell Inspiron 640m Owner's Manual - Page 179

software - Anything that can be stored electronically, such as computer files or programs. S/PDIF - Sony/Philips Digital Interface - An audio transfer file format that allows the transfer of audio from one file to another without converting it to and from an analog format, which could degrade the quality of the file. standby mode - A power management mode that shuts down all unnecessary computer operations to save energy. Strike Zone™ - Reinforced area of the platform base that protects the hard drive by acting as a dampening device when a computer experiences resonating shock or is dropped (whether the computer is on or off). surge protectors - Prevent voltage spikes, such as those that may occur during an electrical storm, from entering the computer through the electrical outlet. Surge protectors do not protect against lightning strikes or against brownouts, which occur when the voltage drops more than 20 percent below the normal AC-line voltage level. Network connections cannot be protected by surge protectors. Always disconnect the network cable from the network connector during electrical storms. SIM - Subscriber Identity Module. A SIM card contains a microchip that encrypts voice and data transmissions. SIM cards can be used in phones or portable computers. SVGA - super-video graphics array - A video standard for video cards and controllers. Typical SVGA resolutions are 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768. The number of colors and resolution that a program displays depends on the capabilities of the monitor, the video controller and its drivers, and the amount of video memory installed in the computer. S-video TV-out - A connector used to attach a TV or digital audio device to the computer. SXGA - super-extended graphics array - A video standard for video cards and controllers that supports resolutions up to 1280 x 1024. SXGA+ - super-extended graphics array plus - A video standard for video cards and controllers that supports resolutions up to 1400 x 1050. system board - The main circuit board in your computer. Also known as the motherboard. system setup - A utility that serves as an interface between the computer hardware and the operating system. System setup allows you to configure user-selectable options in the BIOS, such as date and time or system password. Unless you understand what effect the settings have on the computer, do not change the settings for this program. system tray - See notification area. T TAPI - telephony application programming interface - Enables Windows programs to operate with a wide variety of telephony devices, including voice, data, fax, and video. text editor - A program used to create and edit files that contain only text; for example, Windows Notepad uses a text editor. Text editors do not usually provide word wrap or formatting functionality (the option to underline, change fonts, and so on). travel module - A plastic device designed to fit inside the module bay of a portable computer to reduce the weight of the computer. U UMA - unified memory allocation - System memory dynamically allocated to video. UPS - uninterruptible power supply - A backup power source used when the electrical power fails or drops to an unacceptable voltage level. A UPS keeps a computer running for a limited amount of time when there is no electrical power. UPS systems typically provide surge suppression and may also provide voltage regulation. Small UPS systems provide battery power for a few minutes to enable you to shut down your computer. USB - universal serial bus - A hardware interface for a low-speed device such as a USB-compatible keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner, set of speakers, printer, broadband devices (DSL and cable modems), imaging devices, or storage devices. Devices are plugged directly in to a 4-pin socket on your computer or in to a multi-port hub that plugs in to your computer. USB devices can be connected and disconnected while the computer is turned on, and they can also be daisy-chained together. Glossary 179