Toshiba M100 User Manual - Page 260

Hard disk drive (HDD) GLOSSARY hard disk drive (HDD): An electromechanical device that reads and writes a hard disk. See also hard disk. hardware: The physical electronic and mechanical components of a computer system: typically, the computer itself, external disk drives, etc. See also software and firmware. hertz: A unit of wave frequency that equals one cycle per second. hexadecimal: The base 16 numbering system composed of the digits 0 through 9 and the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F. host computer: The computer that controls, regulates, and transmits information to a device or another computer. hot dock/undock: Connecting or disconnecting a device to or from the computer while the computer's power is turned on. hotkey: The computer's feature in which certain keys in combination with the extended function key, Fn, can be used to set system parameters, such as speakers volume. HW Setup: A TOSHIBA utility that lets you set the parameters for various hardware components. I icon: A small graphic image displayed on the screen or in the indicator panel. In Windows, an icon represents an object that the user can manipulate. i.LINK (IEEE1394): This port enables high-speed data transfer directly from external devices such as digital video cameras. infrared port: A cableless communications capable of using infrared signals to send serial data. input: The data or instructions you provide to a computer, communication device or other peripheral device from the keyboard or external or internal storage devices. The data sent (or output) by the sending computer is input for the receiving computer. instruction: Statements or commands that specify how to perform a particular task. interface: 1) Hardware and/or software components of a system used specifically to connect one system or device to another. 2) To physically connect one system or device to another to exchange information. 3) The point of contact between user, the computer, and the program, for example, the keyboard or a menu. interrupt request: A signal that gives a component access to the processor. Glossary-8