Technical information

Glossary
directory. A type of file containing the
names and controlling information for
other files or other directories.
DMA. Direct memory access. The
transfer of data between memory and
input/output units without processor
intervention.
double-click. To press and release a
mouse button twice within a time frame
defined by the user, without moving the
pointer off the choice.
DRAM. Dynamic random access
memory.
DSP. Digital signal processor.
DSTN. Dual-scan supertwisted nematic.
EGA. Enhanced graphics adapter.
EIA. Electronics Industries Association.
EIA-232D. An EIA interface standard
that defines the physical, electronic, and
functional characteristics of an interface
line that connects a communication
device and associated workstation. It
uses a 25-pin connector and an
unbalanced line voltage.
EMS. Expanded memory specification.
fax. (1) Facsimile machine. (2) A
transmitted document from a facsimile
machine.
fixed disk. In personal computing,
fixed
disk is synonymous with hard disk .
flash memory. Electrically rewritable
storage.
folder. A file used to store and organize
documents.
fuel gauge. An indicator on the screen
that constantly shows the current power
status of the battery pack.
hibernation. One of the power-saving
methods that stores data and
applications running in the computer's
memory on the hard disk. During
hibernation, the computer is automatically
turned off to save power. When power is
turned on again, the computer
immediately restores the same data and
applications as when hibernation started,
without restarting the operating system.
high-performance mode. A method of
increasing the access time of video
memories for dual-scan STN LCDs, to
produce high-quality video on an external
display (CRT).
high-resolution mode. Video
resolutions that are greater than 640 by
480 pels.
icon. A graphic symbol, displayed on a
screen, that a user can point to with a
pointing device such as a TrackPoint III
or mouse to select a particular function or
software application.
IR. Infrared.
ISA. Industry standard architecture.
ISO. International Organization for
Standardization.
JEIDA. Japan Electronics Industry
Development Association.
kilobyte (KB). 1024 bytes.
LAN. Local area network.
megabyte (MB). 1024 kilobytes. About
1 million bytes.
memory. Often referred to as
random-access memory (RAM),
measured in kilobytes (KB) or megabytes
(MB) of information.
MHz. Megahertz.
microcode. One or more
microinstructions used in a product as an
alternative to hard-wired circuitry to
implement functions of a processor or
other system component.
MIDI. Musical Instrument Digital
Interface.
modem. A device that connects your
computer to a telephone line, allowing it
to communicate with another computer at
another location.
parallel port. A port used to attach
such devices as dot-matrix printers and
270 IBM ThinkPad 755CX User's Guide