Wyse 3315SE Reference Manual page 252

Glossary 228
Terminal emulator
Thin-client
Timeout
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) A model that helps IT professionals understand and manage the
Touch screen
USB
A program that allows a computer to act like a particular brand
or type of terminal. The computer thus appears as a terminal to
the host computer and accepts the same escape sequences for
functions such as cursor positioning and clearing the screen.
A low-cost computing device that works in a server-centric
computing model. Thin clients typically do not require
state-of-the-art, powerful processors and large amounts of RAM
and ROM because they access applications from a central
server or network. Thin clients can operate in a Server-based
Computing environment.
A time interval within which certain operations must occur; for
example, the time allotment for the terminal to connect to a login
host. After the timeout, the process can either be repeated or
discontinued.
budgeted (direct) and unbudgeted (indirect) costs incurred for
acquiring, maintaining and using an application or a computing
system. TCO normally includes training, upgrades, and
administration as well as the purchase price. Lowering TCO
through single-point control is a key benefit of Server-based
Computing.
A type of display screen that has a touch-sensitive transparent
panel that can sense when someone is touching it, and is able
to furnish a computer with precise information as to exactly
where on the screen the touch occurred. Touch screens are
used with software that uses the information provided by the
screen touch to respond to user requests.
Universal Serial Bus. An external peripheral interface standard
for communication between computer and external peripherals
over an inexpensive cable using biserial transmission. USB is
standard on current (1999) Macintosh computers and is
promoted by Intel as an option for the IBM PC where it is
supported by later versions of Windows 95. USB works at 12
Mbps with specific consideration for low-cost peripherals. It
supports up to 127 devices and both isochronous and
asynchronous data transfers. USB cables can be up to 5 meters
long and include built-in power distribution for low-power
devices. It supports daisy chaining through a tiered star
multidrop topology.