Asus W5A Hardware User Manual page 57

Hardware
Hardware is a general term referring to the physical components of a computer system, including pe-
ripherals such as printers, modems, and pointing devices.
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
IDE devices integrate the drive control circuitry directly on the drive itself, eliminating the need for a
separate adapter card (in the case for SCSI devices). UltraDMA/66 or 100 IDE devices can achieve up
to 33MB/Sec transfer.
IEEE1394
Also known as iLINK (Sony) or FireWire (Apple). IEEE1394 is a high speed serial bus like SCSI but
has simple connections and hot-plugging capabilities like USB. The interface IEEE1394 has a band-
width of 400-1000 Mbits/sec and can handle up to 63 units on the same bus. It is very likely that
IEEE1394, together with USB, will replace Parallel, IDE, SCSI, and EIDE ports. IEEE1394 is also
used in high-end digital equipment and should be marked "DV" for Digital Video port.
Infrared Port (IrDA)
The infrared (IrDA) communication port allows convenient wireless data communication with infra-
red-equipped devices or computers up to 4 Mbits/sec. This allows easy wireless synchronization with
PDAs or mobile phones and even wireless printing to printers. If your office supports IrDA networking,
you can have wireless connection to a network anywhere provided there is a direct line of sight to an
IrDA node. Small offices can use IrDA technology to share a printer between several closely placed
Notebook PCs and even send files to each other without a network.
®
Kensington Locks
®
Kensington locks (or compatible) allow the Notebook PC to be secured usually using a metal cable
and lock that prevent the Notebook PC to be removed from a fixed object. Some security products may
also include a motion detector to sound an alarm when moved.
Laser Classifications
As lasers became more numerous and more widely used, the need to warn users of laser hazards be-
came apparent. To meet this need, laser classifications were established. Current classification levels
vary from optically safe, requiring no controls (Class 1) to very hazardous, requiring strict controls
(Class 4).
CLASS 1: A Class 1 laser or laser system emits levels of optical energy that are eye-safe and conse-
quently require no controls. An example of this class of laser system is the checkout scanning device
found in most grocery stores or lasers used in optical drives.
CLASS 2 & CLASS 3A: Class 2 and Class 3A lasers emit visible, continuous-wave (CW) optical
radiation levels slightly above the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) level. Although these
lasers can cause eye damage, their brightness usually causes observers to look away or blink before
eye damage occurs. These lasers have strict administrative controls requiring placement of signs
warning personnel not to stare directly into the beam. Class 3A lasers must not be viewed with
optically-aided devices.
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Appendix
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