MSI MS-6528LE User Manual page 99

Glossary
PnP (Plug and Play)
A set of specifications that allows a PC to configure itself automatically to work with peripherals.
The user can "plug" in a peripheral device and "play" it without configuring the system
manually. To implement this useful feature, both the BIOS that supports PnP and a PnP
expansion card are required.
POST (Power On Self Test)
During booting up your system, the BIOS executes a series of diagnostic tests, include check-
ing the RAM, the keyboard, the disk drives, etc., to see if they are properly connected and
operating.
PS/2 Port
A type of port developed by IBM for connecting a mouse or keyboard to a PC. The PS/2 port
supports a mini DIN plug containing just 6 pins. Most modern PCs equipped with PS/2 ports
so that the special port can be used by another device, such as a modem.
USB (universal serial bus)
A hardware interface for low-speed peripherals such as the keyboard, mouse, joystick, etc.
USB provides a maximum bandwidth of 12 Mbit/sec (Mbps) for connecting up to 127 periph-
eral devices to PC. USB features hot swap capability and multiple data streams, allows
external devices to be plugged in and unplugged without turning the system off.
Virus
A program or a piece of code that infects computer files by inserting in those files copies of
itself. The virus code is buried within an existing program, and is activated when that program
is executed. All the viruses are man-made, and often have damaging side effects.
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