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motherboard
motherboard: A name sometimes used
to refer to the main printed circuit
board in processing equipment. It
usually contains integrated circuits
that perform the processor's basic
functions and provides connectors for
adding other boards that perform
special functions. Sometimes called a
main board.
N
non-system disk: A formatted diskette
(floppy disk) you can use to store
programs and data but you cannot use
to start the computer. See system disk.
nonvolatile memory: Memory, usually
read-only (ROM), that is capable of
permanently storing information.
Turning the computer's power off
does not alter data stored in nonvola-
tile memory.
numeric keypad overlay: A feature
that allows you to use certain keys on
the keyboard to perform numeric entry,
or to control cursor and page move-
ment.
Glossary-10
O
OCR: Optical Character Recognition
(reader). A technique or device that
uses laser or visible light to identify
characters and input them into a
storage device.
OCR wand: A device that reads, using
an optical device, hand written or
machine printed symbols into a
computer. See also OCR.
online state: A functional state of a
peripheral device when it is ready to
receive or transmit data.
operating system: A group of
programs that controls the basic
operation of a computer. Operating
system functions include interpreting
programs, creating data files, and
controlling the transmission and
receipt (input/output) of data to and
from memory and peripheral devices.
output: The results of a computer
operation. Output commonly indicates
data 1) printed on paper, 2) displayed
at a terminal, 3) sent through the serial
port of internal modem, or 4) stored on
some magnetic media.
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