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Glossary
Appendix B: Glossary
Buffer
A temporary storage area, usually in RAM. The purpose of most buffers is to
act as a holding area, enabling CPU to manipulate data before transferring it to
a device.
Bus
A collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a
computer to another. You can think of a bus as a highway on which data travels
within a computer.
Chipset
A number of integrated circuits designed to perform one or more related
functions. For example, one chipset may provide the basic functions of a
modem while another provides the CPU functions for a computer.
CMOS
Abbreviation of complementary metal oxide semiconductor. Pronunced see-
moss, CMOS is a widely used type of semiconductor. CMOS chips are particu-
larly attractive for use in battery-powered devices, such as portable computers.
Personal computers also contain a small amount of battery-powered CMOS
memory to hold the date, time, and system setup parameters.
Com
In DOS system, the name of a serial communications port. DOS supports four
serial ports: COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4.
DIMM
Short for dual in-line memory module, a small circuit board that holds memory
chips. A single in-line memory module (SIMM) has a 32-bit path to the memory
chips whereas a DIMM has 64-bit path.
B-1
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