Toshiba M500 User Manual page 209

firmware: A set of instructions built into the hardware which controls and directs a
microprocessor's activities.
flash memory: Non-volatile memory that can be written to as well as read.
Information in flash memory remains whether or not the computer is receiving
power. This type of memory is used to retain your
fingerprint data: See also memory. Compare RAM and ROM.
floppy diskette: A removable disk that stores magnetically encoded data.
floppy diskette drive (FDD): An electromechanical device that reads and writes
to floppy diskettes.
folder: An icon in Windows used to store documents or other folders.
format: The process of readying a blank disk for its first use. Formatting
establishes the structure of the disk that the operating system expects before
it writes files or programs onto the disk.
function keys: The keys labeled F1 through F12 that tell the computer to perform
certain functions.
G
gigabyte (GB): A unit of data storage equal to 1024 megabytes. See also
megabyte.
graphics: Drawings, pictures, or other images, such as charts or graphs, to
present information.
H
hard disk: A storage device composed of a rigid platter or platters that can be
magnetically coded with data. Hard disks hold much more information than
diskettes and are used for long-term storage of programs and data. The
primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is usually fixed, but some computers
have secondary hard disks that are removable. By default, the hard disk is
referred to as drive C.
hard disk drive (HDD): An electromechanical device that reads and writes a hard
disk. See also hard disk.
hardware: The physical electronic and mechanical components of a computer
system: typically, the computer itself, external disk drives, etc. See also
software and firmware.
hertz: A unit of wave frequency that equals one cycle per second.
host computer: The computer that controls, regulates, and transmits information
to a device or another computer.
hot key: The computer's feature in which certain keys in combination with the
extended function key, FN, can be used to set system parameters, such as
speaker volume.
HW Setup: A TOSHIBA utility that lets you set the parameters for various
hardware components.
User 's Manual
Glossary
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