Toshiba M500 User Manual page 212

Glossary
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.
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 device.
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.
P
parallel: Processes that occur simultaneously. In communications, it means the
transmission of more than one bit of information at a time. On your computer,
the parallel port provides a parallel communications interface between the
computer and an appropriate device. Compare serial.
parity: 1) The symmetrical relationship between two parameter values
(integers) both of which are either on or off; odd or even; 0 or 1. 2) In serial
communications, an error detection bit that is added to a group of data bits
making the sum of the bits even or odd. Parity can be set to none, odd, or
even.
password: A unique string of characters used to identify a specific user. The
computer provides various levels of password protection such as user and
supervisor.
PC card: A credit-card-sized expansion card designed to increase the capabilities
of notebook computers. PC Cards provide functions such as modem, fax/
modem, hard disk drive, network adapter, sound card, or SCSI adapter.
PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect. An industry standard 32-bit bus.
peripheral: Any device, such as a printer or joystick, that is attached to the
computer and controlled by the computer's CPU.
pixel: A picture element. The smallest dot that can be made on a display or
printer. Also called a pel.
plug and play: A capability with Windows that enables the system to
automatically recognize connections of external devices and make the
necessary configurations in the computer.
pointing device: Any device, such as the TouchPad or a mouse, that enables you
to move the cursor on the screen.
port: The electrical connection through which the computer sends and receives
data to and from devices or other computers.
Power Saver: A TOSHIBA utility that lets you set the parameters for various
power-saving functions.
Glossary-14 User 's Manual