Acomdata External HARD DRIVE USB 2.0 User Manual page 105

files. A partition is formatted with a specific file system. Formatting is
often referred to as initializing on the Mac.
Gigabyte – 1,024 megabytes (binary); 1,000 megabytes (decimal), or
approximately one billion bytes.
Hub – A device which links peripherals onto the same data bus.
Interface – Junction between two items of hardware or software for
the exchange of data.
Mbps (Megabits per second) – A measurement of data transmission
speed. For data transmissions, the base unit is the bit rather than the
byte. Using bits is a truer measure of raw performance because it
negates the need to differentiate between the part of the data stream
that makes up the file(s) being sent and the accompanying data pro-
tocols that structure and govern data communications.
MB (Megabyte) – 1,048,576 bytes (binary); 1,000,000 bytes (decimal).
Partition – A fixed amount of reserved storage space on a hard disk. A
disk can contain one or more partitions. A partition must be formatted
with a compatible file system in order to mount to a given operating
system. A mounted partition is treated as a discrete volume.
Startup Disk – The disk from which a computer loads its operating
system. Also called a "boot volume. "
Volume – A formatted hard drive partition. The term "volume" is often
used as a synonym for the hard drive itself when the drive contains
a single partition. However, it is possible for a hard drive to contain
more than one volume, or for a single volume to span more than one
hard drive.
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