Toshiba Satellite 110 Series User Manual page 418

M
main board: See motherboard.
math coprocessor: A special processor that performs arithmetic calcu-
lations on exponential numbers. Since a computer's main proces-
sor calculates with integers, adding a math coprocessor to your
computer can greatly improve system speed if you work with
large spreadsheets or some graphics programs. Some processor
chips, such as the Intel Pentium in your computer, include a built-
in math coprocessor.
megabyte (MB): The abbreviation for megabyte or one million bytes.
One megabyte is actually 1,048,576 bytes (1024 x 1024 bytes).
memory: Chips the computer uses for temporary information storage.
Information in memory is available to the computer for process-
ing. Two types of memory are Random Access Memory (RAM)
and Read-Only Memory (ROM). See Random Access Memory
and Read-Only Memory.
menu: A list of options on the screen, from which you can choose.
microphone: an device that records sound.
microprocessor: A single integrated circuit ("chip") that executes
instructions, and monitors and controls functions. One such chip
forms the Central Processing Unit (CPU) of you computer.
mode: An operational state or method of operation, for example,
Resume Mode or Boot Mode.
modem: A device for transmitting computer information over tele-
phone lines. A modem converts (modulates) digital information
for transmission and also converts (demodulates) information it
receives back to digital format. A smart modem also interprets and
executes commands received from the computer.
monitor: An external display device. A cathode ray tube (CRT) is a
common type of monitor.
motherboard: The main printed circuit board in the computer. It con-
tains the processor chip, memory and other major system
components.
Part III: Appendixes
389