Micros Systems Ultra Setup Manual page 105

1st Page Contents
Memory
A generic term for a device that stores information in a form the CPU
can recognize and manipulate. Memory appears in several forms, each
of which has a specific role in the operation of the Personal Computer.
A distinction must be made between primary and secondary storage
systems in microprocessor based systems. Memory devices such as
EPROMs, DRAMs, and SRAMs are called primary storage because
they store information that is immediately accessible to the processor
through its address and data busses.
Secondary storage (sometimes called mass storage) operates as the
PCs long term memory. It holds the operating system, software
applications, or in other words, the bulk of the information the
computer deals with. Secondary storage consists of disk and tape
drives which typically hold many times the capacity of primary storage.
To be useful however, this data must be moved into primary storage
where it can be accessed and manipulated by the CPU. This is one of
the roles of the operating system in conjunction with the system BIOS.
See RAM, DRAM, EPROM.
Mouse
A type of pointing device that sits on a flat surface and duplicates its
movements on the screen. It essentially replaces the keyboard arrow
keys.
Operating System
System software that acts as a master control program to manage the
execution of application programs. The kernel, or core of the operating
system remains in memory to receive user input as well as to provide
an interface to the hardware through the system BIOS. Operating
systems perform other tasks such as establishing the structure of the
disk file system, moving executable files from disk to memory,
communications, and system security.
Examples of operating systems are UNIX, MS-DOS, and Microsoft
Windows
Parallel Port
See Centronics Parallel Port.
PCWS Ultra Setup Guide
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95.
Glossary of Terms
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