304
Glossary
5.375 x 8.375 ver 2.3
ROM (read-only memory)
—Non-volatile memory that can be read but
not written to. By non-volatile, we mean that information in ROM
remains whether or not the computer is receiving power. This type
of memory is used to store your computer’s BIOS, which is
essential instructions the computer reads when you start it up. See
also
BIOS, memory.
Compare
RAM.
S
select
—To highlight or otherwise specify text, data, or graphics with the
intent to perform some operation on it.
serial
—Processes that occur one at a time. In communications, it means
the transmission of one bit at a time sequentially over a single
channel. On your computer, the serial port provides a serial interface
between a computer and an appropriate device. Compare
parallel.
shortcut
—See
keyboard shortcut
.
software
—See
program.
Compare
hardware.
Standby
—A feature of some Windows
®
operating systems that allows
you to turn off the computer without exiting your open applications
and to continue from where you left off when you turn the computer
on again.
Suspend
—A feature of some Windows
®
operating systems that allows
you to turn off the computer without exiting your open applications
and to continue from where you left off when you turn the computer
on again.
system disk
—A diskette that contains the operating system files needed
to start the computer. Any diskette can be formatted as a system
disk. A system disk is also called a “bootable disk” or a “startup
disk.” Compare
non-system disk.
system prompt
—The symbol (in MS-DOS
®
, generally a drive letter
followed by a “greater than” sign) indicating where users are to
enter commands.
T
TFT display
—See
active-matrix display
.
