NIC — See network adapter.
notification area — The section of the Windows taskbar that contains icons for providing quick access to programs and computer functions, such as the clock, volume control, and print status. Also referred to as system tray.
ns — nanosecond — A measure of time that equals one billionth of a second.
NVRAM — nonvolatile random access memory — A type of memory that stores data when the computer is turned off or loses its external power source. NVRAM is used for maintaining computer configuration information such as date, time, and other system setup options that you can set.
O
optical drive — A drive that uses optical technology to read or write data from CDs, DVDs, or DVD+RWs. Example of optical drives include CD drives, DVD drives,
P
parallel connector — An I/O port often used to connect a parallel printer to your computer. Also referred to as an LPT port.
partition — A physical storage area on a hard drive that is assigned to one or more logical storage areas known as logical drives. Each partition can contain multiple logical drives.
PC Card — A removable I/O card adhering to the PCMCIA standard. Modems and network adapters are common types of PC Cards.
PCI — peripheral component interconnect — PCI is a local bus that supports
PCI Express — A modification to the PCI interface that boosts the data transfer rate between the processor and the devices attached to it. PCI Express can transfer data at speeds from 250 MB/sec to 4 GB/sec. If the PCI Express chip set and the device are capable of different speeds, they will operate at the slower speed.
PCMCIA — Personal Computer Memory Card International Association — The organization that establishes standards for PC Cards.
PIN — personal identification number — A sequence of numerals and/or letters used to restrict unauthorized access to computer networks and other secure systems.
PIO — programmed input/output — A method of transferring data between two devices through the processor as part of the data path.
pixel — A single point on a display screen. Pixels are arranged in rows and columns to create an image. A video resolution, such as 800 x 600, is expressed as the number of pixels across by the number of pixels up and down.
POST —
processor — A computer chip that interprets and executes program instructions. Sometimes the processor is referred to as the CPU (central processing unit).
program — Any software that processes data for you, including spreadsheet, word processor, database, and game packages. Programs require an operating system to run.
PS/2 — personal system/2 — A type of connector for attaching a