E
ECC — error checking and correction — A type of memory that includes special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data as it passes in and out of memory.
ECP — extended capabilities port — A parallel connector design that provides improved bidirectional data transmission. Similar to EPP, ECP uses direct memory access to transfer data and often improves performance.
EIDE — enhanced integrated device electronics — An improved version of the IDE interface for hard drives and CD drives.
EMI — electromagnetic interference — Electrical interference caused by electromagnetic radiation.
ENERGY STAR® — Environmental Protection Agency requirements that decrease the overall consumption of electricity.
EPP — enhanced parallel port — A parallel connector design that provides bidirectional data transmission.
ESD — electrostatic discharge — A rapid discharge of static electricity. ESD can damage integrated circuits found in computer and communications equipment.
expansion card — A circuit board that installs in an expansion slot on the system board in some computers, expanding the capabilities of the computer. Examples include video, modem, and sound cards.
expansion slot — A connector on the system board (in some computers) where you insert an expansion card, connecting it to the system bus.
ExpressCard — A removable I/O card adhering to the PCMCIA standard. Modems and network adapters are common types of ExpressCards. ExpressCards support both the PCI Express and USB 2.0 standard.
Express Service Code — A numeric code located on a sticker on your Dell™ computer. Use the Express Service Code when contacting Dell for assistance. Express Service Code service may not be available in some countries.
extended display mode — A display setting that allows you to use a second monitor as an extension of your display. Also referred to as dual display mode.
extended PC Card — A PC Card that extends beyond the edge of the PC Card slot when installed.
F
Fahrenheit — A temperature measurement scale where 32° is the freezing point and 212° is the boiling point of water.
FCC — Federal Communications Commission — A U.S. agency responsible for enforcing
fingerprint reader — A strip sensor that uses your unique fingerprint to authenticate your user identity to help secure your computer.
floppy — An electromagnetic form of storage media. Also known as a floppy diskette or a floppy disk.
floppy drive — A disk drive that can read and write to floppy disks.
folder — A term used to describe space on a disk or drive where files are organized and grouped. Files in a folder can be viewed and ordered in various ways, such as alphabetically, by date, and by size.
format — The process that prepares a drive or disk for file storage. When a drive or disk is formatted, the existing information on it is lost.
FSB — front side bus — The data path and physical interface between the processor and RAM.
FTP — file transfer protocol — A standard Internet protocol used to exchange files between computers connected to the Internet.
G
G — gravity — A measurement of weight and force.
GB — gigabyte — A measurement of data storage that equals 1024 MB (1,073,741,824 bytes). When used to refer to hard drive storage, the term is often rounded to 1,000,000,000 bytes.
GHz — gigahertz — A measurement of frequency that equals one thousand million Hz, or one thousand MHz. The speeds for computer processors, buses, and interfaces are often measured in GHz.
graphics mode — A video mode that can be defined as x horizontal pixels by y vertical pixels by z colors. Graphics modes can display an unlimited variety of shapes and fonts.
GUI — graphical user interface — Software that interacts with the user by means of menus, windows, and icons. Most programs that operate on the Windows operating systems are GUIs.
H
hard drive — A drive that reads and writes data on a hard disk. The terms hard drive and hard disk are often used interchangeably.