Bit

A binary digit (0 or 1). The smallest unit of information a computer can process and store. The value of a bit represents a single electrical pulse through a circuit, or a small spot on a disk, that contains either a 0 or a 1.

B o o t

The process a computer performs to start itself up, check its components, and then load the operating system into its memory.

Bus

A wire or group of wires that sends information from component to component in the computer. The speed of a bus increases by the number and width of the channels the bus uses to move data.

Byte

A sequence of eight bits of data that represent one character. See also Bit and Character.

Cache

A high-speed type of memory buffer that stores frequently used data where your microprocessor can access it faster. Your computer includes 8KB of internal cache.

CGA

Color Graphics Adapter. A type of display adapter card that can generate up to 25 lines of text with 80 characters on each line, two-color graphics at 640 x 200 resolution, or four-color graphics at 320 x 200 resolution.

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