Disk drive

The physical device which allows the computer to read from and write to a disk. A floppy disk drive has a disk slot on the front panel of the main unit into which you insert diskettes. A hard disk is permanently fixed inside the main unit, hidden behind the front panel.

Diskette

A flat piece of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material and used to store data permanently. Also called floppy disk.

D O S

The Disk Operating System that controls the computer’s input and output functions. See Operating system.

Double-density

A type of diskette format that allows you to store twice as much data as the standarddensity format. A double-density diskette for the Equity I+ has a storage capacity of 360KB.

File

A group of related pieces of information called records, or entries, stored together on disk. Text files consist of words and sentences. Program files consist of code and are used by computers to interpret and carry out instructions.

Floppy disk

See Diskette.

Format

To prepare a new disk (or erase an old one) so it can receive information. Formatting a disk divides it into tracks and sectors which create addressable locations on it.

Graphics

Lines, angles, curves, and other nonalphanumeric data.

GW-BASIC

Microsoft’s extended version of the Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. A programming language designed to be easy to use and understand.

Hard disk

The enclosed unit used to store data permanently. Unlike a floppy disk, it is fixed in place. It can process data more rapidly and store many more files than a floppy disk.

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