Glossary: Dell™ Precision™ WorkStation 610 Mini Tower Systems

The following list defines or identifies technical terms, abbreviations, and acronyms used in Dell user documents.

NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, these definitions may apply only to the Microsoft® Windows® 95 and Windows NT® operating systems

A

Abbreviation for ampere(s).

AC

Abbreviation for alternating current.

ACPI

Abbreviation for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface. ACPI enables operating-system-directed power management rather than system BIOS-directed power management. In addition, it provides a generic system event mechanism for Plug and Play and an interface for configuration control.

adapter card

An expansion card that plugs into an expansion-card connector on the computer's system board. An adapter card adds some specialized function to the computer by providing an interface between the expansion bus and a peripheral device. Examples of adapter cards include network cards, sound cards, and SCSI adapters.

ADI

Abbreviation for Autodesk Device Interface.

AGP

Abbreviation for accelerated graphics port. AGP is a dedicated graphics port that provides a faster interface between the video subsystem and system memory than a PCI graphics device and allows conventional memory to be used for video- related tasks. The improved interface enables AGP to deliver a smooth, true-color video image.

application program

Software, such as a spreadsheet or word processor, designed to help you perform a specific task or series of tasks. Application programs run from the operating system.

ASCII

MB

Abbreviation for megabyte(s). The term megabyte means 1,048,576 bytes; however, when referring to hard-disk drive storage, the term is often rounded to mean 1,000,000 bytes.

MB/sec

Abbreviation for megabytes per second.

Mbps

Abbreviation for megabits per second.

MBR

Abbreviation for master boot record.

memory

A computer can contain several different forms of memory, such as RAM, ROM, and video memory. Frequently, the word memory is used as a synonym for RAM; for example, an unqualified statement such as "a computer with 16 MB of memory" refers to a computer with 16 MB of RAM.

memory address

A specific location, usually expressed as a hexadecimal number, in the computer's RAM.

memory manager

A utility that controls the implementation of memory in addition to conventional memory, such as extended or expanded memory.

memory module

A small circuit board containing DRAM chips that connects to the system board.

MHz

Abbreviation for megahertz.

MIDI

Abbreviation for musical instrument digital interface.