Glossary

Sony Notebook User Guide

 

n N

 

102

Term

Definition

 

 

CD-ROM

Abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory. A high-capacity optical disc, usually

 

650 MB in size, capable of being read from but not written to.

 

 

CD-RW

Short for Compact Disc-ReWriteable. Compact Disc that can be used to write or rewrite data

 

to it. A CD-RW can be written to several times, a CD-R can only be written to once.

 

 

CPU

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the brains of the computer; it processes the instructions

 

of your system’s programs. The CPU is also known as the processor or microprocessor and can

 

be found on the motherboard of your computer.

 

 

DC In

The Direct Current interface to which you connect your computer’s AC adapter.

 

 

Docking station

An additional device that you can connect to your notebook. The docking station contains

 

slots for expansion boards , bays for storage devices and ports for additional peripherals

 

(such as printers or monitors).

 

 

Driver

A driver is software enabling you to use hardware devices. For example, in order for you to

 

be able to use a printer, you must first install its driver. Many drivers, such as the mouse

 

driver, come with the operating system.

 

 

DVD-ROM

Short for Digital Video Disc. A type of read-only CD with a minimum capacity of 4.7 GB

 

(maximum capacity can reach 17 GB). This high storage power makes it the ideal medium for

 

storing films.

 

 

Ethernet

Ethernet is the most widely implemented local area network (LAN) technology. The Ethernet

 

system called 10BASE-T provides data transfer rates of 10 Mbps (megabits per second). A

 

more recent version of Ethernet, called 100BASE-T, provides data transfer rates of 100 Mbps.

 

Gigabit Ethernet supports data rates of 1 gigabit (1,000 megabits) per second.