Glossary

Sony VAIO Desktop User Guide

 

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ISP

An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a company which provides you with a user name,

 

password and telephone number in order to connect to the Internet.

 

 

L2 cache memory

Cache memory is RAM-like memory that enables quick access to data that has already been

 

read by the computer. L1 and L2 are levels of cache memory in a computer.

 

 

LAN

A LAN (Local Area Network) is a group of computers connected together within a limited

 

geographical area. It enables users to share devices (such as printers) and information using

 

one processor or server.

 

 

LED

Short for Light-Emitting Diode. A semiconductor device that lights up when electricity passes

 

through it.

 

 

MAPI

Short for Messaging Application Program Interface. A Microsoft Windows interface

 

enabling you to send e-mail messages. It allows e-mail access and distribution among

 

applications. MAPI-compatible applications include a Send Mail or Send in the File menu of

 

the application.

 

 

maximum RAM

The maximum amount of RAM that your computer can contain. Once this amount is

 

reached, you can no longer add additional RAM to your computer.

 

 

Motherboard

The motherboard is the main circuit board inside your computer. It holds the CPU, the BIOS,

 

the memory and so on.

 

 

MPEG

MPEG or Moving Pictures Experts Group is a standard for audio-visual compression of video

 

sequences. MPEG achieves high compression rates by storing only the changes from one

 

frame to another. The decrease in data is generally imperceptible to the human eye.

 

MPEG-1 was developed for digital storage of video and audio data on CD-ROM. MPEG-2

 

achieves better image and audio quality and is more targeted to TV broadcasting and DVD.

 

 

Operating system

The operating system is software that manages all the other programs in a computer. It

 

defines how the computer reads and writes information to its disks (and other hardware).

 

Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP Professional and Windows XP

 

Home Edition are examples of operating systems found on VAIOs.