Glossary

Sony VAIO Desktop User Guide

 

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PSTN

PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) refers to the plain old telephone service, the

 

national telecommunication networks implementing voice transmission by using analog

 

signals.

 

 

RAM

Short for Random Access Memory, the memory used to run programs and store data in

 

current use. RAM is the fastest kind of memory to read from and write to. Information stored

 

in RAM is lost when you turn off the computer. The higher the RAM capacity, the faster your

 

current data can be processed.

 

 

Resolution

The degree of sharpness and clarity of an image. Resolution is expressed in pixels. Frequent

 

computer screen resolutions are 640 x 480 pixels (VGA resolution; appropriate for a 14-inch

 

screen), 800 x 600 (appropriate for a 15-inch screen), 1,024 by 768 (appropriate for a 17-inch

 

screen), and 1,280 by 1,024. LCD displays usually use a higher resolution than a CRT of the

 

same size.

 

 

RGB signal cable

RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue. A cable that requires separate transmission types for the

 

three colours on the display.

 

 

S-video

S-video stands for separated video, a video technique separating colour from luminescence

 

rendering clearer imaging, and requiring different cables and plugs than ordinary video.

 

 

SDRAM

Synchronous DRAM is a kind of dynamic random access memory running at a much higher

 

clock speed than regular memory.

 

 

Standard RAM

The amount of RAM that is available on your computer when you purchase it.

 

 

System recovery

A recovery process that enables you to recover the hard disk image initially available on the

 

computer. Performing a system recovery is useful in the event of a serious system crash or if

 

you want to modify the size of your partitions.

 

 

System recovery CD-ROM

CD-ROM that is supplied with your computer and that enables a VAIO computer user to

 

recover the hard disk image that was available when the computer was purchased.

 

 

UPS

A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is a device including a battery that protects your

 

computer from data loss in the event of a power failure. The battery takes over as soon as a

 

power interruption is detected. If you are using the computer when the power failure

 

occurs, you have time to save all unsaved data and to shut down your computer.