monitor
GLOSSARY
monitor: A device that uses rows and columns of pixels to display alphanumeric characters or graphic images. See CRT.
motherboard: A name sometimes used to refer to the main printed circuit board in processing equipment. It usually contains integrated circuits that perform the processor’s basic functions and provides connectors for adding other boards that perform special functions. Sometimes called a main board.
MPEG: Moving picture coding expert group is an industry standard architecture for compression of video signals.
N
nonvolatile memory: Memory, usually
numeric keypad overlay: A feature that allows you to use certain keys on the keyboard to perform numeric entry, or to control cursor and page movement.
O
OCR: Optical Character Recognition (reader). A technique or device that uses laser or visible light to identify characters and input them into a storage device.
OCR wand: A device that reads, using an optical device, hand written or machine printed symbols into a com- puter. See also OCR.
operating system: A group of programs that controls the basic operation of a computer. Operating system functions include interpreting programs, creating data files, and controlling the transmission and receipt (input/output) of data to and from memory and peripheral devices.
output: The results of a computer operation. Output commonly indicates data 1) printed on paper, 2) displayed at a terminal, 3) sent through the serial port of internal modem, or 4) stored on some magnetic media.
P
parallel: Refers to two or more processes or events that can occur simultaneously, and without interfering with each other. See also serial.
parallel interface: Refers to a type of information exchange that transmits information one byte (8 bits) at a time. See also serial interface.