Toshiba L650, L640 manual 215, Local area network See LAN

	Glossary	215
	LAN (Local Area Network) — A group of computers or other devices
	dispersed over a relatively limited area and connected by a
	communications link that enables any device to interact with any
	other on the network.
	LED (Light Emitting Diode) — A solid state lamp (SSL) that uses
	light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the source of light, which offers
	long life and high efficiency output. Multiple diodes are used
	together, since the light created by individual light-emitting diodes is
	small compared to incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps.
	LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) — A type of display that uses a liquid
	substance between two transparent electrode panels. When an
	electric current passes through the electrodes, the molecules in the
	liquid form a crystalline pattern that polarizes the light passing
	through it. A filter over the electrodes permits only non-polarized
	light to pass to the surface of the display, creating light and dark
	pixels.
	load — To move information from a storage device (such as a hard disk)
	into memory for processing.
	local area network — See LAN.
	logical drive — A section of a disk that is recognized by the operating
	system as a separate disk drive. A system’s logical drives may differ
	from its physical drives. For example, a single hard disk drive may
	be partitioned into two or more logical drives.
M	memory — Typically refers to the computer’s main memory, where

programs are run and data is temporarily stored and processed. Memory can be volatile and hold data temporarily, such as RAM, or it can be nonvolatile and hold data permanently, such as ROM. A computer’s main memory is RAM. See also RAM, ROM.

microprocessor — See Central Processing Unit (CPU).

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) — A standard for connecting musical instruments, synthesizers, and computers. The MIDI standard provides a way of translating music into a form computers can use, and vice versa.

modem — Short for “modulator/demodulator.” A device that converts information from digital to analog, and back to digital, enabling information to pass back and forth between digital computers and analog telephone lines.