216 Glossary
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motherboard — The computer’s main circuit board that contains the processor, memory, and other primary components.
MS-DOS prompt — See system prompt.
multimedia — A combination of two or more media, such as sound, animation, and video in a computer program or presentation.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface — See MIDI.
network — A collection of computers and associated devices that are connected by communications facilities. A network allows you to share data and peripheral devices, such as printers, with other users and to exchange electronic mail.
online — Available through the computer. Online may refer to information being read from your own computer’s internal storage drive, such as online documentation or online Help, or to information coming from another company on a company network or the Internet.
operating system — A set of programs that controls how the computer works. Examples of operating systems are the Windows Vista® Home Basic and Windows® 7 operating systems.
optical disc drive — A drive which reads plastic coated discs on which
information is recorded digitally, and uses a laser to read data, music, or videos.
palette — See color palette.
parallel — Processes that occur simultaneously. In communications, it means the transmission of more than one bit of information at a time. On your computer, the parallel port provides a parallel communications interface between the computer and an appropriate device. Most modern printers are parallel. Compare serial.
