244 Glossary

Terms

L

L1 (level one) cache — Memory cache built into the processor to help

improve processing speed. See also cache, CPU cache, L2 cache.

 

 

L2 (level two) cache — Memory cache installed on the motherboard to

 

help improve processing speed. It is slower than L1 cache and faster

 

than main memory. See also cache, CPU cache, L1 cache.

 

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.

 

liquid crystal display (LCD) — 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

M

partitioned into two or more logical drives.

megabyte (MB) — A unit of data equal to 1,048,576 bytes (1024 x 1024

 

 

bytes). See also bytes.

 

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 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.