Glossary 179
Bbackup—A copy of a file, usually on a removable disk, kept in
case the original file is lost or damaged.
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)—See
BIOS
.
baud rate—The speed at which a communication device, such
as a printer or modem, transmits information. Baud rate is
the number of signal changes per second (not necessarily
the same as bits per second). See also
bits per second
.
Blu-ray Disc (BD)—Offering more storage capacity than
DVDs, the format was developed to allow for more data
storage and to enable recording and playback of high-
definition video (HD).
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)—Basic instructions,
stored in read-only memory (ROM), containing the
information the computer needs to check hardware and load
the operating system when you start up the computer.
bits per second (bps)—A way of measuring the speed at
which information is passed between two devices. This is
the basic unit of measure used in modem communications,
and is similar, but not identical, to the baud rate. See also
baud rate
.
boot—To start the computer. The term “boot” originates from
bootstrap program (as in “pulling itself up by its bootstraps”),
a program that loads and initializes the operating system.
See also
reboot
.
boot disk—See
system disk
.
boot priority (startup sequence)—The order in which the
computer accesses its internal storage drives to locate the
startup files. Under the default startup sequence, the
computer looks for the startup files in the external media
before checking the internal storage drive.
bus—An electrical circuit that connects the central processing
unit (CPU) with other parts of the computer, such as the
video adapter, disk drives, and ports. It is the pathway
through which data flows from one device to another. See
also
bus speed
,
frontside bus
.
bus speed—The speed at which the central processing unit
(CPU) communicates with the other parts of the computer.