7
Glossary
serial port The connector on the back of your computer that allows the
transfer of data between the computer and a serial de v ice, such
as a mouse, a modem, or a serial printer.
Setup program The program that you use to change the configuration of some
ISA desktop and notebook computers. This program also
contains information about the hardware in th e c omputer.
SMP (Symmetrical Multiprocessing).
software Programs with specific functions, such as word processing, data
base management, communications, and oper ating system.
SRAM (Static RAM) A temporary storage area for data and prog r ams.
This type of memory does not need to be refreshed, but it is lost
when the computer is powered off. See also NVRAM and RAM.
SVGA (Super VGA) A type of video display system that provides very
high-resolution text and graphics on analog color monitors.
system board The main circuit board in your computer. It contains most of the
connectors and ports.
T
tape drive A type of storage device using magnetic tape.
TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) A type of integrated circuit used in
computers. See also CMOS.
V
VGA (Video Graphics Array) A type of video display system that
provides high-resolution text and graphics on analog color
monitors.