User Guide

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devices while the computer is running.
Hub – A device which links peripherals together onto the same
data bus.
Interface – Junction between two items of hardware or software
for the exchange of data.
Mb (Megabit) – One million bits.
Mbps (Megabits per second) – A data transmission speed of one
million bits per second. Data transmissions are measured in bits
(kilobits, megabits etc) per second.
MB (Megabyte) – 1,048,576 bytes (binary); 1,000,000 bytes (deci-
mal).
NTFS – The primary file system for Windows 2000 and XP operat-
ing system that organizes files on your computer. Supports large
capacity hard drives up to 2 TB.
Operating System (OS) – Software that controls the assignment
and use of hardware and software resources.
Partition – A way to logically divide a hard drive so that an operat-
ing system treats each partition as if it were a separate hard drive.
Each partition is assigned a unique drive letter in Windows or icon
in the Mac OS.
Peripheral – A generic term for hard drives, printers, scanners and
other discrete devices that add functionality to a computer.
Port – A connection which enables compatible devices to send
and receive data. A port can be either hardware-based or software
based.
Software – A set of instructions that enable a computer to perform
pre-programmed functions in the order specified by the user.
Startup Disk – The disk from which a computer loads its operat-
ing system at startup.
Volume – A fixed amount of storage on a hard drive. The term
volume is often used as a synonym for the drive itself, but it is
possible for a single drive to contain more than one volume or for
a volume to span more than one drive.