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Reference Guide

ManualsBrandsDell ManualsLaptopStudio 1749
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Table Of Contents
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ns — nanosecond — A measure of time that equals one billionth of a second.
NVRAM — nonvolatile random access memory — A type of memory that stores data
when the computer is turned off or loses its external power source. NVRAM is used for
maintaining computer configuration information such as date, time, and other system
setup options that you can set.
O
optical drive — A drive that uses optical technology to read or write data from CDs,
DVDs, or DVD+RWs. Example of optical drives include CD drives, DVD drives,
CD-RW drives, and CD-RW/DVD combo drives.
P
partition — A physical storage area on a hard drive that is assigned to one or more
logical storage areas known as logical drives. Each partition can contain multiple
logical drives.
PC Card — A removable I/O card adhering to the PCMCIA standard. Modems and
network adapters are common types of PC Cards.
PCI — peripheral component interconnect — PCI is a local bus that supports 32-and
64-bit data paths, providing a high-speed data path between the processor and devices
such as video, drives, and networks.
PCI Express — A modification to the PCI interface that boosts the data transfer rate
between the processor and the devices attached to it. PCI Express can transfer data at
speeds from 250 MB/sec to 4 GB/sec. If the PCI Express chip set and the device are
capable of different speeds, they will operate at the slower speed.
PCMCIA — Personal Computer Memory Card International Association — The
organization that establishes standards for PC Cards.
PIO — programmed input/output — A method of transferring data between two
devices through the processor as part of the data path.
pixel — A single point on a display screen. Pixels are arranged in rows and columns to
create an image. A video resolution, such as 800 x 600, is expressed as the number of
pixels across by the number of pixels up and down.
Plug-and-Play — The ability of the computer to automatically configure devices. Plug
and Play provides automatic installation, configuration, and compatibility with
existing hardware if the BIOS, operating system, and all devices are Plug and Play
compliant.
POST — power-on self-test — Diagnostics programs, loaded automatically by the