Specifications

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Appendix A Glossary
computer-based training (CBT) The use of a
computer to deliver instruction or training; also
known as computer-aided (or assisted) instruction
(CAI), computer-aided learning (CAL), computer-
based instruction (CBI), and computer-based learn-
ing (CBL).
CONFIG.SYS A file that can be created to tell DOS
how to configure itself when the machine starts up.
It can load device drivers, set the number of DOS
buffers, and so on.
configuration file A file kept by application
software to record various aspects of the software’s
configuration, such as the printer it uses. Windows
uses
.INI files and the Windows Registry to control
its configuration.
console The unit, such as a terminal or a key-
board, in your system with which you communi-
cate with the computer.
contiguous Touching or joined at the edge or
boundary, in one piece.
continuity In electronics, an unbroken pathway.
Testing for continuity usually means testing to
determine whether a wire or other conductor is
complete and unbroken (by measuring 0 ohms). A
broken wire shows infinite resistance (or infinite
ohms).
Continuity Rambus Inline Memory Module
(CRIMM) A blank memory module used to fill
empty sockets in Rambus memory installations.
control cable The wider of the two cables that
connect an ST-506/412 or ESDI hard disk drive to a
controller card. A 34-pin cable that carries com-
mands and acknowledgments between the drive
and controller.
controller The electronics that control a device,
such as a hard disk drive, and intermediate the pas-
sage of data between the device and computer.
controller card An adapter holding the control
electronics for one or more devices, such as hard
disks. Ordinarily occupies one of the computer’s
slots.
conventional memory The first megabyte or
first 640KB of system memory accessible by an Intel
processor in real mode. Sometimes called base
memory.
convergence Describes the capability of a color
monitor to focus the three colored electron beams
on a single point. Poor convergence causes the
characters onscreen to appear fuzzy and can cause
headaches and eyestrain.
coprocessor An additional computer processing
unit designed to handle specific tasks in conjunc-
tion with the main or central processing unit.
copy protection A hardware or software
scheme to prohibit making illegal copies of a
program.
core An old-fashioned term for computer mem-
ory. Also the name given to the internal microar-
chitecture as well as the brand of a family of Intel
multi-core processors first introduced in July 2006.
core speed The internal speed of a processor.
With all modern processors, this speed is faster
than the system bus speed, and that speed relation-
ship is regulated by the clock multiplier in the
processor.
CP/M (Control Program for Micro-
computers, originally Control Program/
Monitor) An operating system created by Gary
Kildall, the founder of Digital Research. Created for
the old 8-bit microcomputers that used the 8080,
8085, and Z-80 microprocessors. It was the domi-
nant operating system in the late 1970s and early
1980s for small computers used in business
environments.
cps (characters per second) A data transfer
rate generally estimated from the bit rate and char-
acter length. At 2,400 bps, for example, 8-bit
characters with start and stop bits (for a total of
10 bits per character) are transmitted at a rate of
approximately 240 cps. Some protocols, such as
V.42 and MNP, employ advanced techniques such
as longer transmission frames and data compres-
sion to increase characters per second.
CPU (central processing unit) The computer’s
microprocessor chip—the brains of the outfit.
Typically, an integrated circuit using VLSI (very-
large-scale integration) technology to pack several
functions into a tiny area. The most common elec-
tronic device in the CPU is the transistor, of which
several thousand to several million or more are
found.
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