Operation Manual

Glossary
51
Glossary
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
The most common bus slot for graphics
adapters. Available in 4 speed levels:
1x = 264 MB/s, 2x = 528 MB/s, 4x = 1 056
MB/s, 8x = 2 112 MB/s
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
The Basic Input/Output System is the ele-
mentary program of every computer that has
been stored in a chip on the mainboard. It
lets you adjust the basic settings such as
hard disk parameters, interface and power-
saving options. The BIOS settings have been
optimized for normal use at the factory. As
any change to these settings may lead to a
system crash or malfunction, you should read
the User's Manual or ask a computer expert.
CD-R
A one-time writeable blank CD.
CD-RW
A blank CD than can be written several times
(approx. 1000x) with a CD burner.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
= Processor
The processor is the core of each computer.
It is installed into a socket onto the main-
board. CPUs and their clock rates are the
most important factor to determine the com-
puter's processing speed.
Today's modern high-performance proces-
sors need a cooling fan.
DDR-SDRAM (Double Data Rate-
SDRAM)
DDR-SRAM is a very fast type of memory
that can transfer twice as much data as
normal SDRAMs.
DirectX
Multimedia programming interface developed
by Microsoft. It enables programs – espe-
cially computer games – to quickly access
the graphics, sound and network features as
well as game hardware such as joysticks or
steering wheels.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
Digital subscriber line to transfer data over
conventional telecommunication wires by
using high data transfer rates. A DSL con-
nection is approx. ten times faster than ISDN.
DSL requires special modems.
DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc)
Successor of the Compact Disc with the
same dimensions, read-only DVD. Available
with different capacities: 4.7 GB (DVD-5,
single-side), 8.6 GB (DVD-9, single-side, two
layers), 9.4 GB (DVD-10, double-side for
turning over), 17 GB (DVD-18, double-side,
two layers).
DVD-R
A write-once but read-many (infinite) times
DVD with a capacity of 4.7 GB.
DVD-RW
DVD that can be written many times (app.
1000x) and read infinite times with a
capacity of 4.7 GB.
Ethernet
Ethernet is the world's most widely used
network infrastructure that features a maxi-
mum data transfer rate of 10 or 100 Mb/s to
interconnect different computers.
Firewall
A program integrated into the communica-
tions path that avoids unauthorized access
from the outer world to the PC. Normally a
firewall secures the Internet communication.
FireWire, iLink, IEEE-1394
IEEE-1394 is an industry standard serial bus
that provides a fast data transfer. FireWire
has become very popular especially in DV
(digital video) applications. Its high data