Page 23 - Appendix Final

folder with or without the last Backward slash.
Paths are an essential and intricate part of any computer sys- even store notes and reminders and organise your e-
tem. Every time you click something you activate a Path. Be- mail. Integrates well into Windows, and is also available
hind every icon on your desktop is a Path to whatever pro- for small handheld devices like iPhone and iPod’s.
gram of function that Icon represents. Once a Path is deleted
the system is no longer ‘aware’ of the material the Path led Pixel
too. For instance, deleting something from your computer Everything you see on your screen is made up of innu-
involves just removing the Path or link, as it’s sometimes re- merable small dots or squares, each known as a ‘Pixel’
ferred too; the actual data remains until it’s overwritten by
the system. Platter (disk)
A Platter is a name usually given when describing a disk
inside a Hard Drive enclosure. A typical Hard Drive enclo-
sure can have several platters stacked one on top of the
other. The surface of each side of the platter is coated
with a magnetic material that helps the read, write pro-
cess.

Plug-and-Play
A Universal standard that allows the operating system to
automatically configure peripherals when they’re
plugged into the computer. No software’s required.

Port
A physical connector (USB, Serial…) that allows the sys-
tem to send data to and from the computer.( see, USB)
Port is also used in connections with the Firewall. The
cable connecting your computer to the internet has
thousands of Ports; each one capable of working inde-
pendently. By default the Firewall will keep certain ports
open and block the rest. However, the user can config-
ure the firewall to open or close a Port.

POST (Power-On Self-Test),
Instructions executed by the BIOS during boot-up to veri-
fy the systems configuration is correct. If the system
passes the test the Bios turns control over to the oper-
PC Card (Known as PCMCIA, Personal Computer Memory ating system.
Card International Association)
POST reader
A small thin Plug & Play module, used
to connect other devices to laptops A card inserted into a bus slot to diagnose and display
the POST codes during boot-up. This is used to diagnose
and occasionally PC’s. Sometimes the
small credit card size module was the a system that won’t boot up.
device itself, a Modem, Network adapt-
er, or sound card. Other times it was Printed circuit board (Abbreviated PCB)
only a connector at the end of a cable A thin board, on which components are mounted. The
to connect printers, scanners and other ‘PCB’s’ are so called because the connections between
larger devices. The card usually slotted the components are printed onto the board.

into a port on the side of the laptop.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
Ram is the standard operating memory of the computer.
PDA (Personal digital assistant) The bulk of RAM usually comes in long or short strips of
A small mobile handheld computer. Used more now by busi-
microchips you plug into the motherboard. The storage
nesses for storing information, like schedules and address capacity of a single strip can vary from just a few Mega-
book information. bytes to several Gigabytes. ‘Random Access’ means the

computer can access, without sequence, memory as it
PIM (Personal Information Manager, pronounced ‘pim’)
needs it and discard it when it doesn’t.
A software program design for business. Helps organise,
names, addresses, phone numbers and appointments. It can

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