CompTIA A_ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition - Michael Meyers [487]
bps (bits per second) Measurement of how fast data is moved from one place to another. A 56K modem can move ~56,000 bits per second.
broadband Commonly understood as a reference to high-speed, always-on communication links that can move large files much more quickly than a regular phone line.
browser Program specifically designed to retrieve, interpret, and display Web pages.
BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) Infamous error screen that appears when Windows encounters an unrecoverable error.
BTX (Balanced Technology eXtended) Motherboard form factor designed as an improvement over ATX.
buffered/registered DRAM Usually seen in motherboards supporting more than four sticks of RAM, it is required to address interference issues caused by the additional sticks.
buffer underrun Inability of a source device to provide a CD-burner with a constant stream of data while burning a CD-R or CD-RW.
bug Programming error that causes a program or a computer system to perform erratically, produce incorrect results, or crash. The term was coined when a real bug was found in one of the circuits of one of the first ENIAC computers.
burn Process of writing data to a writable optical disc, such as a DVD-R.
burn-in failure Critical failure usually associated with manufacturing defects.
bus Series of wires connecting two or more separate electronic devices, enabling those devices to communicate.
bus mastering Circuitry allowing devices to avoid conflicts on the external data bus.
bus topology Network configuration wherein all computers connect to the network via a central bus cable.
byte Unit of eight bits; fundamental data unit of personal computers. Storing the equivalent of one character, the byte is also the basic unit of measurement for computer storage.
CAB files Short for cabinet files. These files are compressed and most commonly used during OS installation to store many smaller files, such as device drivers.
cache (disk) Special area of RAM that stores the data most frequently accessed from the hard drive. Cache memory can optimize the use of your systems.
cache (L1, L2, L3, etc.) Special section of fast memory, usually built into the CPU, used by the onboard logic to store information most frequently accessed by the CPU.
calibration Process of matching the print output of a printer to the visual output of a monitor.
card reader Device with which you can read data from one of several types of flash memory.
card services Uppermost level of PCMCIA services. Card services level recognizes the function of a particular PC Card and provides the specialized drivers necessary to make the card work. (See also socket services.)
CardBus 32-bit PC cards that can support up to eight devices on each card. Electrically incompatible with earlier PC cards (3.3 V versus 5 V).
CAT 5 Category 5 wire; a TIA/EIA standard for UTP wiring that can operate up to 100 megabits per second.
CAT 5e Category 5e wire; TIA/EIA standard for UTP wiring that can operate up to 1 gigabit per second.
CAT 6 Category 6 wire; TIA/EIA standard for UTP wiring that can operate up to 10 gigabits per second.
catastrophic failure Occurs when a component or whole system will not boot; usually related to a manufacturing defect of a component. Could also be caused by overheating and physical damage to computer components.
CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) Light technology used in LCDs and flatbed scanners. CCFLs use relatively little power for the amount of light they provide.
CD (CHDIR) Shorthand for “Change Directory.” Allows you to change the focus of the command prompt from one directory to another.
CD (compact disc) Originally designed as the replacement for vinyl records, CDs have become the primary method of long-term storage of music and data.
CD quality CD-quality audio has a sample rate of 44.4 KHz and a bit rate of 128 bits.
CD-DA