| A | B |
|---|
| 16-bit | 16-bit, 5-V cards that can have up to two distinct functions or devices, such as a modem/network card combination |
| Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) | Power management specification that far surpasses its predecessor, APM, by providing support for hot-swappable devices and better control of power modes. |
| Advanced Power Management (APM) | BIOS routines that enable the CPU to turn selected peripherals on and off. |
| aspect ratio | Ratio of width to height of an object. Standard television has a 4:3 aspect ratio. |
| auto-switching power supply | Type of power supply able to detect the voltage of a particular outlet and adjust accordingly. |
| battery memory | the tendency of a Ni-Cd battery to lose a significant amount of its rechargeability if it was charged repeatedly without being totally discharged |
| 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. |
| 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). |
| conditioning charger | Battery charger that contains intelligent circuitry that prevents portable computer batteries from being overcharged and damaged |
| desktop replacement | Portable computer that offer the same performance as a full-fledged desktop computer; these systems are normally very heavy to carry and often cost much more than the desktop systems they replace. |
| desktop extender | Portable computer that offers some of the features of a full-fledged desktop computer but with a much smaller footprint and lower weight |
| docking station | Device that provides a portable computer extra features such as a DVD drive or PC Card, in addition to legacy and modern ports. Similar to a port replicator |
| ExpressCard | Serial PC Card designed to replace CardBus PC Cards. ExpressCards connect to either a HI-Speed USB (480 Mbps) or PCI Express (2.5 Gbps) bus. |
| fuel cell | Power source that uses chemical reactions to produce electricity. Lightweight, compact, and stable devices expected to replace batteries as the primary power source for portable PCs. |
| hibernation | Power management setting in which all data from RAM is written to the hard drive before going to sleep. Upon waking up, all information is retrieved from the hard drive and returned to RAM |
| high gloss | Laptop screen finish that offers sharper contrast, richer colors, and wider viewing angles than a matte finish, but is also much more reflective |
| laptop | Traditional clamshell portable computing device with built-in LCD monitor, keyboard, and trackpad. |
| Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) | Battery commonly used in portable PCs. Li-Ion batteries don’t suffer from the memory effects of Ni-Cd batteries and provide much more power for a greater length of time |
| matte | Laptop screen finish that offers a good balance between richness of colors and reflections, but washes out in bright light |
| Mini PCI | Specialized form of PCI designed for use in laptops |
| Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) | Battery that was used in the first portable PCs. Heavy and inefficient, these batteries also suffered from a memory effect that could drastically shorten the overall life of the battery |
| Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) | Battery used in portable PCs. NiMH batteries had fewer issues with the memory effect than Ni-Cd batteries. NiMH batteries have been replaced by lithium-ion batteries |
| PC Card | Credit-card-sized adapter cards that add functionality in many notebook computers, PDAs, and other computer devices. Come in 16-bit and CardBus parallel format and ExpressCard serial format |
| pen-based computing | Input method used by many PDAs that combines handwriting recognition with modified mouse functions, usually in the form of a pen-like stylus. |
| personal digital assistant (PDA) | Handheld computer that blurs the line between calculators and computers. Early PDAs were calculators that enabled users to program in such information as addresses and appointments. Modern PDAs, such as the Palm and PocketPC, are fully programmable computers. Most PDAs use a pen/stylus for input rather than a keyboard. A few of the larger PDAs have a tiny keyboard in addition to the stylus. |
| port replicator | Device that plugs into a USB port or other specialized port and offers common PC ports, such as serial, parallel, USB, network, and PS/2. By plugging your notebook computer into the port replicator, you can instantly connect the computer to nonportable components such as a printer, scanner, monitor, or full-sized keyboard. Port replicators are typically used at home or in the office with the nonportable equipment already connected. |
| shared memory | Means of reducing the amount of memory needed on a video card by borrowing from the regular system TAM, which reduces costs but also decreases performance |
| sleep timers | timers that, when set, require the system to go into Standby after a set period of time or to turn off the monitor or hard drive after a time |
| smart battery | Portable PC battery that tells the computer when it needs to be charged, conditioned, or replaced. |
| socket services | Device drivers that support the PC Card socket, enabling the system to detect when a PC Card has been inserted or removed, and providing the necessary I/O to the device. |
| stylus | Pen-like input device used for pen-based computing |
| System Management Mode (SMM) | Provided CPUs the ability to turn off high-power devices (monitors, hard drives, etc.). Originally for laptops; later versions are incorporated in all AMD and Intel CPUs. |
| tablet PC | Small portable computer distinguished by the use of a touch screen with stylus and handwriting recognition as the primary modes of input. Also the name of the Windows XP-based operating system designed to run on such systems |
| TackPoint | IBM’s pencil-eraser-sized joystick used in place of a mouse on laptops |
| touchpad | Flat, touch-sensitive pad that serves as a pointing device for most laptops |
| Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) | Software that handles all the synchronization chores. |
