Acomdata EXTERNAL E5 HARD DRIVE USB 2.0, User Manual

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Bit - The basic unit of binary data,
represented logically as a 1 or a 0.
Bit - The basic unit of binary data,
represented logically as a 1 or a 0.
Buffer – See “Cache.”
Bus – An electronic link that can
convey data between devices, such
as computers and peripherals.
Byte – A basic unit of digital data,
usually made up of eight bits
(octet). A byte holds the equivalent
of a single character, such as the let-
ter A. Storage capacity is measured
in bytes, kilobytes (KB), megabytes
(MB), gigabytes (GB) etc.
Cache
– A memory buffer that
stores frequently used disk data
in RAM so the data can be read at
a faster rate than if accessed from
the disk.
Capacity
– The amount of data that
can be stored on a hard drive or
other storage device.
Device Driver – A software program
that enables a computer to commu-
nicate with peripheral devices, such
as hard drives and CD-ROM drives.
Each type of device requires a dif-
ferent driver.
FAT32 – A file system that organizes
files on a disk. This file system is
standard for Windows 98SE and Me,
and is supported under Windows
XP, 2000 and the Mac OS.
File System – The method for stor-
ing and retrieving files on a disk.
A file system defines the directory
structure for keeping track of the
files and the path syntax required to
access them. It also defines the way
files are named as well as the maxi-
mum size of a file or volume. FAT32
and NTFS are file systems used on
PCs; HFS is common on Macs.
Format – Preparing a disk partition
for the storage and retrieval of files.
A partition is formatted with a spe-
Glossary of Terms