198 GlossaryP palette — See color palette.parallel — Processes that occur simultaneously. Incommunications, it means the transmission of more than one bitof information at a time. On some computers, a parallel portprovides a parallel communications interface between thecomputer and an appropriate device. Compare serial.password — A unique string of characters which you enter toverify your identity to the computer or the network.PC Card — A credit-card-sized expansion card designed toincrease the capabilities of notebook computers. PC Cardsprovide functions such as modem, fax/modem, hard disk drive,network adapter, sound card, or SCSI adapter.peripheral — Any device, such as a printer or joystick, that isattached to the computer and controlled by the computer’s CPU.pixel — Short for “picture element.” The smallest dot that can beproduced on a screen or printer.Plug and Play — Generally, refers to the computer’s ability toautomatically configure itself to work with peripheral devices.When capitalized, refers to a standard that, when followed by adevice manufacturer, allows a PC to configure itselfautomatically to work with the device.pointing device — Any device, such as the TouchPad or a mouse,that enables you to move the cursor on the screen.port — A socket on the computer where you plug in a cable forconnection to a network or a peripheral device.processor — See central processing unit (CPU).program — A set of instructions that can be executed by acomputer. The general classes of programs (also called software)are operating system, application, and utility. See also operatingsystem, application, utility.properties — The attributes of an object or device. For example,the properties of a file include the file’s type, size, and creationdate.
