stylus
A penlike device that draws on the surface of a tablet and
functions as a pointing device.
superpipelined
Describes a pipelined machine that has a larger number of
pipe stages and more complex scheduling and control. See also
pipeline.
superscalar
Describes a machine that issues multiple independent
instructions per clock cycle.
synchronous communication
A type of communication in which data is transmitted at equal
time intervals. This type of communication allows you to connect
your system to others in one of two ways: through a modem to a
wide area network (WAN), or directly to another system through
a null modem. Compare with asynchronous communication.
system
A combination of hardware, software, and peripheral devices
that together perform specific processing operations.
system configuration
The combined layout of hardware and software that makes up a
usable computer system.
system disk
The disk that stores the operating system and that starts the
system and allows it to run properly.
system unit
The part of the system that contains the drives, memory, power
supply, and the computer itself.
Glossary–31
