Alert dialog box
A box that appears on the screen to give a warning or to report an error during use of an application.
Backup disk
A copy of a disk made to guard against the loss of files.
Bit
A contraction of the words binary digit and the smallest unit of information that a computer can hold. The value of a bit, 0 or 1 represents a simple choice, such as on or off, true or false, black or white, etc. Bits are combined to represent text characters, numbers, images, etc.
Bootable disk
Same as startup disk. A disk or partition that holds the necessary program files — such as the Finder and System files contained in the System Folder —to set the Macintosh into operation. Such partitions are said to be bootable.
Bus
Circuits inside the computer that transmit information from one part of the computer system to another. The SCSI Bus connects the components of a Macintosh system.
Byte
A unit of computer memory consisting of eight bits. A byte is the amount of storage used to represent a single character.
Cancel button
A button that appears in some dialog boxes. Clicking it returns you to where you had been without performing the command.
CD ROM
Compact Disk Read-Only Memory. A single CD-ROM can contain 656 megabytes of information. It is designated Read-Only because you can read the disk but connot write to it.
Certify media
The process of checking every block on the media to verify that it is usable.
Control Panel
A file placed in the Systems Folder of a Macintosh that is automatically opened and run by the System at startup.
Current startup disk
Contains the current System and startup information. The startup disk icon always appears in the upper right corner of the desktop.
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