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Glossary Terms: P
- Page memory
- The number of pages a fax machine can store in memory while waiting to send them.
- Page yield
- The number of pages a cartridge can print before running out of toner (and needing to be replaced or remanufactured).
- Palm OS-based handheld
- Any handheld, also known as a PDA or Personal Digital Assistant, which uses the Palm® operating system. Brands include not only Palm®, but also Handspring® and the Sony Clie®. Works as a personal information manager and can also be fitted with software to work with documents, or with a modem to access the Internet.
- Pantone
- A spot color matching system supported by most desktop publishing and graphics design software.
- Paper handling
- Describes the size, or sizes, of copies or prints a copier, printer, or multifunction machine can produce. Choices include letter–sized only, letter– and legal–sized, or letter–, legal– and executive–sized (11"x17").
- Paper volume
- How much material a shredder can handle. Estimate how much paper you plan to feed into the shredder at once, and how fast you want the paper shred. Consider purchasing a shredder that will handle about 25% more than your office needs. In the long run, the shredder will have fewer breakdowns and last longer.
- Paper weight
- The greater the paper weight, the heavier, thicker, and sturdier the paper is. Paper weight is measured in pounds. Paper weight ranges from 15 lbs. (computer paper) to 125 lbs. (high–quality photo paper).
- Parallel port (IEEE)
- A port, usually located in the back of a computer, where a printer can be connected.
- PC card
- Also called a NIC, or Network Interface Card. Once installed in a laptop computer, a PC card enables that laptop to network with other laptop computers that are fitted with a PC card, or with other desktop computers that are fitted with a PCI card. There are three different PC cards to match the three methods of networking: wireless, phone line, and Ethernet.
- PCI card
- Also called a NIC, or Network Interface Card. Once installed in a desktop computer, a PCI card enables that desktop to network with other desktop computers that are fitted with a PCI card, or with other laptop computers that are fitted with a PC card. There are three different PCI cards to match the three methods of networking: wireless, phone line, and Ethernet.
- Personalized welcome screen
- The welcome screen can be personalized to allow you to share the same computer with your friends and family. Each individual can create his or her own unique account. These accounts are easily created during Setup or from the Control Panel. By default the accounts are not password protected, but you have the option to set a password on your specific account if you desire.
- PhotoREt
- A technology from HP that improves the appearance of high–resolution color images printed on an inkjet at any resolution, using any type of paper. The system uses an enhanced microprocessor and an ink cartridge with smaller nozzles, which enables finer control over ink application. A PhotoREt cartridge can apply more dots and smaller dots to paper with more precision, resulting in a high–quality, high–definition image.
- PictBridge
- Enables you to print directly from any digital camera to any printer, regardless of the manufacturer. The only requirements are that the digital camera and printer be PictBridge–enabled (now standard in most models) and that each have a USB port and are connected by a USB cable. Before PictBridge, the camera and printer had to be from the same manufacturer. Most PictBridge–enabled devices print one image at a time, though some offer multiple–image printing and other advanced features.
- Pinhole perforation
- These perforations allow sheets to be folded back and forth without tearing off prematurely.
- Pitman
- ½" spacing between each line and a single margin line down the center of the page.
- Pixelated
- An image that looks blurry or blocky. A pixelated image may result from enlarging a low–resolution image, or from viewing an image on a low–resolution monitor.
- Plain paper
- A plain–paper fax or printer uses regular copy paper, rather than thermal paper.
- Plasma display
- A flat–panel display that works as a monitor (and usually doubles as a TV) and is about one–tenth as thick as traditional CRTs. Plasma displays work by pressing a neon/xenon gas mixture between two sealed glass plates and then activating pixel creation with small electrodes.
- Plug and play
- Refers to a computer's ability to work automatically with a device or peripheral, without requiring special configurations or settings adjustments.
- Pocket PC-based handheld
- Any handheld, also known as a PDA or Personal Digital Assistant, that uses the Windows–based operating system. Pocket PC brands include the Compaq iPaq® and the HP Jornada®. A Pocket PC comes with 16 to 64MB of built–in memory and can manage addresses and personal information, connect to the Internet (if fitted with a modem), work with Windows programs such as Word®, Excel®, and Microsoft Outlook®, listen to MP3 music files, and use an MPEG movie player.
- Point
- Refers to the size of the ball within the pen, which determines how much ink the pen will lay down when you write.
- Poly
- Very thin, flexible plastic.
- Port polling
- A procedure performed by Windows® 98 each time you boot your computer, and each time you send a print job from an application. The operating system automatically checks your parallel port to make sure the printer is ready to receive a print job. You can turn the port polling off in many cases to improve printing speed.
- Portable music devices
- Windows Media Player for Windows XP provides you with the ability to connect to your music and devices in a way that best suits your needs.
- Post-consumer recycled content
- The amount of paper that has been used by other consumers and then returned to the mill for recycling.
- PostScript
- A programming language for printing text, usually on laser printers or multifuncation machines. The advantage of PostScript is that it enables printers to print a variety of fonts at high–resolution.
- Power source
- Handhelds are powered by batteries, either alkaline (AAA) batteries, or rechargeable batteries such as lithium, nickel–cadmium, or nickel–metal hydride.
- Print buffer
- A separate, stand–alone print spooler with its own built–in memory that connects your computer and your printing hardware. The print buffer can spool print jobs, freeing up all your computer's resources for your applications.
- Print driver
- The software that enables your operating system to properly build and format commands and data bound for your printer; in effect, a print driver tells your operating system all that it needs to know to successfully operate your printer.
- Print drum
- Rotating print head.
- Print ribbon
- Similar to a typewriter ribbon.
- Print server
- Connects to the main computer in a network and improves the response time of the printer. A print server is useful when several people are connecting to and using the same printer over a network.
- Print speed
- Print speed is measured in lines per second (lps).
- Printer compatibility
- Most printers are compatible with both PC and Macintosh (Apple) computers; some, however, only work with one or the other. It's important to identify the compatibility of a printer before making a purchase.
- Printer emulation
- Enables a newer printer to "act like" an older, widely used printer so it can recognize and print documents formatted for that older model.
- Printer memory
- A printer's memory allows it to transfer, process and print images. Many laser printers utilize their own memory, using approximately 1MB of RAM for a 300 x 300–dpi page, and 4MB of RAM for a 600 x 600–dpi page. This built–in memory ensures fast printing. Inkjet and dot matrix printers, on the other hand, rely on a PC's memory. When one of these printers is in use, a computer will experience a slight slow–down while it prints. This can be offset by upgrading the computer's memory.
- Printer server
- A computer completely dedicated to supporting a network printer. The server's system RAM and hard drive are used to store print jobs in the queue, and print jobs can be reordered, paused, or deleted from the server's keyboard.
- Printing resolution (dpi)
- Color printing resolution is measured in DPI, or dots per inch. DPI has both horizontal and vertical measurements. A printer with 2400x1200 DPI, for instance, has 2400 horizontal and 1200 vertical dots per inch.
- Printing speed (cpi)
- Describes the pages per minute that can be generated by a printer. Depending on the model, laser printer speeds range from 12 to 45 pages per minute; inkjet printing speeds range from 6 to 20 pages per minute in black–and–white, 4–16 pages per minute in color. Dot–matrix speed is measured in characters per second (CPS), and ranges from 50 to 300 CPS.
- Process separation
- Errant applications will not cause your computer to crash. Each application is in a completely separate, protected memory space.
- Processor
- Also know as "CPU" or "microprocessor." Contains all the instructions that can be computed, or processed by the PC or notebook. When you see terms like 600MHz, this refers to the clock speed or how many instructions per second the processor can handle.
- Programmable ringer
- A feature that lets you choose the ring tone for your unit to help you distinguish your calls from others. Useful in offices with more than one phone.
- Protected kernel mode architecture
- Your applications do not have access to the software code kernel upon which your operating system is based. This greatly improves the reliability of your system.
- PS/2 port
- A six–pin serial port connector on a computer where mice and keyboards can attach.