Glossary of PC terms: B

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Back-up (of data)	Important procedure of saving data on a separate data storage device to prevent complete data loss in case of unexpected failure of main storage system. Daily back-up is highly recommended for active computer users.
Bad block	A block (usually the size of a sector) that cannot reliably hold data because of a media flaw or damaged format markings.
Babble	Persistent data on the bus (e.g., USB) that is not expected by any device or the host.
Bandwidth	The amount of data than can be transmitted in a given amount of time. Usually expressed in bits per second (bps).
Benchmark	A specialized set of programs used to evaluate the performance of a computer or one of its elements, such as the drive or memory.
Bezel	The Bezel is a decorative cover for the drive and is also known as the faceplate.
Block	A group of bytes stored and accessed as a logical data unit. One block of data is typically stored on the disk as one physical sector of data.
BIOS	The BIOS is a built-in software that defines what a PC does without accessing programs from a disk. It makes it possible for a computer to boot itself. On PCs, the BIOS contains all the code required to control the disk drives, keyboard, display, serial communications, and some other functions. The BIOS is typically found on a ROM micro-chip that comes with the computer. Since RAM is faster than ROM, many computer manufacturers make systems that copy BIOS from ROM to RAM every time the computer is restarted. This process is called shadowing.
BIOS Flash/Upgrade	A BIOS flash or BIOS upgrade is the replacement of a current BIOS with a newer version having increased capabilities. Usually done to make the BIOS compatible with a newly installed hard disk drive of greater capacity.
Bit	An abbreviation for binary digit - the smallest unit of information in a digital world. A bit is represented by the numbers 1 and 0, which correspond to the states on and off, true and false, or yes and no. Bits are the building blocks for all information processing that goes on in digital electronics and computers. The term bit was introduced by John Tukey, an American statistician and early computer scientist. He first used the term in 1946, as a shortened form of the term binary digit. Bits are usually combined into larger units called bytes.
BPI	Acronym for bits per inch. A measure of linear density of magnetic recording. See also TPI, FPI.
Bus	In computer science is a set of hardware lines/wires used for data transfer among the components of a computer system. A bus is a highway that connects different parts of the system, including the microprocessor, disk-drive controller, memory, and input/output ports and enables them to transfer information. Buses are characterized by the number of bits they can transfer at a single time. A computer with an 8-bit data bus, for example, transfers 8 bits of data at a time, and one with a 16-bit data bus transfers 16 bits at a time.
Bus enumeration	The process of detecting and identifying devices on the bus (e.g., USB).
Buffer	An area of computer RAM reserved for temporary storage of data that is waiting to be sent to a device. The data is usually on its way to or from the hard disk drive or some other peripheral device.
Bulk transfer	Movement of large blocks of data across the Universal Serial Bus (USB) that is not time critical, i.e., a large asynchronous data transfer.
Byte	The basic unit of computer memory made of 8 bits and large enough to hold one character of alphanumeric data. See also bit.

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