I

icon

A graphical representation of an element in Windows, such as a disk drive, directory, group, application, or document. You can open an application by clicking its icon. Applications also use toolbar icons for commands such as cut, copy, and paste.

IDE

See integrated device electronics.

inactive panel

A panel in which a user's input is not currently being directed. An inactive panel is distinguished by the color of its directory line. Compare active panel.

integrated device electronics (IDE)

A type of disk-drive interface in which the controller electronics reside on the drive itself, eliminating the need for a separate adapter card. IDE offers advantages such as look-ahead caching to increase overall performance.