Definition: Smoke Test

In the computer industry we use the term "Smoke Test" to mean an initial test of some software or hardware. Y'know, you plug it in and see if it smokes.

The term originally comes from plumbing, where a mini-smoke bomb is tossed inside pipes to see where it leaks out. This determines if water will flow without any drips.

This has nothing to do with last year's exploding laptops from Dell.