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Computer Glossary
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | Z |
A
Abandonware
Software that is no longer marketed or distributed by the company that created it, but is obtainable from some other source.
Adware
Any software that serves banner ads or pop-up ads to you while in use. Further Information
Application
An application (often called "app" for short) is simply a program with a user interface.
Artificial Intelligence
A branch of computer science that studies how to endow computers with capabilities of human intelligence.
ASCII
(American Standard Code for Information Interchange). A set of numbers that represent all the normal characters one would find on the keyboard. Text saved in ASCII (.txt) format can be read by all word processing programs on most platforms.
B
Bit
A contraction of "binary digit". The smallest unit of information that a computer can hold. Eight bits is equivalent to one byte. The speed at which bits are transmitted, or bit rate, is usually expressed as bits per second or bps.
BIOS
(Basic Input/Output System). Built-in software that contains the code required to control the keyboard, monitor, disk drives, communications ports, and other functions independently of the computer operating system.
Boot
Starting up an operating system. If the computer is already running, it is called rebooting.
Browser (internet or web browser)
A class of programs which enable you to connect to and view web pages. Microsoft Internet Explorer is the web browser most frequently used.
Bug
A mistake in the design of something, especially software which may cause unexpected results.
Byte
A unit in the binary system. 8 bits equals one byte. One byte represents a character in the alphabet.
C
Cache
Caching (pronounced CASH-ing) is a technique computers use to save memory by storing frequently accessed files.
CD-ROM
(Compact Disk-Read Only Memory). An optical disk from which information may be read, but not written. Also refers to a standard disk drive that can read CD-ROMs.
CD-R
(Compact Disk-Recordable) A type of disk drive that can create CD-ROMs and audio CDs.
CD-R drives are now standard on home computers. CD writing software is also needed to create CDs.
Click
To press a mouse button. When done twice in rapid succession, it is referred to as a double-click.
Client
Any program that uses the services of another program.
CPU
(Central Processing Unit) The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the processor, the CPU is where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system.
CRT
(Cathode Ray Tube)
Common type of monitor using
emissive cathode ray technology.
Cursor
A focal point on the computer screen, often marked with a flashing line or block. Text typed into the computer will usually appear at the cursor.
D
Database
A collection of data, typically organized to make retrievals easy and efficient.
Dial-up Connection
Common form of internet connection for the home user, connecting a computer to a host computer over standard telephone lines.
Digital Signature
Electronic signature based on encryption and the use of sender's private key.
Directory
Also called "folder", a directory is a group of files usually stored togethr for organizational purposes.
Disk
A disk is a physical object used for storing data, which it will retain when the computer is turned off. It is always used in conjunction with a disk drive. Some disks can be removed from their drives, some cannot.
Download
Transferring data (usually a file) from another computer to the computer you are are using. The opposite of upload.
Drive
A device for storing and/or retrieving data. Some drives (e.g. disk drives, zip drives, and tape drives) can have new data written to them, but others (e.g. CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs) cannot.
Driver
Software that works with a computer's operating system to control a particular piece of hardware, like a printer or scanner.
DVD
(Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) A type of optical disk similar to the CD-ROM but with much greater storage capacity. A DVD holds a minimum of 4.7GB of data, enough for a full-length movie. DVD drives are backward-compatible with CD-ROMs, so they can play old CD-ROMs, CD-I disks, and video CDs.
DVD-R
(DVD-Recordable) Recordable DVD format similar to CD-R.
E
Easter egg
A hidden, undocumented program sequence built into a program that only activates when you press the right keys. They are often funny, and are often used to introduce the team that developed the program.
e-mail
(Electronic mail) A means of sending text or files to other computers via an internet connection.
Ethernet
Network access method developed in the early 1970s. Ethernet is the most widely used network technology.
F
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions) FAQs are files of answers to commonly asked questions. Always read FAQs before asking obvious questions.
File
A unit of information stored on a computer.
Firewall
Hardware and/or software used to prevent computer hackers from getting into a computer system. Further Information
Firmware
Halfway between hardware and software, firmware consists of modifiable programs embedded within hardware enabling it to run properly.
Floppy
A common type of removable disk. Floppies hold little data, but most computers are capable of reading them. However, there are different formats used for floppies, so that a floppy written by one type of computer might not directly work on another. Also sometimes called "diskette".
Freeware
Software that is made available for download and to use completely free of charge.
FTP
(File Transfer Protocol) A protocol that allows the transfer of files from one computer to another over the internet.
Function keys
On a computer keyboard, the keys that start with an "F" that are usually found on the top row. They are meant to perform user-defined tasks.
G
Gigabyte
1,000 or 1,024 Megabytes, depending on the measuring system.
GUI
(Graphical user interface) A graphics-based means of communicating with a program, especially an operating system or window manager.
H
Hacker
The current popular meaning of the term is to describe those who break into computer systems or networks, destroy data, steal copyrighted software, and perform other destructive or illegal acts.
Host
Any end-user computer system that connects to a network.
I
Icon
A small graphic representing an object, action, or modifier of some sort.
Internet
The global network through which computers communicate. The internet includes the World Wide Web, Usenet user groups and newsgroups.
Intranet
A private network of computers. There are many intranets scattered all over the world. Some are connected to the Internet via gateways.
K
Keyboard
Computer input device, similar to a typewriter keyboard on a typewriterbut with extra function keys. Smaller keyboards with only maths-related keys are typically called "keypads".
Kilobyte
A thousand bytes.
L
Laptop
Portable computer as powerful as a desktop system which can run for a short time on batteries.
LCD
(Liquid Crystal Display) Type of monitor
where
each pixel on the screen is displayed by a specific set of liquid crystal cells.
M
Megabyte
A million bytes.
Memory
Computer memory is used to temporarily store data. The most common types of memory are RAM, ROM, and Flash.
Modem
(MOdulator, DEModulator) A device that connects a computer to a phone line and allows the computer to communicate with other computers through the phone system.
Monitor
The screen for viewing computer information.
Motherboard
The main circuit board of a computer that contains the slots and sockets which interfaces, drives and peripheral devices plug into. On most PCs, memory can be directly added to the motherboard and you may also be able to upgrade to a faster PC by replacing the CPU. Motherboard is sometimes abbreviated as mob0.
Mouse
Device used to control a pointer on the computer screen.
MPEG
(Moving Pictures Expert Group). An international standard for video compression and desktop movie presentation.
Multimedia
The use of text, pictures, audio, and or video to communicate information.
MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions). The standard for attaching binary files to e-mail messages, allowing audio, video, graphics, word-processor documents etc. to be attached to e-mails
Millenium Bug
The set of problems occurring on January 1, 2000 and other related dates caused by shortsighted programming that coded the years with only 2 digits.
N
Network
Two or more computers are connected together to share resources.
Network Adapter
A device to connect a computer to other computers in a network for high speed communication.
Newbie
A new user of a technology, such as a computer, a certain computer program, or the internet.
Notebook
A small laptop computer with similar price, performance, and battery life.
O
Open Source
Software that is free to use and which provides the original source code used to create it so that advanced users can modify it to make it work better for them.
Operating system
The program that manages a computer's resources and performs basic tasks, e.g. recognising keyboard input, sending output to the display screen or printer, managing files and directories, controlling peripheral devices, and allocating system resources to other software programs running on the computer.
Organizer
A small computer used primarily to store names, addresses, phone numbers, and date book information.
P
PC
(Personal Computer) In popular usage, refers to a computer running under the Microsoft Windows operating system.
PDA
(Personal Digital Assistant) A small, portable, battery-powered computer. Most have a pen interface and come with a detachable stylus rather than a mouse. Currently, the most popular PDA is the Palm Pilot.
Pixel
A single point in a graphic image. Computer monitor display screens consist of thousands (or millions) of pixels, arranged in rows and columns.
Plug-in
Software that adds features to a larger piece of software.
Processor
The processor (also called Central Processing Unit, or CPU) is the part of the computer that actually works with the data and runs the programs.
Program
A series of instructions for a computer, telling it what to do or how to behave. The terms "application" and "app" mean almost the same thing. "Program" is also the verb that means to create a program.
Public Domain
Software that is free to be used, distributed or modified. It has been given up to the public free of copyright restrictions.
R
RAM
(Random Access Memory) The most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers. RAM is the "working memory" within the computer that is available to operate programs and is lost when the computer is switched off. There are two types of RAM: DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). Although SRAM is faster, it is less common than DRAM because it is much more expensive.
S
Server
A computer or software package that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. An ISP's servers allow users to connect to the Internet.
Shareware
Software which can be used free of charge for a trial period, after which a registration fee must be paid in order to continue to use it.
Spreadsheet
Type of program used to perform various calculations, especially popular for financial applications.
T
TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) - the protocols which enable the transfer of files to and from servers and users' computers over the Internet.
TFT
(Thin Film Transistor) A type of LCD flat-panel display screen, in which each pixel is controlled by from one to four transistors.
Terabyte
1000 gigabytes.
U
UNIX
A common operating system, popular for running servers on the Internet.
V
Virtual Reality
A computer simulation of a real 3-dimensional world, often supplemented by sound effects.
W
WAN
(Wide Area Network) A network technology that covers large geographic distances. Also called long-haul networks, WANs usually operate at slower speeds and have significantly higher delays than networks that operate over shorter distances.
WAV
(Waveform Audio) A common audio file format for Windows computers (.wav).
Word Processor
Type of program used in the production of textual documents, like letters and memos. Heavier duty work can be done with a Desktop Publisher.
WYSIWYG
What you see is what you get. To display a document being edited exactly the same way it will be displayed on the web or in print.
Z
ZIP
A compressed file format (.zip). Many files available on the Internet are compressed or "zipped" in order to reduce storage space and transfer times.
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