- ADSL - A method of connecting a computer to the internet over an ordinary phone line using ethernet office networking technology.
- AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port interface.
- Alkaline - These are the most common batteries in the world. They come in the variants AA, AAA, C, D and 9-Volt.
- Analog The traditional method of modulating radio signals so that they can carry information. Amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) are the two most common methods of analog modulation. Today, most U.S. cellular systems carry phone conversations using analog; the transition to digital transmissions is happening slowly.
- ANSI - Acronym for the American National Standards Institute. Founded in 1918, ANSI is a voluntary organization composed of over 1,300 members (including all the large computer companies) that creates standards for the computer industry.
- APM - Advanced Power Management.
- ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
- Assembly Language - For Low level control. Speed. Programs written in machine language execute fast! Time Critical Code.
- ATA interface -
- ATAPI - AT Attachment Packet Interface.
- Attachments - A file sent by email is "attached" to the email. An attachment can be a picture, a word processor document, a program or any other type of file.
- AVI File - Audio / Video Interleave.
- Bandwidth - In a general sense, is a term that describes information-carrying capacity.
- Bar Codes - Series of black bars and white spaces of varying widths are printed on labels to uniquely identify items.
- BASIC - Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
- Baud - Technically, baud rate is the number of times per second that the carrier signal value changes state.
- BBS - A computer, that typically provides electronic messaging services, archives of files, and any other services or activities of interest to the bulletin board system's operator.
- BCC - Blind Carbon Copy, Email. If you BCC someone, you are sending them a copy of your e-mail, but not allowing the recipients to see the list.
- BEDO - Burst Extended Data Out. A variant on EDO DRAM in which read or write cycles are batched in bursts of four.
- binary - A number system that has just two unique digits, 1 and 0.
- BIOS - Basic Input Output System
- BMP - Bit-MaPped graphics format used in the Windows environment.
- Boolean Logic - Way to combine terms using logic operators such as AND, OR, AND NOT and sometimes NEAR.
- Boot Loader - A boot loader typically consists of three programs: boot sector program, second stage program, boot loader installer.
- bps - Abbreviation of bits per second, the standard measure of data transmission speeds.
- Buffer Under Run - This is an error that occurs when the data transfer from the PC cannot keep up with the speed of writing to the disc.
- Bugs - An error, especially in a program, that has been missed in testing.
- Busmaster - On a Microchannel, EISA, or PCI machine, the I/O bus presents a full set of 32 address wires to every adapter card.
- BUS Mastering - Refers to a feature supported by most bus architectures that enables a controller connected to the bus to communicate directly with other devices on the bus without going through the CPU.
- byte - Abbreviation for binary term, a unit of storage capable of holding a single character. On almost all modern computers, a byte is equal to 8 bits.
- c++ - By: Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs, 1983-1985
- C - A block-structured programming language.
- Cable Modem - A Cable Modem is a device that allows high-speed access to the Internet via a cable TV (CATV) network.
- Cache - Caches come in many types, but they all work the same way: they store information where you can get to it fast.
- CAT5 - This type of cable gets its name from the number of twists per inch in the pairs of the cable, meaning there are five twists per inch in the pairs of the cable.
- CCD - A charged coupled device (CCD) converts light into proportional (analog) electrical current.
- CD-R History - CD-R is an abbreviation of compact disc recordable.
- CGA - Abbreviation of color/graphics adapter, an old graphics system for PCs. Introduced in 1981 by IBM, CGA was the first color graphics system for IBM PCs.
- CGI - Common Gateway Interface.
- Chipset - Chipset is the generical name given to the set of circuits used by the motherboard.
- CHMOD - To change a file or directory's permissions, use the UNIX chmod command.
- Client A Software program which is used to contact and obtain data from a Server Software program on another computer, often across a great distance. Each Client program is designed to work with one or more specific kinds of Server programs, and each Server requires a specific kind of Client. A Web Browser is a specific kind of Client.
- CMOS Battery - the battery keeps information about your PC alive, even when the PC is off.
- CMOS RAM - The role of the system BIOS is to boot the system, recognize the hardware devices, and locate and launch the operating system.
- Coaxial Cable (Coax) - Typically used to connect a television to Cable TV services, coaxial Cable consists of a small copper tube or wire surrounded by an insulating material and another conductor with a larger diameter, usually in the form of a tube or copper braid. This Cable is then encased in a rubberized protective material.
- COBOL - COmmon Business Oriented Language
- Codes - The formal name of these annoying Messages is Status Codes. Here's a list of the most widely implemented Codes currently in use.
- CODEC - stands for "COmpressor / DECompressor". Every compressed video file uses a CODEC to decompress the individual frames for playback.
- Coercivity - The intensity of the magnetic field needed to reduce the magnetization of a ferromagnetic material to zero after it has reached saturation.
- Color Depth - The display modes supported by your graphics adapter and the color capability of your monitor determine how many colors can be displayed.
- Collision - When both PCs are transferring a packet to the network at the same time, a collision will result.
- Cookie - Cookies are pieces of information generated by a Web server and stored in the users computer, ready for future access.
- CPU - Abbreviation of central processing unit, and pronounced as separate letters. The CPU is the brains of the computer.
- Cracks - A small program intended to defeat software's copy protection, thus allowing unlicensed copies to be made.
- CRC - Cyclic Redundancy Check
- crop - In computer graphics, to cut off the sides of an image to make it the proper size or to remove unwanted parts.
- Crossover Cable - A twisted pair patch cable wired in such a way as to route the transmit signals from one piece of equipment to the receive signals of another piece of equipment, and vice versa.
- CRT - A specialized vacuum tube in which images are produced when an electron beam strikes a phosphorescent surface.
- Database A collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. You can think of a database as an electronic filing system.
- Data Transfer - Data transfer is a process where information is transferred from one form of computer media to another.
- Defragmentation -
- Degauss - Degaussing may require new formatting, which can become difficult. So care has to be taken to determine which media to degauss.
- Demoware - These titles are meant to give you a small taste of the program and usually contain tight restrictions on the amount of functions available.
- DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
- Digital Marketing - is the use of available technologies to reach more customers, retain current customers, and improve information flow.
- Direct 3D - Both the application and the graphics card must support Direct3D.
- DirectX - DirectX is a type of API called a hardware abstraction layer that acts for Windows 9x and various types of hardware.
- Disk Compression - Compression allows you to store more information in the same amount of disk space, by using special software that reorganizes the way information is stored on the disk.
- Dithered - To give the appearance of more colors, and this is especially true of early monitors that could only display 16 pure colors, a process called dithering was used to give the impression of more colors.
- DLL File - A dynamic link library (DLL) is a collection of small programs.
- DMA - Hardware devices attached to PCs (ranging from keyboards to sound cards) can be designed to send their instructions to and from main memory in one of two ways.
- Docking Station - With the docking station, you can connect several peripheral devices permanently.
- domain - A group of computers and devices on a network that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures. Within the Internet, domains are defined by the IP address. All devices sharing a common part of the IP address are said to be in the same domain.
- Domain Hosting - A domain hosting company has computers that hold web sites and serve these web sites to the public.
- Dot Pitch - The dot pitch is the measure of how much space there is between a display's pixels.
- download - To receive information from another computer over a network. The opposite of upload.
- dpi - Dots per inch, which indicates the resolution of images. The more dots per inch, the higher the resolution. A common resolution for laser printers is 600 dots per inch. This means 600 dots across and 600 dots down, so there are 360,000 dots per square inch.
- Dr. Watson - Program that detects application errors, diagnoses the error, and logs the diagnostic information. If Dr. Watson shows up, your program has already crashed.
- Dry Cell - In the 1860's, George Leclanché of France developed what would be the forerunner of the world's first widely used battery--the zinc carbon cell or Dry Cell.
- Drive Partition - A partition is a separation of the computer's hard drive into two or more parts, when partitioned the hard disk will act like separate disks.
- Drivers - A driver is software that works to communicate between an operating system and a peripheral.
- DSl - Digital Subscriber Line - A method of moving data over regular phone lines. A DSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection, and the wires coming into the subscribers premises are the same (copper) wires used in a regular phone service. A DSL circuit must be configured to connect two specific locations, similar to a leased line.
- Dual-Boot - A simple dual-boot scenario, where you have kept Win9X or NT while adding a Win2000 installation.
- DVD - DVD started as the Digital Video Disc but now means Digital Versatile Disc or just DVD.
- E-ZINE Electronic Magazine
- ECC - Error Correction Code modules are an advanced form of Parity detection often used in servers and critical data applications. ECC modules use multiple Parity bits per byte (usually 3) to detect double-bit errors. They also will correct single-bit errors without creating an error message. Some systems which support ECC can use a regular Parity module by using the Parity bits to make up the ECC code. However, a Parity system cannot use a true ECC module.
- eCheck - An eCheck is an electronic check. You send one like you send a regular check - without the paper, envelope and stamp.
- EDI - Electronic Data Interchange refers to the exchange of documents between automated systems of organizations. For example, the materials inventory system of a manufacturer may determine the need for reordering a certain material. It then automatically creates an electronic order which will be sent to a supplier's distribution system. This will then automaticall trigger the delivery of the material in question. Thus, the inventory managment system of the manufacturer is effectively controlling the operation of the supplier. Therefore, EDI need close integration of systems on a technical, organizational and legal level. EDI has been first introduced in the automotive industry as early as in the 1960s. Generally, automative firms have used their bargaining power to have their counterparts implement systems and standards which were compatible to their own. Beginning in 1987, the UN Working Party 4 on trade rationalization has developed a set of standards which are meant to be globally applicable and independent of industry specifics. Later, however, it turned out that regional and industry specific subsets of these standards had to be created. The whole set of standards is called "EDIFACT" which means "Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport".
- EDO DRAM - Extended Data Output DRAM is an improvement over FPM design, and used in Non-Parity configurations in Pentium® machines or higher.
- EIDE - A new IDE drive interface that increases the previous maximum disk size from 504MB to more than 8GB.
- Email Harvesting - They can get more than 5500 email addresses per minute at 56Kbps speed!
- Emoticons - Emoticons are facial expressions made by a certain series of keystrokes.
- Encryption - a sophisticated scrambling method that is designed to prevent unauthorized eavesdropping on electronic data.
- ESD - Static electricity is in essence invisible, although we often see its effects and can feel and measure its presence or electrostatic field.
- ESDRAM - Enhanced Memory Systems, includes a small static RAM (SRAM) in the SDRAM chip.
- Ethernet History - The important thing with Ethernet is that it became a world-wide recognized standard in 1989.
- Fast Ethernet - Fast Ethernet is an upgraded standard in connecting computers into a local area Network (LAN). It works just like regular Ethernet except it can transfer data at a peak rate of 100 mbps. Also referred to as 100BaseT, fast Ethernet is more expensive and less common than its slower 10BaseT sibling.
- FAT32 - has the ability to relocate the root directory and use the backup copy of the FAT instead of the default copy.
- FAT - Depending on your choice of operating system, you have different FAT system options available.
- FAQs - are documents that list and answer the most common questions on a particular subject.
- Fiber Optics - Fiber optics is a system which transmits signals from one location to another through a thin strand of glass which carries light pulses to carry data.
- File & Print Sharing - Follow these instructions if you need File and Print Sharing enabled.
- Finger - A UNIX program that takes an e-mail address as input and returns information about the user who owns that e-mail address.
- Firewall - The firewall's role is to ensure that all communication between an organization's network and the Internet, in both directions, conforms to the organization's security policies.
- Firewire - Known as Firewire, IEEE 1394 is a standard for high-speed serial connections approved by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
- Firmware - On PCs, the boot firmware is usually referred to as the BIOS.
- Floppies - Diskettes are more vulnerable to the environment and what we do to them than CDs. This means they need extra attention and care to keep your data safe.
- Floppy History - Originally created in 1967 by IBM. The floppy reference is derived from the floppy media that is encased within the protective casing.
- Flash BIOS - The BIOS is built-in software that determines what a computer can do without accessing programs from a disk.
- Frequency Modulation FM is a primitive method of generating sounds by modulating one or more sound waves by other sound waves.
- Font - A design for a set of characters. A font is the combination of typeface and other qualities, such as size, pitch, and spacing.
- FORTRAN - FORmula TRANslation, 1957
- FORUM - An online discussion group, where participants with common interests can exchange open messages.
- FPM - Fast Page Mode (FPM) is a variation on the basic memory operation that allows a system to access multiple columns in the same row without having to re-specify the row address each time. This saves time in accessing data.
- Freeware - Freeware refers to software that the software copyright owner gives away for free.
- FSB - The front-side bus (FSB) is the segment of the system bus that carries data between the CPU and the chipset that connects to the RAM and other devices and has the greatest effect on overall performance.
- FTP - Abbreviation of File Transfer Protocol, the protocol used on the Internet for sending files.
- full duplex - operation is an optional MAC (Media Access Control) capability that allows simultaneous two-way transmission over point-to-point links.
- FPM - Fast Page Mode (FPM) is a variation on the basic memory operation that allows a system to access multiple columns in the same row without having to re-specify the row address each time. This saves time in accessing data.
- Gateway - The technical meaning is a hardware or Software set-up that translates between two dissimilar protocols, example: Prodigy has a gateway that translates between its internal, proprietary e-mail format and Internet e-mail format. Another, sloppier meaning of gateway is to describe any mechanism which provides access to another system, e.g. AOL might be called a gateway to the Internet.
- Gbps - Gigabits per second, a data transfer speed measurement for high-speed networks such as Gigabit Ethernet. When used to describe data transfer rates, a gigabit equals 1,000,000,000 bits.
- GHz - Gigahertz, One billion hertz.
- GIF - Graphics Interchange Format, a bit-mapped graphics file format.
- Gigabyte - 2 to the 30th power (1,073,741,824) bytes. One gigabyte is equal to 1,024 megabytes. Gigabyte is often abbreviated as G or GB.
- GPS - Short for Global Positioning System, a worldwide MEO satellite navigational system formed by 24 satellites orbiting the earth and their corresponding receivers on the earth.
- Graphics Standards - Table of PC graphics card standards.
- GPS - GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System, is the only system today able to show you your exact position on the Earth anytime, in any weather, anywhere. GPS satellites, 24 in all, orbit at 11,000 nautical miles above the Earth.
- HardDisk History - In 1950 Engineering Research Associates of Minneapolis built the first commercial magnetic drum storage unit for the U.S. Navy.
- HDSL - High-bit rate Digital Subscriber Line.
- hexadecimal - Refers to the base-16 number system, which consists of 16 unique symbols: the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F.
- Hits & Visits - A hit is an individual pageview. Views is a hit that actually resulted in something being sent back to the user. Times a visitor came to your site.
- Home Networking - Detailed map of a home ethernet sub-network using cable modem, TCP/IP protocols, firewalls routers, 6-port hubs, print servers, and RJ-45 Cat-5 cables.
- Hot Swap - The exchange of a replacement unit in a storage system for a defective unit. The exchange requires human intervention, but the system can continue to perform its normal functions (compare with Auto Swap, Cold Swap, and Warm Swap).
- HTML - Short for HyperText Markup Language, the authoring language used to create documents on the World Wide Web. HTML is similar to SGML, although it is not a strict subset.
- Hubs & Switches - This page explains the difference between an Ethernet Hub and an Ethernet Switch.
- Hyperlink - A hyperlink is a reference to another location within the existing HTML document or in a new HTML document.
- IDE - he hard-drive interface has its own integrated controller on the drive itself.
- Information System - Consists of: data base (including data base management system), users, data collection devices, data sharing devices, analysis/interpretation of information, organizational structures and processes.
- Interrupts - When a device generates an interrupt, the CPU hardware stops running an ordinary program and jumps to an interrupt handling routine in the Device Driver.
- internet - A global network connecting billions of computers using the TCP/IP protocols..
- Internet History - In many ways the History of the Internet is linked to the development of the history of UNIX Operating System.
- Intranet - Private network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds of software that you would find on the public Internet.
- I/O Bus - A personal computer may transfer data from disk to CPU, from CPU to memory, or from memory to the display adapter.
- IPX/SPX - Internetwork Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange - This is a Novell NetWare-based protocol that is used to route messages from one network node to another. IPX/SPX is a routable protocol, and because IPX packets include network addresses, data can be exchanged between different networks. SPX ensures that an entire message (a data IPX packet) arrives intact.
- IrDA - Short for Infrared Data Association, a group of device manufacturers that developed a standard for transmitting data via infrared light waves.
- IRQ - An IRQ is a signal from a piece of hardware (such as a keyboard or sound card) indicating that it needs the CPU to do something.
- ISA - Industry Standard Architecture, is the bus design that has been used in most PCs since IBM released the PC/AT more than a decade ago. It's a limited 8-bit and 16-bit bus, but it's so widely compatible that it has outlasted technologically superior and much faster bus standards like PCI.
- ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network - A telecommunications technology that allows for digital voice, video, and data transmission. ISDN replaces the slow and inefficient analog telephone system with a fast digital network that can transmit data at up to 128Kbps.
- ISP - Internet Service Provider - An institution that provides access to the Internet in some form, usually to make money.
- Java - A high-level programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. The most common Java programs are applications and applets. Applications are standalone programs, such as the HotJava browser. Applets are similar to applications, but they don't run standalone. Instead, applets adhere to a set of conventions that lets them run within a Java-compatible browser.
- Java Script - Designed by Sun Microsystems and Netscape as an easy-to-use adjunct to the Java programming language, JavaScript code can be added to standard HTML pages to create interactive documents.
- JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group, a lossy compression technique for color images.
- Kbps - kilobits per second, a measure of data transfer speed. Modems, for example, are measured in Kbps.
- Kernel32 - In general, the kernel is the core of an operating system (OS) that provides basic services for other parts of the OS and for applications.
- Keyboards - The most common keyboard connectors are: 6-pin IBM PS/2 mini-DIN connector, 5-pin DIN connector, 4-pin USB connector, Internal connector.
- kilobyte - In decimal systems, kilo stands for 1,000, but in binary systems, a kilo is 1,024 (2 to the 10th power).
- LAN - or Local Area Network is a group of computers and other devices connected over a short distance, usually within the same building.
- Laptop Battery - Lithium batteries tend to hold their charge longer than nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride.
- (Pb/acid) - The cells have a nominal discharge potential of 2 V, are inexpensive, and are capable of high power densities (necessary for starting a car, these can be as high as 600 W / kg).
- LED - Light Emitting Diode
- LCD - Abbreviation of liquid crystal display, a type of display used in many portable computers.
- Linux - is an Operating System, which acts as a communication service between the hardware and the software of a computer system.
- LISP - has evolved with the field of Computer Science, always putting the best ideas from the field into practical use.
- Lithium Ion (Li-ion) - The Li-ion battery has no "memory" problems and can be charged at any time. The high cost of production is expected to drop with volume manufacturing and with the substitution of the current cobalt element of the chemistry.
- Lithium Polymer (Li-pol) - Very slim and lightweight batteries with the latest battery chemistry on the market. Should be treated like the Li-ion batteries.
- Lithium (Li) - Lithium batteries are both watch batteries and camera batteries. They have long life, but a steep dropoff at the end and no rechargable form (do NOT confuse them with Lithium Ion batteries).
- MAC Address - The unique serial number burned into Ethernet network cards that identifes that network card from all others.
- macro - A symbol, name, or key that represents a list of commands, actions, or keystrokes.
- Magneto-Optical - MO drives store data on removable, rewritable disc cartridges, each with a capacity of 640 MB, soon to be 2.6 Gb.
- Mainframe Computing - The first mainframe computer has been IBM's System/360. The name referred to the fact that this computer could run any application running on a specialized computer (the "full circle" (360 degrees) of applications). The architecture of a mainframe is centralized meaning that all applications are running on the central computer which can be accessed through "dump" terminals. In contrast, a "client/server architecture" means that applications are running on several computers which share data and other IT resources. Although mainframes have often been predicted to disappear in the near future, they are having a second live as E-Commerce servers.
- MBps Megabytes per Second.
- Media - The most popular wiring schemes are 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX, which use unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable.
- Meta TAG A special HTML tag that provides information about a Web page. Unlike normal HTML tags, meta tags do not affect how the page is displayed. Instead, they provide information such as who created the page, how often it is updated, what the page is about, and which keywords represent the page's content. Many search engines use this information when building their indices.
- Mosaic Browser - The first WWW browser that was available for the Macintosh, Windows,and UNIX all with the same interface.
- MFM - The first encoding system for recording digital data on magnetic media, was frequency modulation, of course abbreviated FM.
- Microprocessor - The microprocessor handles the logic operations in a computer, such as adding, subtracting, and copying.
- MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface.
- MIME - MIME format messages are also sent across the Internet by way of the SMTP protocol, but the MIME format provides for much greater flexibility than RFC-822.
- Microcomputer - A microprocessor-based computer, consisting of an MPU, internal semiconductor memory, input and output sections, and a system bus, all on one, or several monolithic IC chips inserted into one or several PC boards.
- MMX - In late 1996, in an effort to capitalize on the expanding market for multimedia applications, Intel unveiled an enhanced version of its Pentium microprocessor.
- MTBF - Mean Time Between Failure is measured in hours and indicates the expected failure rate of computer hardware such as printer and server components.
- Monitors History - Often referred to as a monitor when packaged in a separate case, the display is the most-used output device on a computer.
- Morphing - Type of animation in which interpolations between specified points on two or more images create a transitional effect. Give the illusion that the first image is changing into the last one.
- Mouse History - Mouse Patent # 3,541,541 issued 11/17/70 for X-Y Position Indicator.
- Mobile Link - We will try to highlight the requirements for this, and the difficulties that may be incurred also.
- Modem History - Modem, device that converts between analog and digital signals.
- MP3 - Moving Pictures Experts Group
- MPEG - Moving Pictures Experts Group.
- Multimedia - Simply means being able to communicate in more than one way.
- Multiplexing - Multiplexing allows the transmission of multiple communications over a single line.
- Multiprocessing - Multiprocessing is the coordinated processing of programs by more than one computer processor.
- Multitasking - Multitasking is the ability to do more than one thing at any given time. When referring to computer, multitasking is in essence having more than one application open at a time.
- NetBEUI - NetBIOS Extended User Interface was developed by IBM in the mid-1980s. It has since become the default in Microsoft Windows networking and is an OK choice of very small Networks. It can be used to communicate between Windows95, Windows98, Windows in Workgroups, Microsoft LAN Manager and the Workgroup add-on in MS-DOS. NetBEUI is very easy to install and configure. It is installed by default on a Windows95/98 machine when a Network adapter driver is installed. The only required configuration is a computer name and a workgroup or domain name.
- network - A group of two or more computer systems linked together.
- Network Card - A network card is used to connect to other machines in the same building.
- NIC - Network interface card. An adapter card that physically connects a computer to a Network Cable.
- Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) - The most annoying feature of this Nickel/Cadmium chemistry is that it builds up a "memory" problem (a crystalline formation) if not regularly discharged when in use.
- Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) - The NiMH battery is becoming more widely used as the chemistry technology has improved and the costs of production have come down.
- NNTP - Network News Transfer Protocol - Refers to the standard protocol used for transferring Usenet news from machine to machine. A protocol is simply a format used to transfer data to two different machines. A protocol will set out terms to indicate what error checking method will be used, how the sending machine will indicate when it is has finished sending the data, and how the receiving machine will indicate that it has received the data.
- Node - Any single computer connected to a Network.
- NTP - Short for Network Time Protocol, an Internet standard protocol (built on top of TCP/IP) that assures accurate synchronization to the millisecond of computer clock times in a network of computers.
- NTSC - NTSC is the video system or standard used in North America and most of South America. In NTSC, 30 frames are transmitted each second. Each frame is made up of 525 individual scan lines.
- NICAD - Nickel-Cadmium battery.
- .ORG - Non-Profit Organizations (Domain name) [Internet]
- Online Banking - The advent of the Internet and the popularity of personal computers presented both an opportunity and a challenge for the banking industry.
- Online Computing - Remote access to data, programs, or other IT resources over data communication networks.
- Operating System - An operating system (sometimes abbreviated as OS) is the program that, after being initially loaded into the computer by a boot program, manages all the other programs in a computer.
- Operating Systems - Table of minimum memory requirements.
- Operating System Timeline - Operating system creation timelines
- Optical Scanner - A device that can read text or illustrations printed on paper and translate the information into a form the computer can use.
- Packet - Bits grouped serially in a defined format, containing a command or data message sent over a network.
- Packet History - A relatively small bundle of bytes - perhaps 1k in size.
- Parallel Ports - A parallel interface for connecting an external device such as a printer.
- parity - The quality of being either odd or even. The fact that all numbers have a parity is commonly used in data communications to ensure the validity of data. This is called parity checking.
- Pascal - Programming Language by Professor Niklaus Wirth, 1970.
- Patch Panel - A passive device, typically flat plate holding feed through connectors, to allow circuit arrangements and rearrangements by simply plugging and unplugging patch cables.
- PayPal - PayPal is an account-based system that lets anyone with an email address securely send and receive online payments using their credit card or bank account.
- PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect, a self-configuring PC local bus called PCI. Designed by Intel, PCI has gained wide acceptance (even by Apple, in its PowerPC series). It beats out the VESA Local Bus spec from a technical standpoint and will presumably win out in the long run. The bottom line: if you have a Pentium, make sure any add-in board you buy is a PCI device.
- PCMCIA - Peripheral Components Microcomputer Interface Adapter -or- Personal Computer memory card international association.
- PDF - Initially it was an internal project at Adobe to create a file format so documents could be spread throughout the company and displayed on any computer using any operating system.
- Perl - A command or scripting language, 1987
- PHP - Hypertext preprocessor scripting language, 1995.
- ping - A utility to determine whether a specific IP address is accessible. It works by sending a packet to the specified address and waiting for a reply. PING is used primarily to troubleshoot Internet connections.
- Pixel - A pixel on a monitor is a number of red, green, and blue phosphor dots. These dots are "excited" to varying degrees by the monitor's three electron guns, and the results mix additively to generate a specific color. By manipulating large numbers of pixels in precise ways, patterns emerge to make up an identifiable picture.
- Plotter History - A plotter is a vector graphics printing device that connects to a computer.
- Plug-Ins - A plug-in is a piece of software that extends the basic capability of a browser.
- PnP - Plug and Play
- Pointing Devices - Todays portables come with built-in pointing devices. These devices are one of three types: trackball, trackpoint, or trackpad.
- Ports - Several well-known network Ports
- Port Replicator - It allows to you instantly connect other peripherals, such as printers, keyboard, mouse or scanner in one-step.
- Power Supplies - There are several types of power supply form factors: PC/XT, AT, Baby AT, LPX, ATX(NLX), SFX, and WTX.
- PPP - Point-to-point Protocol is a method for connecting a personal computer to the Internet using a standard phone line and a modem.
- Protocols History - Computers can't just pass data to each other any old way.
- Proxy Server - A Proxy Server sits in between a Client and the real Server that a Client is trying to use.
- Printers - Dot Matrix, Daisy Wheel, InkJet.
- Print Server - A print server is a dedicated server that connects a printer to a network.
- Protocol - special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate.
- Post Code - BIOS System Boot Operations Describes what is involved in booting a PC, including a discussion of the steps in the system boot process, and a look at the power-on self-test (POST) that is conducted whenever the system starts up.
- Power Management - The purpose of power management is to conserve battery life by shutting down components when not needed.
- PPP - Point-to-Point Protocol - PPP is the Internet standard for serial communications. Newer and better than its predecessor, SLIP, PPP defines how your modem connection exchanges data packets with other systems on the Internet.
- QBasic - QuickBasic, Microsoft realized just how popular their BASIC interpreter was and decided to distribute a compiler so users could code programs that ran without an interpreter. QuickBasic was the solution Microsoft came up with.
- QuickTime - Apple software for video and audio compression and decompression for Apple Macintosh and Windows computers, allowing motion video sequences to be displayed on the computer screen.
- RAID Drive - Redundant Array of Independent Discs. In the old days it also used to mean Redundant Array of Inexpensive Discs.
- RAM - Random Access Memory, your computer should have as much RAM as you can afford if it's going to work efficiently.
- RAM-Drives - A RAM Drive is just like any Disk Drive only it uses a portion of the computer's memory as its foundation. Windows assigns a Drive letter, and then allows you to use that memory. You can copy programs and files to the RAM drive.
- Registry - stores user profile information such as wallpaper, color schemes, and desktop arrangements.
- RFC - The Requests For Comments document series a set of technical and organizational notes about the Internet orginally the ARPANET, beginning in 1969.
- Red-Eye - Red Eye is a normal phenomenon and is caused by light from the cameras flash reflecting off of the back of the subjects eye (the retina) and back into the camera lens.
- Refresh rate - The image on your computer monitor doesn't just appear fully formed on the screen's phosphors: it's drawn line by line with beams fired from three electron guns at the back of the CRT. (The three guns are for different colors--red, green, and blue. The colors blend to build all the colors you see.) The frequency at which they redraw the image is called the refresh rate, and it's an important measure of how steady the image will appear.
- resolution - Refers to the sharpness and clarity of an image. The term is most often used to describe monitors, printers, and bit-mapped graphic images. In the case of dot-matrix and laser printers, the resolution indicates the number of dots per inch. For example, a 300-dpi (dots per inch) printer is one that is capable of printing 300 distinct dots in a line 1 inch long. This means it can print 90,000 dots per square inch.
- Registrant - The person or company that carries the ownership title for a given domain name.
- Registrar - A company that is able to register ".com," ".net," and ".org" domain names by directly accessing the Central Domain Name Database. Namesecure is a registrar.
- RGB - Refers to the so-called scientific hues--the additive primary colors red, green, and blue--that, when mixed together in equal amounts, create white light. Television sets and computer monitors display their pixels based on values of red, green, and blue.
- RJ-45 - Table of Modular RJ-45 Connectors & Category 5 Wiring Standards.
- Router History - A router is a device or, or, software, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded toward its destination.
- RLL - RLL works by looking at groups of bits instead of encoding one bit at a time. The idea is to mix clock and data flux reversals to allow for even denser packing of encoded data, to improve efficiency.
- RS-232 - RS-232 is a standard electrical interface for serial data communications defined by the Electronic Industries Association (EIA).
- Scanner - There are two basic types of scanners: a forms scanner and an image scanner.
- SCSI - With SCSI, you can add up to seven new devices to your computer and depend on them to deal with single-interface issues by themselves.
- Server - A computer, or a software package, that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers.
- Searching - For an effective search, it is best to enter as many search terms or phrases which exactly qualify the subject in which you are interested.
- SGML - Abbreviation of Standard Generalized Markup Language, a system for organizing and tagging elements of a document.
- shareware - The owner has decided to give people the opportunity to try first before deciding if they want to purchase it or not.
- Shockwave - A program from Macromedia for viewing files created with Macromedia Director.
- Sealed Lead Acid - This battery is also known as the Gelcell battery. It is "sealed" and contains lead plates and acid "gel" just like a car battery.
- SLIP - SLIP is a TCP/IP protocol used for communication between two machines that are previously configured for communication with each other.
- Slot 1 - CPU, 242 contacts, SEPP (Single Edge Processor Package)
- Slot 2 - CPU, 330 contacts, SECC (Single Edge Contact Cartridge)
- Slot A - CPU, 242 contacts, Proprietary slot design AMD decided to use with the Athlon®
- SMTP - Short for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a protocol for sending e-mail messages between servers.
- SNA - Systems Network Architecture. A proprietary network concept including a number of network protocols from IBM. Many SNA functions can be performed by the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocols of the Internet.
- Sniffer History - A packet sniffer is a program that monitors and analyzes network traffic, detecting bottlenecks and problems.
- SNTP - Short for Simple Network Time Protocol, a simplified version of NTP.
- Socket 1 - CPU, 169 pins, LIF/ZIF (Low/Zero Insertion Force)
- Socket 2 - CPU, 238 pins, LIF/ZIF (Low/Zero Insertion Force)
- Socket 3 - CPU, 237 pins, PGA (Pin Grid Array)
- Socket 4 - CPU, 273 pins, PGA (Pin Grid Array)
- Socket 5 - CPU, 320 pins, SPGA (Staggered Pin Grid Array)
- Socket 6 - CPU, 235 pins, PGA (Advanced socket 3 - Rarely seen, never mass-produced.)
- Socket 7 - CPU, 321 pins, SPGA (Staggered Pin Grid Array)
- Socket 8 - CPU, 387 pins, ZIF (Zero Insertion Force)
- Socket 9 - CPU, 370 pins, PPGA (Plastic Pin Grid Array)
- Socket 418 - CPU, 418 pins, FC-PGA (Flip Chip - Pin Grid Array)
- Socket 423 - CPU, 423 pins
- Socket 479 - CPU, 479 pins
- Sound Card History - Computers were never designed to handle sound.
- Spammers Tricks - The American Federal Trade Commission released a list of scams appearing in unsolicited commercial e-mail.
- Spider Robot - Computer robot programs, referred to sometimes as crawlers or knowledge-bots or knowbots, that are used by search engines to roam the World Wide Web.
- Spreadsheet - The first spreadsheet was marketed in 1979. The name was of the product was VisiCalc and it helped turn the Apple II into a great deal more than the hobbyist's toy that it started out to be.
- SSI - You can insert the contents of another web page, program or file into the web page that adds the Server Side Include.
- SSL - Short for Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet.
- SRAM - SRAM (Static RAM) stores its data in capacitors doesn't require constant recharging to retain its data; consequently, this type of RAM is faster than DRAM which results in a higher cost.
- Streaming Audio - A method of delivering an audio signal to your computer over the Internet, as the data arrives it is buffered for a few seconds and then playback begins.
- Subnet Mask - A mask used to determine what subnet an IP address belongs to.
- Surge Suppression - The process by which transient voltage surges are prevented from reaching sensitive electronic equipment.
- Surround Sound - Surround Sound, also known in the newer format of Dolby AC-3.
- Suspend to Disk - The conventional APM mode 'Suspend to Hard Drive' function is a private design of AOpen motherboards.
- SVGA - Short for Super VGA, a set of graphics standards designed to offer greater resolution than VGA. SVGA supports 800 x 600 resolution, or 480,000 pixels.
- Swap Drive - Remember that you will have to carry those extra drives with you if you want to use them on the go.
- Swap File - A swap file is an area on your hard disk used as virtual memory.
- SYSOP - A sysop or system operator is one who runs the day-to-day operation of a server and the term suggests a person who is available when the system is.
- TCP/IP - Transmission Control protocols / Internet protocols - This is the suite of protocols that defines the Internet. Originally designed for the UNIX operating system, TCP/IP Software is now available for every major kind of computer operating system. To be truly on the Internet, your computer must have TCP/IP Software.
- Telnet - A terminal emulation program for TCP/IP networks such as the Internet. The Telnet program runs on your computer and connects your PC to a server on the network. You can then enter commands through the Telnet program and they will be executed as if you were entering them directly on the server console.
- TFT - Also known as Active Matrix, TFT stands for Thin Film Transistor and at present is the best quality screen available.
- TIFF - TIFF/IT is the abbreviation of Tagged Image File Format/Image Technology.
- Topology - A network topology is the geometric arrangement of nodes and cable links in a LAN, and is used in two general configurations: bus and star.
- Traceroute - Traceroute is a tool that returns a list of the routers/hosts your signal is travelling through before it reaches our servers. This is a useful tool if you are not able to connect to your site.
- True-Type - The printed appearance is true to the displayed appearance, hence true-type.
- TTL - Transistor-Transistor Logic, a common type of digital circuit in which the output is derived from two transistors. The first semiconductors using TTL were developed by Texas Instruments in 1965. The term is commonly used to describe any system based on digital circuitry, as in TTL monitor.
- TWAIN - TWAIN is a standard for scanner control software, and is widely used on Windows PCs.
- UART - Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter.
- UDMA - A protocol developed by Quantum Corporation and Intel that supports burst mode data transfer rates of 33.3 MBps.
- Unix History - An interactive time-sharing operating system invented in 1969 by Ken Thompson. Co-authored by Dennis Ritchie (the inventor of C, another programming language).
- upload - To transmit information to another computer over a network. The opposite of download.
- UPS - Essentially a cabinet that is capable of supplying mains power (240 volts ac) in the event of a power disruption or blackout.
- URL - Universal Resource Locator, a general-purpose Internet addressing protocol, used in WWW (HTTP) service.
- USB - Short for Universal Serial Bus, an external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps.
- Usenet - Usenet is a world-wide distributed discussion system. It consists of a set of newsgroups with names that are classified hierarchically by subject.
- UUCP - Developed by Mike Lesk in 1978 at the AT&T Bell Labratories. Since then, its use has expanded greatly. However, with the incorporation of the TCP/IP protocol, the Internet has detracted interest from UUCP.
- UTP - Unshielded Twisted Pair. See Cat5 cable.
- VBScript - Visual Basic Scripting Edition, 1997.
- VBX, OCX, ActiveX - VBX was the first software module created by Microsoft for Visual Basic. Before ActiveX, Web content was static, 2-dimensional text and graphics.
- VCM - VCM is a memory architecture being developed by NEC. It allows different "blocks" of memory to interface separately with the controller, each with its own buffer. This way, different system tasks can be assigned their own virtual channels. Information related to one function does not share buffer space with other tasks being completed at the same time, making overall operations much more efficient.
- VCSDRAM - Virtual Channel SDRAM, The VCMemory is a memory core technology designed to improve memory data throughput efficiency and initial latency of memories.
- VCPI - Virtual Control Program Interface. Specification for managing memory beyond the first megabyte on PCs with 80386 or later processors. VCPI can allocate memory to an application as either expanded or extended memory, as required by the application design. The VCPI standard is supported by some memory managers and DOS extenders.
- Vector Graphics - A graphics format optimized for the Web. Vector-based images store information about lines and curves rather than individual pixels.
- VESA - This industry organization formed to create various personal computer standards, including those for Super VGA video displays and the VLB bus standard.
- VGA - Abbreviation of video graphics array, a graphics display system for PCs developed by IBM.
- Video Adapter - A board that plugs into a personal computer to give it display capabilities. The display capabilities of a computer, however, depend on both the logical circuitry (provided in the video adapter) and the display monitor. A monochrome monitor, for example, cannot display colors no matter how powerful the video adapter.
- Video Capture - Video capture is the transfer of video data from another device. This data can include screen shots and 'film' with sound.
- Viruses - A virus is a manmade program or piece of code that causes an unexpected, usually negative, event.
- Visual Basic - block-structured Language, 1991
- VLB - VESA Local Bus, This 32-bit, far speedier improvement over the IBM PC's 8-bit and 16-bit ISA bus architecture gained popularity with the advent of Intel's 80486 processor. However, VLB has been superceded recently with the introduction of the Pentium and Intel's superior PCI bus.
- Volatile Memory - All RAM except the CMOS RAM used for the BIOS is volatile. Mem. that loses its contents when the power is turned off. A computer's main mem., made up of dynamic RAM or static RAM chips, loses its content immediately upon loss of power. Contrast ROM, which is non-volatile mem.
- Von Neumann - Most computers use the stored-program concept designed by Hungarian mathematician John Von Neumann.
- VRAM - Video RAM. DRAM with an on-board serial register/serial access memory designed for video applications.
- VRML - Virtual Reality Modeling Language, 1994.
- VSAT - Very Small Aperture Terminal, an earthbound station used in satellite communications of data, voice and video signals, excluding broadcast television.
- Watts Volts Amps - Volts, Watts, AMPS, KVA, KW and Horse Power Conversions.
- WAN (Global Net) - Wide Area Network. Take two local area networks, hook them together, and you've got a WAN. Wide area networks can be made up of interconnected smaller networks spread throughout a building, a state, or the entire globe.
- Web Browser - Software that gives a user access to the World Wide Web. Web browsers provide a graphical interface that lets users click buttons, icons, and menu options to view and navigate Web pages. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are popular Web browsers.
- Web host - A Web host is in the business of providing server space.
- Web page - A document written in HTML that can be accessed on the Internet. Every Web page has a unique address called a URL. Web pages can contain text, graphics, and hyperlinks to other web pages and files.
- WebRing - The Webring provides the World Wide Web with a different way to organize web sites. The Webring is a way to group together sites with similar content (or any pages at all, if one so desires) by linking them together in a circle, or ring.
- WINS - stands for Windows Internet Name Service and provides name resolution from NetBIOS names to IP addresses for Windows PCs and UNIX boxes running Samba.
- Windows Keys - You can use the Windows® Logo keys to open the Start menu, instead of clicking the Start button at the lower-left corner of the desktop.
- Windows Errors - Common MS Windows Error Messages.
- Wireless - Getting your connection to the Internet, without the use of phone or cable lines.
- WHOIS - is a protocol used to find information about networks, domains and hosts.
- Workgroup - A collection of workstations and servers on a LAN that are designated to communicate and exchange data with one another.
- Workstation - A computer connected to a network at which users interact with software stored on the network.
- www - A system of Internet servers that support specially formatted documents. The documents are formatted in a script called HTML (HyperText Markup Language) that supports links to other documents, as well as graphics, audio, and video files.
- Webmaster - A webmaster is responsible for maintaining a web site, which includes updating page context, fixing errors, adding new pages, removing obsolete pages, and any other task that is necessary to keep a web site running.
- XGA - Short for extended graphics array, a high-resolution graphics standard introduced by IBM in 1990.
- xmodem - Xmodem is one of the most popular file-transfer protocols. Although Xmodem is a relatively simple protocol, it is fairly effective at detecting errors.
- XMS - Extended Memory Specification. XMS is ram above the 1Mb address boundary. Only 80286 (or greater) CPU's have the ability to address ram above the 1Mb boundary. The 80286 chip can access 16Mb of total address space, and the i386 chip can access 4 gigabytes of total address space.
- XMS - A widely used system for defining data formats.
- ymodem - An asynchronous communications protocol designed by Chuck Forsberg that extends Xmodem by increasing the transfer block size and by supporting batch file transfers. This enables you to specify a list of files and send them all at one time. With Xmodem, you can send only one file at a time.
- ZIP File - Zip File is a file, which ends with a .zip, which holds archived information for one or many files.
- zmodem - An asynchronous communications protocol that provides faster data transfer rates and better error detection than Xmodem. In particular, Zmodem supports larger block sizes and enables the transfer to resume where it left off following a communications failure.
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