"A Whole New World"
Huwebes, Oktubre 9, 2014
Software as an Educational Resource
How can a software
enhance the creativity and skills of a learner?
The software is the program or system
that tells what the computer machine should do. Without the software the
computer will not function. There are two kinds of software: the system
software and the application software. The system software is the operating
system that is found or bundled inside all computer machines while the
application software contains the system that commands the particular task or
solves a particular problem, it may be a custom software that is made for
specific task often by large corporation, or a commercial software packaged for
personal computers that helps with a variety of tasks such as writing papers
drawing graphs, playing games etc. The examples of commercial software are Microsoft
Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Publisher, calculator etc. These applications
are very helpful especially to the students when making outputs like projects,
handouts, instructional materials, research papers etc. These applications develops
the creativity and skills of a learner because before using these apps, the
students will first plan the draft of their output and when they use these they will become more creative
and skillful especially when deciding what font style, size, color or what
design they will going to use in doing their outputs.
There are also instructional
software that can be visited on the Internet or can be bought from software
shops or dealers which is very useful tool in teaching and learning process.
Instructional software is an effective tool in teaching because it is very
appropriate for the learners nowadays considering the fact that we are now in
technology generation and because of this the students are now said to be a
technology learners. Through the use of technology, the students develop their
digital skills as well. Through this educational software, the teacher can let
the students to manipulate the software themselves thus improving their problem
solving ability, creativity and skills of the learners. Instructional software can be use when making a drills, tutorials, simulations, games, problem solving etc. These makes the students become more active during the class session because it gives them a fun learning experience. In other words it makes learning like playing and because of these, the students are motivated to become creative and skillful because of the their experience in using the software.
Cooperative Learning
What can be done in case some members of a group do not show
positive interpersonal and communication skills? Can the teacher help in these
situation?
Cooperative or collaborative learning
is learning by a small group of students who work together in a common learning
task. In a cooperative learning, each member of the group must participate in
doing the activities given to their group; and they must help each other in
doing their task. But sometimes the group activity becomes not a collaborative
one because there are times that the
members did not actually work as a group because they divide the task and
distribute it among the members of the group and this situation are oftentimes
called specialization and these make them work individually. These cannot be
called as a collaborative learning since there is no interaction that takes
place because each of them are busy doing the task assigned to them.
The
very reason of cooperative learning is to enhance the personal and social
development among each members of the group. Through this learning approach,
the students will have an active learning while they are being motivated; their
academic performance will increase; and this approach also promotes their
literacy and language skills, that is why the group members must have a good
collaboration with each other to make a very good learning outcome.
Group work does not only resulted
to division of task but also in a group work there are instances that some
members of the group do not show positive interaction and communication skills
that hinders the essence of the cooperative learning. Because of these, the
teacher must assume the responsibility of managing the class. He/she must
encourage each and everyone to participate actively during the group activity
in order to develop their social skills. It is also very helpful that from time
to time, the teacher monitors each group to guide them while they do their
activity and to monitor who among them do not participate actively. To further reinforce the students to become
active in doing their task, the teacher may also set a standard or rubrics for
rating their group output at the same time, a rubrics for rating their
individual performances. Through these each will participate actively during
the cooperative learning.
Huwebes, Oktubre 2, 2014
Huwebes, Agosto 28, 2014
Martes, Agosto 12, 2014
Computer Jargons
·
What does this mean?
· No industry can beat the
IT sector when it comes to baffling customers with jargon. We'll try here to
cut through the nonsense and explain exactly what the terminology means. Some
of these terms are old and superseded however we've kept them just in case you
encounter them.
100-Base-T
|
The 100Mps standard for networks.
|
10-Base-2
|
The 10Mps standard using coaxial
cables. Now superseded.
|
10-Base-T
|
The 10Mps standard using RJ-45
connectors and cat 5 cable.
|
56K
|
A generic term for modems that can
receive data at 56,000 bps. The maximum dial up modems ever achieved for
connecting to the Internet
|
802.11
|
The standard for wireless
networks. It comes in a number of different varieties. 802.11b and g are the
most common in home and small office networks.
|
Adobe Acrobat is a program by
Adobe corporation that is used to transmit files in a non-editable format.
The viewer is free, but to make an Acrobat file requires you to buy the
software.
|
|
ACS
|
Australian Computer Society.
|
ADF
|
Automatic Document Feeder: A
device that sits on top of a scanner that feeds multipage documents to the
scanner.
|
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber
Loop: High speed data connection using the existing copper telephone lines.
Requires your telephone exchange to support it and be closer than 5000m.
|
|
Software that pushes advertising
onto your computer. When it's installed without your permission it makes up
part of what's known as malware. Often uses spyware to determine
what ads to put on your computer.
|
|
AGP
|
Accelerated Graphics Port: A slot
on the motherboard designed for high speed graphics cards. This is, and an
AGP graphics card, are standard on all current computers.
|
Aliasing
|
Jagged edges in a scanned or
enlarged image.
|
Appletalk
|
The networking language used on
older Apple networks.
|
Applications
|
Another term for computer
programs. Generally speaking, applications are the programs that you run on a
day to day basis.
|
ATX
|
The standard motherboard, power
supply and case layout for newer computers.
|
AVI
|
Audio Video Interleave: A standard
format for storing and sending video clips.
|
Bad Sector/Bad block
|
Damage on a drive that has been
detected by the computer and marked not to be used. If your computer shows
bad sectors then it is time to replace the hard drive or computer.
|
Beta software is test software that
has been released for testing before a final version is put together. Beta
software is useable but has unpredictable bugs and errors, the purpose of
releasing it is to dig out those errors. Businesses should never use beta
software.
|
|
BIOS
|
Basic Input and Output System: The basic software that controls the computer. The
screen that flashes up showing the computer’s details is the BIOS. When the
computer starts the BIOS runs then hands the system over to the operating
system.
|
Broadband
|
High speed Internet connection.
Generally all connections except for dial up and ISDN connections.
|
Brown out
|
A power sag.
|
Browser
|
Web browsers are the programs used
to access the Internet.
|
Data that may be reused is stored
in a cache to help speed things up. Web browsers have a cache to store
recently used images and pages while CPUs have a cache to speed up processing
and.
|
|
CAD
|
Computer Aided Design: Drawing
programs used by architects and engineers
|
An Internet plan where the monthly
fee is fixed, that is your charges are capped at a certain price. This
usually has conditions such as slowing your connection if you go over a given
limit (see shaping).
|
|
Cat 5
|
Category 5 Cable is used for
network cabling. It has a faster relative called Category 6. When installing
a network all cables should be at least cat 5. The square plug at the end of
a Cat 5 or 6 cable is an RJ45.
|
Cat 6
|
Category 6 Cable is a faster
cousin to cat 5. While slightly more expensive it is worthwhile specifying
cat 6 if you are having an electrician install network or telephone cable.
Cat 6 cable is compatible with Cat 5.
|
Client/Server
|
A network where some computers
have all the data, printers or other resources (servers) and the others
(clients) connect to the servers.
|
CGI
|
Common Gateway Interface: A
specification that allows web sites to communicate with programs. It requires
specific software to be set up on the web site.
|
CMOS
|
Complimentary Metal Oxide
Semi-conductor: The CMOS chip holds the configuration data for the computer.
It is kept alive by a battery on the motherboard.
|
CMYK
|
Four colour printing. To print
colours a printer mixes Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. K stands for black and is
created by mixing the other colours or having its own cartridge.
|
CNE
|
Certified Novell Engineer: Has
been certified to support certain Novell networking products.
|
Codec
|
Software that translates a video
or audio file so it will work on a computer.
|
Central Processing Unit: The heart
of the computer, this is the chip that runs the whole system. Sometimes the
entire computer is referred to as the CPU.
|
|
Cross-Over Cable
|
A UTP network patch cable that is
designed to connect two hubs, or two computers without a hub.
|
CRT
|
Cathode Ray Tube: The cheapest and
most common type of computer monitor. This is the same technology as used in
your television set.
|
CSV
|
Comma Separated Value: The most
basic way of saving spreadsheet or database contents. A CSV file is a text
file with the data fields separted by commas. This files can be read by
almost all spreadsheet and database programs.
|
Cursor
|
The pointer on the computer
screen.
|
Cybersquatter
|
Someone who buys a Internet domain
name similar to an established business or brand name with the intention of
selling it to the business owner.
|
Definition Files
|
Definition files are released by
anti-virus companies to update their programs so they can detect the latest
viruses.
|
Defragment
|
A process which reorganises data
stored on a hard drive. On hard drives which are almost full defragmenting
should be done often.
|
Delegate
|
Assigning a server to represent an
Internet domain name. Your domain yourbiz.com.au will is usually delegated to
yourinternetprovider.com.au. Requests to yourbiz.com.au will be sent to
youinternetprovider.com.au who will pass the information onto you.
|
DHTML
|
Dynamic HyperText Mark up
Language: An advanced version of HTML, used to design web pages.
|
Dial up Adaptor
|
The software that allows Windows
9x/ME computers to access the Internet.
|
Directory
|
A directory is created on a hard
drive to store files or programs. The same as you would put a folder in a
filing cabinet to store files. The term directory is used in Window 3.1 and
DOS. Macs and later Windows computers use the term folder.
|
DNS
|
Domain Name System: The system
that translates Internet Protocol numbers to names. For instance the IP
number 207.46.230.218 translates to microsoft.com.
|
A plastic frame that has all the
connections for mouse, keyboard, monitor and network. A laptop computer plugs
into the docking station, saving the user from plugging and unplugging all
the components each time they come into the office.
|
|
Domain (Network)
|
A group of computers on a network,
usually a network being run by Windows servers. Not to be confused with an
Internet domain.
|
Domain name
|
An Internet address. Microsoft’s
domain is microsoft.com, their Australian division is microsoft.com.au.
|
Domain Delegation
|
Having another company receive
e-mail addressed to your domain name or host your web site. Any mail
addressed to yourcompany.com is received by the delegated server and then you
receive it in whatever way you choose.
|
Someone who buys an Internet domain
in a common word or similar to an existing business or website who then puts
advertising on it. Like cybersquatters, they hope someone will buy the site
off them.
|
|
Dongle
|
A part that hangs of a computer.
It may be an adaptor for a modem or network card. Some software is supplied
with a dongle for each licenced copy, the software won’t run without the
dongle connected to the computer.
|
Dot Pitch
|
The distance between dots on a
cathode ray tube display. The lower the number, the better the display. Typical
Dot pitches are 0.26 mm
|
Download
|
Recieve data from another computer
or from the Internet
|
Drivers
|
Software that allows the operating
system to talk to the hardware.
|
DTP
|
DeskTop Publishing: Preparing
brochures, posters and pamphlets on your computer. Most wordprocessing
packages have basic DTP functions but to do anything sophisticated you need a
specialist program.
|
DVD
|
Digital Versatile Disk: A high
capacity version of the CD-ROM, DVD readers can also read normal CD’s.
|
ECP
|
Enhanced Capability Port: A high
speed printer port, most computers have this capability built in and some
scanners and printers require it to work properly.
|
EDO
|
Extended Data Out: A type of
memory chip that preceded SD-RAM, used in computers of 1996-98 vintage.
|
EPP
|
Enhanced Peripheral Port: A
printer port standard designed to improve communications with parallel port
devices such as external drives and scanners.
|
The standard networking system
used in most modern networks
|
|
EULA
|
End User Licence Agreement: When
you buy software you are actually buying a licence to use it. The terms of
that licence are buried in the EULA.
|
Extensions
|
Windows computers require three
letters after the full stop to tell them what program a file should be opened
with. This is called an extension.
|
FAQ
|
Frequently Asked Questions
|
FAT
|
File Allocation Table: The area of
a hard drive that keeps track of where data has been saved.
|
FAT32
|
A file system used in Windows 98
and ME. It cannot be read by older systems but is still sometimes used by Windows
XP and Vista
|
Fdisk
|
A Windows program that is used to
layout the sectors of a hard drive. This is done before formatting a drive.
|
File Formats
|
Different file formats are the
curse of the modern office. Every program has it’s own way of saving data to
disk. If you use Office 2000 that the other person is using Wordperfect 6 you
will have problems sharing documents.
|
Firewall
|
Firewalls are security programs
that decide what is allowed in and out of a computer and the Internet.
|
Firewire
|
A standard for connecting
peripherals, particularly video cameras and multimedia devices. Standard on
newer Apple computers and gradually becoming common on PC’s. Also known as
IEEE 1394 and I-link.
|
Folder
|
A folder is created on a hard
drive to store files or programs. The same as you would put a folder in a
filing cabinet to store files.
|
Font
|
The typeface of a document. The
two most common fonts on PC’s are Times New Roman and Arial.
|
Footer
|
In a document it is a feature such
as a date, title or word count automatically inserted at the bottom of the
document.
|
Form Factor
|
The size and shape of a computer.
|
Format (disk)
|
A program that marks a disk so
that data can be saved on it. Formatting a disk destroys any data already
saved on it.
|
Format (document)
|
The layout of a document or the
standard used to layout a document.
|
Freeware
|
Software that has been written for
free distribution. There is no charge for using it but the licence often is
only free for individual users. Business are expected to pay a usually modest
licence fee.
|
FTP
|
File Transfer Protocol: An
Internet service used for transferring large files. It is used for uploading
and downloading files from servers.
|
GIF
|
Graphics Interchange Format: A
graphics file format. Commonly used in web pages.
|
Grey Imports
|
Software and hardware that has
been imported outside the normal distribution channel. This is not illegal
but can cause warranty and support problems with the product.
|
GUI
|
Graphic User Interface: The screen
on a Windows or Mac computer where you can use a mouse of a keyboard to move
around.
|
Header
|
In a document it is a feature such
as a date, title or word count automatically inserted at the top of the
document. In an e-mail it is the technical information that is not normally
shown to the reader.
|
A way of shutting down your
computer so it restarts exactly the way you left it.. The contents of the
memory are saved into a file on the hard drive and copied back into memory
when the computer comes out of hibernation.
|
|
HPFS
|
High Performance File System: The
standard file system for the Apple Mac.
|
HTML
|
HyperText Mark up Language: The
computer language used to write web pages.
|
HTTP
|
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol: An
Internet service that
|
the World Wide Web uses.
|
|
Hub
|
All cables on a 10 or 100-base-T
network have to go home to a hub.
|
Hyperlink
|
A marker on a web page that lets
you move to another section or page in a web site. Also know as a link.
|
IDE
|
Integrated Drive Electronics: A
standard of connecting internal drives. This was the most common standard for
hard drives and CD-ROMS. It may also be known as ATA and is being phased out
for the SATA standard
|
IEEE 1394
|
A standard for connecting
peripherals, particularly video cameras and multimedia devices. Standard on
newer Apple computers and gradually becoming common on PC’s. Also known as
Firewire or I-link.
|
Initialise
|
The Mac term for formatting a
disk. Initialising a disk marks a disk so that data can be saved on it.
Initialising a disk destroys any data already saved on it.
|
Internet Protocol
|
The language computer use to talk
over the Internet. Also can be called TCP/IP.
|
IPX/SPX
|
The networking language used on
older Novell networks.
|
IRC
|
Internet Relay Chat: An Internet
service that allows users to communicate live as if they were chatting in a
room.
|
ISA
|
Industry Standard Architecture: An
older standard of PC motherboard slot.
|
ISDN
|
Integrated Services Digital
Network: A telephone service that allows high speed data connections over the
normal telephone line.
|
ISP
|
Internet Service Provider:
Provides access to the Internet for consumers and smaller businesses.
|
JPEG (or JPG)
|
Joint Photographics Experts Group:
A graphics file format. Commonly used in web pages.
|
Local Area Network: Computers in
the same office or complex connected to share data. Small businesses use
Ethernet as their network standard.
|
|
Laplink Cable
|
A cable that connects two
computers through their parallel ports.
|
LCD
|
Liquid Crystal Display: The
display type used on laptop computers and high-end monitors.
|
LCD
|
Liquid Crystal Diode: A type of
computer display. Used for laptop displays and high quality desktop computer
displays.
|
LDAP
|
Lightweight Directory Access
Protocol: A language used by e-mail programs to send and collect e-mail. It
can also be used for sharing information.
|
Link
|
A marker on a web page that lets
you move to another section or page in a web site. Properly known as a
hyperlink.
|
Linux
|
An operating system like Windows
or Mac OS. Unlike the commercial operating systems the basic Linux system is
developed by millions of volunteers to provide it for free. Some companies
that supply it make their money from support and extras.
|
LPT
|
Line Printer Port: Another term
for a printer port.
|
A general term for software that
intends to do no good to your computer. Includes adware, spyware, Trojan horses and viruses.
|
|
Mapped drive
|
A mapped drive or printer is a
resource on the network that the computer believes to be directly connected
to it. For instance, the machine server may have a folder called documents
that is shared on the network. Another machine may map that folder and will
then think it is a drive installed within the computer.
|
MCSE
|
Microsoft Certified System
Engineer: Has been certified by Microsoft to support the products stated on
the MSCE.
|
Meta Tags
|
Text that is embedded in web pages
but not normally visible to a browser. These are designed to tell search
engines what is relevant on the site.
|
Motherboard
|
The motherboard is the base
computer circuit that everything else inside the computer plugs into.
|
MTBF
|
Mean Time Between Failure: A
statistical measure of how long a part can be expected to last before
failing. Each manufacturer has their own measure so MTBF should be treated
with a grain of salt.
|
Nag Screen
|
A message that constantly pops up
asking you to do something like register or upgrade your software.
|
Software that constantly asks you
to register or buy the paid for version.
|
|
Naked DSL
|
An ADSL service
that isn't connected to the telephone network. If you plug a phone into the
line, you won't get a dial tone. A much more reliable way of getting onto the
net.
|
NAT
|
Network Address Translation:
|
Netbios
|
The networking language used on
Microsoft Networks
|
Netbook
|
A small, cheap portable computer
designed primarily for websurfing.
|
Netware
|
The networking operating system
from Novell.
|
Newbie
|
Somebody who is new to computers
or the Internet and is just getting the hang of things. Commonly used in news
groups and chat rooms. Also known as a n00b.
|
Newsgroup
|
The message board system of the
Internet. Also known as Usenet.
|
Network Interface Card. The device
that connects a computer to a network. Ethernet cards are
standard on most systems and wireless NICs are built into most laptops.
|
|
NOS
|
Network Operating System: The
program which runs a computer network.
|
NSFW
|
Not Safe For Work. A file or link
to a webpage that might get you in trouble if you open it at work.
|
NTFS
|
New Technology File System: A file
format system. This was introduced by Microsoft for hard drives in Windows NT
systems. It's the main format for Windows XP and Vista systems.
|
OCR
|
Optical Character Recognition:
Allows your computer to translate scanned documents into a word processing
program.
|
OEM
|
Original Equipment Manufacturer: A
computer store or consultant that builds systems. Many hardware and software
companies supply discount versions of their products to OEMs on the basis
that these people now how to install them and will include them in their
products.
|
Open source software are computer
programs where the code is available for public use. Anyone can change it on
the conditionall of their changes are also available to the public.
|
|
Parallel Port
|
The older printer port on IBM
compatible computers, also known as the LPT or printer port. Devices like Zip
drives could also be connected to parallel ports. Parallel ports have been
largely superceded by USB and are dying out.
|
Partition
|
A hard drive needs to have
partitions defining where the data is stored before it can be formatted.
Normally a drive has just one partition, but the drive can be divided up into
a number of partitions. These will appear as different hard drives to the
computer.
|
PATA
|
Parallel ATA, also known as IDE.
An older standard for hard drives.
|
Patch Cable
|
A short length of network cable
that connects a computer or hub to a wall connection or patch panel.
|
Patch Panel
|
A panel where all the network
cables in an office run to. From the patch panel the cables connect to the
hub, telephone system, router or any other computer or communication
equipment.
|
Credit card sized devices that
slide into the side of laptop computers. Usually these are modems or network
cards but just about any computer accessory can be found in PC card format
|
|
PC Exchange
|
A program that allows Mac OS9 and
earlier systems to read PC formatted removable disks. Not necessary on OSX.
|
PCI
|
Peripheral Component Interconnect: Standard motherboard slot for installing expansion
cards. Used on PC’s and Macs.
|
PCIe
|
PCI Express: The successor to PCI
that allows faster data transfer within the computer.
|
PCMCIA
|
|
Personal Digital Assistant: A
handheld computer that is used for keeping contacts and diaries. Common
examples include Palm Pilots and Windows CE devices.
|
|
PDF
|
|
Peer to peer
|
A network that is set up where all
computers are equal and share each others files and printers.
|
PIM
|
Personal Information Manager:
Software for keeping appointments, contacts and expenses. The electronic
equivalent of a paper based personal organiser. Some PIMs have built in
e-mail support.
|
Ping
|
A little program that tests an
Internet connection. It sends a “ping” down the Internet to another machine
that answers with another “ping”. If you can’t get a reply then there is a
problem with your connection.
|
Plain Text
|
A way of formatting documents that
uses text only, there are no special fonts, tables, colours or anything else.
Just the basic text.
|
Plug and Play
|
A standard that allows computers
to automatically recognise components installed on a computer.
|
Plug-in
|
A sub-program that gives another
program the ability to do something. To read an acrobat pdf file in a web
browser, you will need the Acrobat plug-in.
|
POP (e-mail)
|
Post Office Protocol: A language
used by e-mail programs to collect e-mail.
|
POP (Internet)
|
Point of Presence: The dial in
points offered by an Internet Service Provider. An Internet user in Cairns
will choose an ISP with a POP in Cairns rather than one in Hobart.
|
Ports (hardware)
|
Sockets you plug equipment into.
You might plug a network cable (see RJ45) into a network port.
|
Ports (Internet)
|
The doorways into a computer from
the Internet. Different types of traffic uses different ports. For instance
web sites usually use ports 80, 8080 and 3128.
|
Port forwarding
|
Tells a router where certain types
of Internet traffic should be sent to.
|
Port Replicator
|
|
POST
|
Post On Self-Test: A test run by a
computer when it is turned on. On completing the POST, PC’s sound one or two
beeps, Macs show a happy Mac symbol.
|
POTS
|
Plain Old Telephone Service: The
standard dial up telephone service.
|
Power Sag
|
When the incoming voltage drops
too low. This causes a computer to reboot. Also known as a brown-out.
|
Power Spike
|
The same as a power surge
|
Power supply
|
When the power goes into the computer
it needs to be reduced and sent to the right places at the right voltages.
This is the job of the power supply.
|
Power Surge
|
When the voltage of the incoming
mains power momentarily goes to a level that damages electrical equipment.
|
Protocol
|
A language used between computers
trying to communicate.
|
Profile
|
A unique set of data and settings
saved for each user that uses a computer or network.
|
Proxy server
|
A computer that connects a network
to the Internet. The other computers on the network think the proxy server is
the Internet. It is a proxy for the Internet.
|
RAID
|
Redundant Array of Inexpensive
Drives: A group of cheap hard drives strung together to either improve
reliability, speed or back up data.
|
RAM
|
Random Access Memory: Is where all
the programs and data your computer has in use are stored. When you are
finished with them the information goes back to the hard drive. The more RAM
you can put in a computer or printer the better.
|
RAS
|
Remote Access Services: Allows
your computer to talk to other computers outside the office. Outgoing RAS
includes accessing the Internet. Incoming RAS allows you and your staff to
log into the office from home or on the road.
|
Readme
|
Most software comes with a readme
file. This contains information on late-breaking problems and features.
|
Registry
|
The files that keep Windows
settings. The registry is essential to running Windows and should never be
played with.
|
Removable Disks
|
Disks like floppy disks, zip
drives and CD-ROMs that can be removed. Hard drives cannot be removed.
|
Reseller
|
The people who sold you the
software or equipment
|
A type of connector for cat 5 and
6 network cables. An RJ 45 plug is square with a plastic tab on one end. It
looks like a big telephone connector.
|
|
Road Warrior
|
A business user who is constantly
working out of the office. Usually has a laptop and wireless Internet
connection to do their work.
|
ROM
|
Read Only Memory: In a computer or
video game the ROM is the basic program that allows the machine or component
to start.
|
Root Directory
|
The base directory for a drive. On
a PC, the c:\ prompt is the root directory.
|
Rootkit
|
A particularly vicious type of
malware. It hides deep in the computer's operating system and can be
extremely difficult to remove.
|
Router
|
A device that directs data on a
computer network to different parts of the network or off onto the Internet.
|
RTF
|
Rich Text Format: A way of
formatting documents that uses basic common elements of word processors. You
can use fonts, put them in bold or italic and use tabs, but you cannot use
advanced features.
|
RTFM
|
Read That Fine Manual: What the
technician is thinking as he explains something very obvious to a user.
|
SAS
|
See SCSI
|
Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment. The newer standard for home and small business hard drives. It
replaces the older IDE/PATA standard drives.
|
|
SCSI
|
Small Computer Components
Interface: Used for connecting devices that need to transfer data at high
speed. Typical devices include hard drives, CD writers, backup tapes and
scanners. Not common on PCs.
|
Secure Sockets Layer
|
SSL creates a secure connection
between a client and a server. It protects usernames and passwords over the
Internet. This essential when using banking websites, Internet cafes and
wireless networks.
|
Serial Port
|
The older technology for
connecting data devices. Largely superceded by USB.
|
Server
|
A computer that shares resources
on a network. A file server shares files, a print server shares printers.
|
Service Level Agreement
|
Where a supplier guarantees a
certain level of service. Most commonly used in corporate sector IT and by
business grade Internet Providers. An example is an ISP giving a 99.99% SLA
which means the Internet will only be down one in ten thousand times.
|
The practice of slowing an
Internet connection down when the customer exceeds their monthly data limit.
|
|
Signature
|
A file or text that attaches to
the bottom of an e-mail. Usually contains contact details, a blurb about the
business and possibly a disclaimer.
|
SLA
|
See Service Level Agreement.
|
SMTP
|
Simple Mail Transport Protocol: A
language used by e-mail programs to send e-mail.
|
Spam
|
|
A computer that has been hacked
and taken control by a program that sends spam. As of early 2008, the vast
majority of spam sent comes from spam bot infected systems.
|
|
Programs that connect to the
Internet and report usage details back to the vendor.
|
|
Service Set IDentifier.
SSID is the name of a wireless network. For instance a Netgear wireless
router will come an SSID of netgear.
This can be changed by the owner.
|
|
Streaming Media (Internet)
|
Audio and video programs that are
fed to users across the Internet.
|
Streaming Media (storage)
|
Tape drives are what are known as
streaming media. The data is saved on a stream of tape.
|
Suspend to disk
|
|
Swap file
|
The same as Virtual memory. The
computer uses the swap file for information it cannot keep in it’s memory.
|
Switch
|
A sophisticated type of hub, it
reads and directs the network traffic.
|
TCO
|
Total Cost of Ownership: The total
cost of owning a computer, including equipment, training, support, upgrades
and consumables.
|
TCP/IP
|
Transport Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol: The networking language that the Internet uses.
|
TFT
|
Thin Film Transistor: A method of
manufacturing active LCD displays. This gives a good quality picture.
|
Tiff
|
Tagged Image File Format: An image
format standard developed for data exchange, often used in faxing and
scanning.
|
Toner
|
The fine powder used in laser
printers and photo-copiers.
|
Software that has a free use
period. The idea is you use it to see if you like it and after a certain
period you're asked to pay for it. As of 2008 many computer manufacturers are
bundling too much trialware with new computers which affects their
performance.
|
|
A malicious program that gets onto
your system by pretending to be, or attaching itself to, an innocent program.
|
|
UAC
|
User Access Control. This is the way Windows Vista tries to protect itself
from unwanted files. Before you can install programs or make important changes,
Vista asks you to log on as an administrator. It’s a pain, but it’s
important.
|
UNIX
|
Operating systems that are
available for PCs, generally used for servers and specialist workstations.
Linux is a free UNIX, most types of UNIX systems are commercial programs.
|
Uploads
|
Send data from your computer to
another computer or to the Internet.
|
Universal Plug and Play. Allows
games, other computer programs and equipment to tell the network what it
needs to operate.
|
|
UPS
|
Uninterruptable Power Supply: Is a
large battery which gives a computer user time to save their work and shut
down when a blackout happens.
|
URL
|
Universal Resource Locater: Simply
put, an Internet address. The address www.pcrescue.com.au is a web page URL.
|
USB
|
Universal Serial Bus: A standard
for connecting external devices such as keyboards, monitors, scanners,
cameras and modems to a computer.
|
Usenet
|
The Internet message board system.
It was one of the earliest services available on the net and is still used
today for general discussion and sharing of information.
|
UTP
|
UnTwisted Pair: Another term for
cat 5 cable.
|
Vaporware
|
Software or a project that is
announced by a vendor where they have no intention of actually ever release
it. Usually done for marketing purposes to distract from a competitor's
better product.
|
Vendor
|
The supplier of the software or
hardware, if you buy Microsoft Office, the vendor is Microsoft.
|
A computer program that attempts
to install itself on other computers.
|
|
When a computer doesn’t have
enough RAM to run a program or open a document it uses virtual memory.
Virtual memory is a file on the hard drive which the computer swaps less
important things out of the memory into then swaps them back when they are
needed. Virtual memory is also called a swap file.
|
|
Virtual Private Network: A
network that uses the Internet to share data between computers not on the
same local network. The VPN encrypts the data so it is difficult for hackers
to monitor the traffic.
|
|
WAN
|
Wide Area Network: A network of
computers that are not in the same office or complex. A building company may
use a WAN to connect it’s site offices with head office. A WAN can use leased
lines, dial up connections or a VPN.
|
Warez
|
Web sites that have illegal copies
of software, authentication codes or passwords. Legitimate businesses should
have no reason to be frequenting these sites.
|
WEP
|
Wireless Encryption Protocol. The older security method for protecting wireless
networks, superceded by WPA. Generally not recommended although some
equipment requires it.
|
Wi-Fi
|
The industry term for wireless
networking, also known as 802.11 networks.
|
Workgroup
|
A group of computers on a network.
|
WPA
|
Wi-Fi Protected Access. The currently preferred method for securing wireless
networks from unwanted hitch-hikers.
|
Write Protect
|
Protecting a drive or disk from
being overwritten. Some types of disks have a physical switch, others have a
software setting.
|
XML
|
eXtensible Mark up Language: A web
design language similar to HTML but with built in programming features.
|
YMMV
|
Your Mileage may vary: Your
situation may be different to the author’s.
|
Zip file
|
A file that has been compressed to
fit on a disk or make it quicker to transmit over the web.
|
Zip disk
|
A proprietary brand of removable
disk. Now superceded.
|
Zero day exploit
|
A security problem in a program
where the bad guys have discovered it before the programmer or the computing
community.
|
What did he say???
Computer jargon explained.
Computer jargon explained.
It says...
|
It means...
|
404 error
|
An error message received when you
try to access a web page that either doesn't exist or is unavailable at the
address you gave.
|
80211a, 80211b, 80211g, 80211i,
80211n
|
Different standards for operating
wireless networks (Wi-Fi). Loosely the higher the letter, the faster
the speed.
|
80286, 80386, 80486 (or 286, 386,
486)
|
Three generations of PC processor,
now pretty much obsolete, the ancestors of Intel's Pentium. The
286 was the earliest processor able to run (just about) a version of Windows,
although the 386 was really the minimum to run it properly. The 486 was the
earliest processor able to run Windows 95 - just about.
Machines of this vintage cannot run modern versions of Windows at all, but
many are still in use as basic word-processors or where a dedicated machine
is required which doesn't need to be powerful.
|
ActiveX
|
A Windows technology which allows
programmers to do various things on your computer. The early versions had
security issues which hackers could exploit.
|
ADSL
|
(Asymmetric Digital Subscriber
Line) A method of connecting a
computer to the internet over a standard voice phone line usingethernet office
networking technology. Most broadband connections work this
way. Asymmetric because it is faster from internet to PC than the other way.
|
Adware
|
Software which displays
advertisements on your computer. Sometimes installed as part of a
"free" application, sometimes by stealth. See alsoMalware, Spyware.
|
AFAICS, AFAIK, AFAIR
|
(As Far As I Can See/Know/Recall) Internet slang.
|
AGP
|
(Advanced Graphics Port) A special slot on the PC motherboardfor
graphics cards, and the format of the cards themselves. Standard on new PCs
from 1998. "AGP x 2" runs at twice the speed of the original AGP,
AGP x 4 at four times the speed etc. Now being replaced by PCI
Express.
|
AI
|
(Artificial Intelligence) A program designed to respond
"intelligently" to various situations, for example the computer
opponent(s) in a game.
|
AIUI
|
(As I Understand It) Internet slang.
|
always-on
|
An internet connection which
remains on 24/7 such as ADSL orcable, rather than
only connecting on demand like a dialup.
|
Android
|
A popular operating system
for smartphones and tablets, owned by Google.
|
antispam
|
An antispam program is used to
filter out email spam.
|
antivirus
|
Software which protects computers
from viruses and suchlike. Has to be updated frequently to keep up with the latest
threats, so is usually sold with a subscription which enables you to download
updates from the internet.
|
AOL
|
(America On Line) An Internet Service Provider, or ISP.
AOL were in business as a large commercial bulletin board before
the internet really took off. Now they are an ISP specialising
in family-friendly internet access.
|
Apple
|
The Apple Corporation makes the
only successful mass-market personal computer which doesn't use Microsoft
Windows, the Mac, and the phenomenally successful iPhone (smartphone), iPod (music
player) and iPad (tablet).
|
App
|
(APPlication) Any software used to carry out a particular task, such as
office programs or games, particularly on smartphones. Usually downloaded to
the device from an online store. Essentially another word for program.
|
Applet
|
A small program used to carry out
a particular task, often on a web page.
|
Architecture
|
The basic design of a computer's
hardware. Computers with different architecture, such as the PC and the Mac,
cannot run each others' programs.
|
ASCII
|
(American Standard Code for
Information Interchange) An
early and very basic format for text files, standard across pretty much all
computers and mail systems. It only includes upper and lower case letters,
numbers, and standard punctuation marks, but more sophisticated text formats
still tend to be based on it. An ASCII file is a basic text-only file
generated by a program like Notepad.
|
ATAPI
|
(ATtAchment Packet Interface) An upgrade to EIDE which allows the
hard disk controller to control CD drives as well. Almost all CD and DVD
drives are controlled this way.
|
ATB
|
(All The Best) Internet slang.
|
ATM
|
(At The Moment) Internet slang.
|
Attachment
|
A file sent by email is
"attached" to the email. An attachment can be a picture, a
document, a program or any other type of file. You should never open an
attachment if you are not sure what it is, because someviruses propagate
as email attachments; but they can't infect your machine if you don't open
the attachment.
|
AUP
|
(Acceptable Use Policy) A document setting out what an Internet Service
Provider deems an acceptable use of their services, usually published on
their website. Typically it will forbid the publication of obscene or
defamatory material, and sending email or newsgroupspam. If you violate
your ISP's AUP, they will usually close your account down immediately.
|
autocorrect
|
A feature in many programs which
automatically corrects your spelling, and even your grammar, as you type.
Better switched off if you use obscure technical terms, or prefer your own
interpretation of the rules of grammar, or else you are likely to find that
it's "corrected" your text to something you didn't intend.
|
Avatar
|
A picture or figure representing a
person in an online environment.
|
Backup, back up
|
A backup is an extra copy of your
work, eg documents, pictures etc, saved onto a removable storage medium such
as CD, DVD or magnetic tape, so that if your computer is stolen or breaks
down you don't lose everything. Backup is a noun, back up is a verb.
|
Backwards-compatible
|
A program (or system) designed to
work with data generated by earlier versions of itself, even though the
format may since have changed completely.
|
bandwidth
|
A measure of total amount of data
transferred over a period of time, often used to measure how busy a website
is. A webhost will usually base its charges on the bandwidth
a website uses, ie how much data per month is requested from it.
|
beat-'em-up
|
A computer game in which you
control one or more characters fighting onscreen using karate, kung-fu and so
forth. Derives from shoot-'em-up.
|
biometric
|
A system that examines biological
things like fingerprints or retinas, usually for security purposes.
|
BIOS
|
(Basic Input/Output System; pr. "by-oss") A program built into every PC
for setting up very basic things, like how many hard and floppy disks you
have and what type they are; the first thing that loads when you start your
PC. You usually only need to access the BIOS if you are upgrading your
hardware, eg adding more RAM or an extra disk drive,
or setting a power-on password. BIOS settings are stored in a special type of
memory called CMOS.
|
Bit
|
The smallest unit of information
in a computer, can either equal 0 or 1. Eight bits equal one byte.
|
Bitmap
|
See bmp.
|
blog
|
(weBLOG) A website documenting someone's life and/or
thoughts.
|
Bluetooth
|
A short range wireless data
communication system for smartphones and other computing devices. However
Bluetooth devices from different manufacturers wouldn't always communicate
with each other reliably, so it hasn't really taken off as the industry had
hoped, and it is now under threat from faster wireless technologies
(see Wi-Fi).
|
bmp
|
(BitMaP) A standard type of graphics file. An uncompressed
format, so the files tend to be fairly big.
|
Boot, boot up
|
Usually used to mean "start
up the computer". Literally, the process of loading up the operating
system and getting the computer ready for use. See Reboot. A
"boot password" is a password you have to give to start up the
computer.
|
Boot disk
|
A CD pr DVD which holds a copy of
the operating system, or enough of it to start the computer, useful if the
computer won't start up properly from the hard disk.
|
Bot
|
(roBOT) An automated program, usually performing a function
on the internet such as indexing webpages or sorting email.
|
bps
|
(Bits Per Second) A measure of how quickly information is being
transferred, usually via a modem or network. Divide by ten to get an
approximation of the number of characters per second (cps). See alsoKbps, Mbps.
|
BRB
|
(Be Right Back) Internet slang.
|
Broadband
|
Internet access over a connection
much faster than an ordinary modem, such as ADSL or cable.
|
Browser
|
A program used for viewing World
Wide Web pages on the Internet. Usually available free for download. Popular
browsers include Internet Explorer (IE), which is built in to Windows,
Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. The most popular browser on Apple devices
is Safari.
|
BTW
|
(By The Way) Internet slang.
|
Buffer
|
A temporary storage area for data,
often used to "smooth out" incoming audio or video streams. Several
seconds worth of material is stored in the buffer and it is then played back
from there, so that if there is a brief interruption in the stream your music
or video doesn't stop.
|
Bug
|
Error, especially in a program, that
has been missed in testing. The story goes that the original bug was an
insect that got itself cremated inside an electrical circuit in an early
computer, causing it to fail (and I don't suppose the insect enjoyed it much,
either). It took them ages to figure out what was causing the problem,
and when they eventually found the bug the story passed into legend.
|
Bulletin Board
|
A semi-public area which computer
users can connect to using a modem, to read and post messages and/or exchange
files. Now largely replaced by websites.
|
Burn
|
Create a CD or DVD.
|
Byte
|
A basic unit of measurement for
pieces of information; the space required to store one character. See
also Bit, Kilobyte, Megabyte,Gigabyte, Terabyte.
|
Cable
|
1) Any insulated wiring used to
connect computer equipment together. 2) An always-on high speed internet
connection similar to ADSL but using cable TV technology
instead of a phoneline.
|
Cache
|
A temporary storage area for
frequently or recently used data, either in memory, on your hard disk or the
internet. For example, if you go back to a webpage you have recently visited,
your PC will usually be able to display it from the internet cache on your
hard disk, so it won't need to download it from the internet again.
|
CAD
|
(Computer Aided Design) Software used to produce complex
technical drawings by designers and engineers.
|
CCD
|
(Charge Coupled Device) The component of a scanner or
digital camera which actually takes the pictures. The quality of image it is
capable of is usually measured in Megapixels - the higher
the number, the more detailed the image.
|
CD Burner
|
A CD drive that can create
("burn") CDs.
|
CD-ROM, CD-R
|
(Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) A misnomer, as strictly speaking it is not memory
but storage. Identical to standard music CDs. A popular medium for releasing
programs. Now being replaced by DVD, which has a much higher
capacity.
|
CD-RW
|
(Compact Disk-ReWriter) A CD drive which can create CDs, either audio or
data, using special rewriteable CDs which are also often called CD-RWs. A
CD-RW drive can also create ordinary CDs, though not rewrite them.
|
Character
|
A letter of the alphabet, number,
space or punctuation mark is a character.
|
Chatroom
|
A website where you can meet and
chat live (via the keyboard) with other internet users. Most such websites
have multiple "rooms", each dedicated to a particular topic or
theme.
|
Chip
|
A silicon wafer with millions of
tiny circuits engraved on it - what computers are made of..
|
Chrome
|
A popular internet browser,
free from the Google Corporation.
|
Clipboard
|
A temporary storage area in
Windows. When you cut (Ctrl-X) or copy (Ctrl-C) highlighted text, documents
or whatever in Windows they are sent to the clipboard; when you paste
(Ctrl-V) they are copied from the clipboard to the cursor position. Sending
something to the clipboard automatically overwrites its previous contents.
|
Cloud, the
|
Remote storage via the internet,
or sometimes just the internet in general. Called "the cloud"
because you don't know where your data is physically located, it's just out
there somewhere.
|
Cluster
|
Data stored on a disk is spread
across a number of clusters, small physical areas on the disk. How big they
are depends on the way the disk is formatted.
|
CMOS
|
(Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor; pr. "see-moss") A special
type of memory which retains its data when the PC is switched off, used to
store settings for things like what type of hard disk you have, and how much
memory. The settings are accessed via theBIOS.
|
CMYK
|
(Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Keystone
black ) The standard four colours
used by most printers - almost any colour can be created out of these. See
also RGB.
|
codec
|
(COmpressor/DECompressor) A small piece of computer code that tells the
computer how to decode particular types of information, usually video files.
If your video player won't play a particular format, you can usually download
and install a codec which will tell it how from the internet.
|
Compatible
|
Compatible pieces of equipment can
work together; incompatible ones can't.
|
Compression
|
A way of making files smaller,
either to fit into restricted storage space or to speed up transmission over
the Internet. Popular compression standards include JPEG and GIF for
pictures, MP3 for music files,MPEG, MP4, AVI and MOV for
movie footage, and zip for just about everything else.
|
Console
|
Nowadays usually refers to a
dedicated gaming computer such as the Playstation or X-Box. Originally meant
a terminal connected to a mainframe computer.
|
Cookie
|
A small data file stored on your
computer by a website, in theory to allow it to "remember" your
preferences, but in practise mostly used to track which adverts you have
seen. You can set most browsers to reject all cookies, or to ask your
permission before storing them, but this can generate multiple error messages
on some websites and is generally more hassle than it's worth - they are
pretty harmless.
|
cps
|
(Characters Per Second) A measure of how quickly information, particularly
text, is being transferred over a modem link or network. See also bps.
|
CPU
|
(Central Processing Unit) The nerve centre of the computer : everything flows
through it. Often just called "the processor". The best known PC
processors are Intel's Pentium and AMD's Athlon.
|
Crack, cracked
|
A crack is a small program
intended to defeat software's copy protection, thus allowing unlicensed
copies to be made - stealing it, in effect. Software that is distributed with
its copy protection disabled or bypassed has been "cracked".
|
Crash
|
When a computer program or
operating system stops working completely or almost completely it (or the
computer) is said to have "crashed". When a computer crashes it
usually needs to be rebootedbefore it can be used again. See
also lockup.
|
Crawler
|
A program that indexes pages on
the World Wide Web for search engines.
|
CRT
|
(Cathode Ray Tube) The imaging technology used in older desktop
monitors. Provides an excellent colour display, but is extremely bulky and is
widely being replaced by flatscreens.
|
CSS
|
(Cascading Style Sheets) A set of HTML commands used to control
the style of web pages, much more complex than the <FONT> tag-set it is
intended to replace, but also more powerful and particularly useful for
retaining a uniform style across a large website. Generally only used by
professional web designers.
|
Cyberspace
|
Loosely speaking, the internet,
and virtual places thereon. Cyber is used as a prefix meaning related to
computers or the internet.
|
Cybersquatter
|
Someone who buys up internet
domain names in order to sell them on at a profit.
|
Data
|
Any information created by a user,
such as documents, pictures or sound recordings.
|
Database
|
A program used
for organising any kind of information on a computer into a searchable form,
anything from a list of contacts to a complex stock control and accounts
system.
|
DDR
|
(Double Data Rate) A fast type of RAM for a PC. DDR2
is a yet faster version.
|
Default
|
A default setting is one you
haven't changed - what a program will do (or use) if you don’t tell it any
different. "Accept the defaults" means leave any settings as they
are.
|
Desktop
|
A computer designed to sit on a
desk (as opposed to a laptop). InWindows, it also means the screen you
see when you aren't running any programs, with "My Computer", the
Recycle Bin and so on.
|
Dialup
|
An early kind of internet
connection, using a phone line and a modem. Much slower than
broadband, it has to make a phone call to the server and establish a
connection before you can use it.
|
Digital
|
Literally "to do with
numbers". Often used to describe a device using computer technology to replace
older, traditional technologies. For example, a digital camera is one that
stores images electronically rather than on chemical film.
|
DIMM
|
(Dual In-line Memory Module; pr. "dim") A module of RAM(memory)
for a PC, replacing the older SIMM specification.
|
Directory
|
An area on a disk for storing
files, particularly in DOS. Usually called a folder in
Windows.
|
Disk
|
Generic term for a type of storage
device, such as a hard disk or afloppy disk (diskette).
So called because the important part, where the information is actually
stored, is circular, although you can't see it because it is hidden away
inside a protective shell.
|
Diskette
|
Also known as a floppy disk. Now
obsollete. Called a diskette because it was smaller than the original huge
floppy disks.
|
DNS
|
(Domain Name Service/System) An internet service that converts a human web
address such as www.jonstorm.com into the numeric address that computers use,
called the IP address. "Can't resolve DNS" usually
means that this conversion has failed and therefore the website can't be
found.
|
Domain
|
An internet address owned by a
company, organisation or individual, such as jonstorm.com, nasa.gov or
bbc.co.uk. See also TLD, How
web addresses work.
|
Dongle
|
A small hardware device used for
copy protection with some software. The dongle must be plugged in to a port
on the computer, often the printer port, or the software won't function. They
are unpopular with users because if the dongle gets lost or broken, the
software won't function.
|
DOS
|
(Disk Operating System; pr. "doss") Usually refers to MS-DOS, which
was the standard operating system for PCs until Windows 95came
out, now pretty much obsolete. Controlled by typing in text commands and has
several serious limitations, but requires a much less powerful computer than
Windows 95.
|
DoS
|
(Denial of Service) A form of attack on (usually) an internet service,
which aims to prevent the service from operating properly, often by
bombarding it with more information than it can process. See alsoMailbomb.
|
Download
|
To transfer information (files)
from a network (such as the Internet) onto a user's PC. See also upload.
|
dpi
|
(Dots Per Inch) A measure of picture quality, often used to measure
printer capabilities. The higher the number, the better the
quality.
|
Dreamweaver
|
A superb graphical editor for
websites, widely used by professional web designers.
|
Driver
|
A small program used by the
operating system to control hardware such as a sound or video card. Often downloading
the latest driver for a device from the manufacturer's website will improve
its functionality.
|
DRM
|
(Digital Rights Management) Software intended to prevent the unauthorised
duplication of copyrighted audio, video or software. Unpopular with users
because if there is ever a problem with it, such as the rights management
company folding, your legally-purchased content becomes unplayable. Following
a lot of problems of this kind it has largely been abandoned by the music
industry.
|
Dual core, dual-core
|
PC processors which
have two complete processors on the same chip, allowing computers to handle
multiple tasks faster. See alsoquad-core.
|
Dual layer
|
A technology allowing two layers
of data to be written to a DVD instead of the usual one, thus increasing its
capacity.
|
DVD
|
(Digital Versatile Disk) A more advanced version of the standard CD which can
hold far more information, now standard on most PCs. Widely used for
high-quality digital movies and software. DVD drives can also read ordinary
CDs.
|
DVD RW, DVD Writer
|
(Digital Versatile Disk ReWriter) A DVD drive that can create
("write") rewriteable DVDs. There are several competing formats at
the moment, but most recent drives support more than one format. It is likely
that one of these formats will become standard in time, but at the moment it
is not clear which. To add to the confusion, they tend to have very similar
names : for example DVD+RW and DVD-RW are completely different formats, and
incompatible with each other.
|
DVI
|
(Direct Video Interface) A special type of connector for computer monitors,
particularly flat panels.
|
It says...
|
It means...
|
E-commerce
|
Conducting business over the
internet, and particularly the World Wide Web.
|
EIDE
|
(Enhanced Integrated Drive
Electronics) A popular hard diskformat. As its name implies, an
upgraded version of IDE.
|
EISA
|
(Extended Industry Standard
Architecture; pr. "ee-icer") An upgraded version of ISA, now
obsolete; usually used with reference to expansion cards.
|
Email (or e-mail)
|
(Electronic mail ; pr. "ee-mail")
A way to send messages between computers, or more to the point their users,
either over a network or the Internet. E-mail is usually just text, but can
have pictures or other files attached. See Attachment.
|
Emoticon
|
(EMOTion ICON) A group of symbols
used to indicate emotions inemail or newsgroups. The most popular
is the smiley :-) or :) (look at it sideways), but there are lots
of variations including the sad face :-( , the wink ;-) , and the
astonished face :-0 .
|
Encrypt, encryption
|
Coding data so that it can't be
read by hackers etc when transmitted over the internet. For
example, any reputable website selling goods by credit card will encrypt your
credit card number and personal details.
|
Ethernet
|
The system used to connect
computers to a network or the internet with a physical cable,
including most broadband internet connections. Usually much faster
than a wireless connection.
|
Excel
|
The most
popular spreadsheet program for PCs, part of the Microsoft Office
suite.
|
exe (or .exe)
|
(EXEcutable; pr. "exie",
"dot exie" ) A file which is usually the main part of a
program. A program may consist of just an exe file and nothing else, or there
may be dozens of files, including more exes.
|
Expansion card (or board)
|
A circuitboard which can be
plugged in to an expansion slot on the PC's motherboard, to give the PC
extra capabilities. A lot of the features originally provided by expansion
cards, like sound, graphics and network connections, are now built in.
|
Extension
|
The part of a PC filename after the
dot (.), often used to tell Windows what type of file it is. For example,
files ending in .exe are programs, and files ending .jpg or .gif are
pictures. Note that Windows is often set up not to display the extension in
Windows Explorer or My Computer, another helpful idea to confuse beginners
from our friends at Microsoft.
|
FAQ
|
(Frequently Asked Questions). A
document on a website or in a newsgroup which gives answers to common
problems and questions. Look for an FAQ if you have a problem with something,
before you email or phone support.
|
FAT
|
(File Allocation Table; pr.
"fat") A sort of index of where data is stored on a hard disk, used
by the operating system.
|
FDD
|
(Fixed Disk Drive, Floppy Disk
Drive). The slot on the PC which accepts floppy disks, almost always
referred to as "Drive A:" by the computer. Now obsolete.
|
FFS
|
(For F***'s Sake) Internet
slang, not suitable for polite company.
|
File
|
All information on a computer is
stored in files, whether it is part of a program, a document created by a user,
a picture, or anything else. Most software is made up of dozens, sometimes
hundreds, of different files.
|
File server
|
A type of computer used
on networks to provide files and other services to other computers.
Often just called a server.
|
Filter
|
1) A device which allows you to
use an ordinary phone over a telephone line set up for
an ADSL internet connection. Also called a micro-filter. 2) A
program or set of programs that automatically removes spam from
your email.
|
Firefox
|
A popular alternative browser,
available free from Mozilla,
which you can use instead of Internet Explorer.
|
Firewall
|
Originally a dedicated computer
between you and the internet, preventing hackers, spammers and similar undesirables
from taking over your PC. Now often just a program running on your PC,
performing the same task. Recent versions of Windows have one built-in.
|
Firewire
|
A standard for very fast data
transfer, popular for applications that use very large files, particularly
video editing. Requires special hardware, generally added to a computer as
an expansion card.
|
Flame
|
Internet slang for an email or
newsgroup post insulting or telling someone off.
|
Flamewar
|
A public trading of insults in
a newsgroup or forum. Sometimes flamewars get so out of hand that
there are hundreds of flames in the newsgroup and almost nothing else.
|
Flash
|
A technology for displaying
animations (mostly) on webpages, created by the Macromedia Corporation. The
Flash Player is a plugin which enables internet browsers to display the
animations.
|
Flash drive
|
A removable data storage device,
usually thumb sized and plugged into a PC's USB port.
|
Floppy disk
|
Also known as a diskette. Now
obsolete. Originally called floppy disks because they were round and
non-rigid, but later the actual floppy disk was enclosed inside a rigid,
near-square protective casing. Most programs used to be released on floppy
disks, but modern programs are so large that they are now released on CD ROM
or DVD instead.
|
FOAD
|
(<bleep> Off And
Die) Internet slang. Pretty self-explanatory really.
|
Folder
|
An area on a disk for
storing files in. Folders can also contain other folders, which in
turn can contain more folders, and so on almost to infinity. Also called a
directory, especially by people used to DOS.
|
Forum
|
A public or semi-public area on a
website or bulletin board where you can read and post messages on a
particular topic, allowing public debate.
|
FPS
|
1 (Frames Per Second) A
measure of the smoothness and quality of animations, particularly in computer
games. The more frames per second, the better the quality.
2 (First Person
Shooter) A computer game where you shoot things, played from a first
person perspective, ie with you standing behind the gun(s). Also known as
a shoot-'em-up.
|
frag
|
Shoot someone in a computer game.
|
FTP
|
(File Transfer Protocol). A way of
transferring files to or from an internet server. Often how
you upload webpages to the internet.
|
GB
|
See Gigabyte.
|
GHz
|
Gigahertz - billions of cycles per
second. Often used as a measurement of a PC processor chip's speed and power,
with bigger numbers meaning a bit more speed, and a higher price. 1000 MHz =
1.0 GigaHertz. See also MHz.
|
GIF
|
(Graphics Interchange
Format) A popular type of compressed graphics (picture) file, widely
used on the WWW. Best for artwork with 256 colours or less. See
also jpg, compression.
|
Gigabyte (or Gig)
|
Unit of measurement for pieces of
information : approximately 1 billion bytes, 1 million kilobytes, or 1000
megabytes. Hard disk sizes are usually measured in gigabytes. Often
shortened to "GB", "Gig" or just G.
|
GIGO
|
(Garbage In Garbage Out; pr.
"guy-go") A fundamental principle of computing, that if you feed a
computer bad data, you will get bad results, even if the program is working
perfectly.
|
Google
|
Started out as search engine and
rapidly became so much better at it than everyone else that "to
google" was (and is) widely used to mean "to look up via the
internet". Now a huge, rich and influential corporation with fingers in
many pies, owners of the Android operating system. Its headquarters are in
California and it has offices and data centers all over the world.
|
GPF
|
(General Protection Fault) An
common error message in early versions of Windows, seen when a program
tried to do something Windows thought it shouldn't, often locking up the PC.
|
Graphics
|
A catch-all term for anything
involving drawing images on a PC screen. A game with great graphics is one
that is visually spectacular.
|
GUI
|
(Graphical User Interface; pr.
"gooey") means that a program's controls are represented
pictorially, with symbols, buttons and so forth, and mostly controlled by
pointing and clicking with a mouse rather than having to type in text
commands. Almost all modern software is GUI controlled. (see
also Windows, WYSIWYG).
|
Hacker
|
Person who uses computers to
access ("hack") systems they are not supposed to have access to, eg
other people's financial details, personnel files, military secrets etc.
Hacking can get you arrested.
|
HAND
|
(Have A Nice Day) Internet
slang, often used ironically.
|
Hard disk
|
A computer's main (and fastest and
most convenient) storage for programs and data. Originally named to
distinguish it from floppy disks. All PCs are fitted with hard disks,
sometimes more than one. The first (or only) hard disk is usually called C:
by the computer. The most popular hard disk formats are
currently EIDE and SCSI.
|
Hardware
|
The physical parts of a computer.
|
HD, HDD
|
(Hard Disk Drive) The main
data storage unit in a computer. Seehard disk.
|
Homepage
|
A page on the World Wide Web.
Confusingly "homepage" is used indiscriminately to describe several
slightly different things : an amateur's hobby site; the front or main page
of any website; or the page which your browser first goes to when you start
it up.
|
Hotspot
|
A location where a computer can
connect to a wireless network (seeWi-Fi).
|
HTH
|
(Hope This Helps) Internet
slang, often added at the end of an email or newsgroup post answering a
question.
|
HTML
|
(HyperText Markup
Language) The system used for creating World Wide Web pages,
ordinary text with commands for special effects like pictures, colour and
links enclosed between < > symbols. You can add the various HTML
commands to ordinary text by hand - it's not difficult, see Absolute
Beginner's HTML -
or have it generated for you by software, either one of the many specialist
editors or even a word processing program like Microsoft Word (although Word
isn't very good at it).
|
http
|
(HyperText Transfer
Protocol) The protocol or "language" computers use
to send web pages over the internet. Almost every WWW address starts
"http://", though many browsers understand if you omit it.
|
Hub
|
A basic device for connecting
computers together to form a network. See Router.
|
Hung
|
If a computer (or sometimes just a
program) gets completely stuck and refuses to do anything, it has hung. See
also lockup.
|
Hyperlink
|
Any kind of link on a webpage.
Unless you typed this page's URL in by hand, you got here by clicking on a
hyperlink.
|
Hypertext
|
A way of presenting text so that
you can click on a link within it, say a cross-reference, and instantly be
transported to the relevant text, whether it is elsewhere in the current
document or in another document entirely. The most obvious examples
are World Wide Web pages.
|
IANAL
|
(I Am Not A Lawyer) Internet
slang. Amazing how often this one comes up.
|
IBM
|
(International Business
Machines) The company that designed and built the first PCs, and still a
giant of the industry. Standard PCs were originally referred to as "IBM
compatible", although IBM no longer controls the PC standard.
|
Icon
|
Small pictogram either
representing a file, or providing shortcuts for carrying out common
tasks such as saving and printing inside anapplication.
|
IDE
|
(Integrated Drive Electronics
) A type of PC hard disk, now obsolete, the foreunner of EIDE.
|
IE
|
(Internet
Explorer) Microsoft's web browser, included free in Windows. If followed
by a number (IE9, IE8 etc), it refers to a particular version of that
browser.
|
IIRC
|
(If I Recall
Correctly) Internet slang.
|
IM
|
(Instant Messenging) A
program that allows you to "chat" live via keyboard over the
internet. Both parties must be running the same IM software - there are
several different brands, mostly incompatible with each other.
|
IMO, IMHO
|
(In My (Honest)
Opinion) Internet slang.
|
Inkjet
|
A very popular colour printer
technology, which works by squirting tiny jets of ink onto paper with great
precision.
|
Install
|
To transfer a program or programs
from CD ROM or DVD onto a PC's hard disk. Most programs need to be installed
before they can be used, though a few can be run directly from the floppy or
CD.
|
Intel
|
The Intel Corporation is the
leading manufacturer of processor chips for PCs, most famously
the Pentium.
|
Internet
|
A vast worldwide network of
computers, accessible to anyone with a computer and a phone line. Provides
access to e-mail and the World Wide Web. The Internet grew out of the need of
academics to swap information with colleagues all over the world, and of the
US military's need for a computer and communications network that
couldn't easily be knocked out. As a result it is very difficult to censor,
since anything placed on the World Wide Web from anywhere is instantly available
everywhere in the world.
|
Intranet
|
A private miniature internet which
allows no or only limited access to the internet proper, for example to
allow easy sharing of confidential files within a company or
corporation.
|
IP
|
(Internet Protocol
) A protocol (computer language) which computers use to
communicate with and over the internet.
|
IP address
|
(Internet Protocol address) A
unique number assigned to any computer connected to the internet, including
yours, in the format 255.255.255.255. Each of the four blocks of numbers can
be any value from 0 to 255. They can either be assigned permanently
("static IP") or per session ("dynamic IP"). Most ISPs
assign them dynamically, ie when you connect to the internet.
|
iPad
|
A
popular tablet computer from Apple.
|
iPhone
|
An extremely
popular smartphone from Apple.
|
iPod
|
The Apple Corporation's
massively successful portable music player. See also iTunes.
|
ISA
|
(Industry Standard Architecture;
pr."icer") A once-common type of PC expansion card, now
obsolete; see also EISA, PCI.
|
ISDN
|
(Integrated Services Digital
Network ) An early high speed (for its time) internet connection system
mainly aimed at business, now largely obsolete. Requires a special type
of modem called a Terminal Adaptor.
|
ISP
|
(Internet Service Provider) A
company which provides a connection to the internet, or internet services.
|
ISTM
|
(It Seems To Me) Internet
slang.
|
ISTR
|
(I Seem To Recall) Internet
slang.
|
IT
|
(Information Technology) What
computers are all about - using technology to manage information. The
computer industry is often called the IT industry, and computer departments
often refer to themselves as the IT department.
|
iTunes
|
The Apple Corporation's
online music store, where you can download millions of music tracks to
an iPod or computer - for a fee, of course. As with many Apple
products, it is only compatible with Apple hardware and software.
|
Java
|
A programming language used to
create small programs calledapplets, often to produce special effects on web
pages.
|
Javascript
|
A set of program instructions,
vaguely similar to Java but not actually related, written straight
into the HTML of a webpage instead of as an applet.
|
Joe job, joe-job
|
Spam email apparently
promoting a website that actually has nothing to do with it, intended to get
the owner of the website in trouble.
|
JPEG, jpg
|
(Joint Picture [Experts] Group;
pr. "jay-peg") A standard type of compressed graphics file, widely
used on the WWW. Particularly good for photographs. See
also compression.
|
Killer app
|
(Killer application) A
program that is so obviously massively useful to someone that they will rush
out and buy it immediately, and a computer to run it on.
|
Kbps
|
(KiloBits Per Second) A
measure of speed of information flow, usually over a modem. A Kilobit is a thousand bits.
See also bps,Mbps.
|
Kilobyte
|
Unit of measurement for pieces of
information : actually 1024 Bytes (characters), but in practice almost always
rounded down to 1000. Often written as just K, eg 250 K is 250 Kilobytes
(250,000 bytes/characters - well not exactly, but close enough). See
alsoMegabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte.
|
LAN
|
(Local Area Network;
pr."lan") A network of computers connected together, usually in a
single department or building. See also WAN.
|
Laptop
|
A portable PC, with system unit,
screen and keyboard crammed into one package. They can do pretty much
everything a desktop PC can do, but are more expensive because of the extra
miniaturisation required. Also called a notebook.
|
Laser printer, laserprinter
|
A high speed printer intended mainly
for office use, usually better for text than graphics, especially in colour.
|
LCD
|
(Liquid Crystal Display) A type of
computer screen, originally used only on laptops but now increasingly
used for desktop PCs and even televisions.
|
Linux
|
A rival PC operating
system to Microsoft Windows, but unlike Windows it is "open
source", which means that anyone can create their own version of it
without having to pay royalties, and requires a much less powerful computer.
Initially required a lot of technical knowledge, but is rapidly being made
much more user-friendly.
|
LMAO
|
(Laughing My Ass
Off) Internet slang.
|
Lockup, locked up
|
An event which causes a computer
to get stuck and refuse to do anything is a lockup. The computer is then said
to be hung or locked up.
|
LOL
|
(Laughing Out Loud) Internet
slang.
|
It says...
|
It means...
|
Mac, Macintosh
|
The Apple Corporation's
alternative to the PC, much loved by its devotees but completely incompatible
with PCs, though some popular software is also released in Mac format.
|
Mac address
|
The unique serial number of
an Ethernet card, required for connecting a PC to a network.
(Nothing to do with Apple Macs, despite the name).
|
Macro
|
A small program used to automate
repetitive or complex tasks. The Windows equivalent is a wizard.
|
Mailbomb
|
One or more very large emails,
sent to someone maliciously to stop them being able to use their mailbox
and/or internet connection, because all the available bandwidth is
being used up downloading the mailbomb(s). Most ISPs will close down any
account responsible for mailbombing. See also DoS (Denial of
Service).
|
Malware
|
A catch-all term for software
installed by stealth onto a PC for malevolent purposes (hence the name).
These may include displaying unwanted ads (adware), installing software you didn't
ask for, or spying on your activities (spyware) and reporting them back to
the culprit so that he can steal your bank account, address book etc.
|
Mbps
|
(MegaBits Per Second) A
measure of speed of information flow over a network (and if it's measured in
Mbps, it's reasonably quick.) A Megabit is one million bits. See
also bps, Kbps.
|
Megabyte
|
Unit of measurement for pieces of
information : approximately 1 million bytes or a thousand kilobytes. Often
shortened to Meg or just M. See also Gigabyte, Kilobyte, Byte.
|
MegaHertz
|
See MHz.
|
Megapixel
|
A million pixels. Often used
to measure the quality of digital cameras : the higher the number the better
the camera.
|
Memory
|
Also known as RAM. Where the
computer holds whatever you are currently working on. The contents of memory
are lost when the computer is switched off.
|
MFD
|
(Multi Function Device). A
combined printer, scanner, photocopier and fax machine.
|
MHz
|
(Megahertz). Millions of cycles
per second. Most often used as a measurement of a PC processor chip's speed
and power, with bigger numbers meaning more speed and a higher price. See
also GHz.
|
Micro
|
(Microcomputer) When desktop
computers first appeared in the 1970's, they were often called
microcomputers, later shortened to micro, to distinguish them from the
so-called minicomputers of the day, which far from sitting on a desk were a
good deal bigger than it! There was also a popular home computer called the
BBC Micro, now long obsolete.
|
Micro-filter
|
A device which allows you to use
an ordinary phone over a telephone line set up for an ADSL internet
connection. Sometimes just called a filter.
|
Microsoft
|
By far the largest software
provider for PCs, they created Windows, Microsoft Office (which includes
Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint), Internet Explorer, Outlook and many
other widely used programs.
|
MIDI
|
(Musical Instrument Digital
Interface; pr. "middy") A very popular standard for controlling
musical instruments connected to computers. Many soundcards have a
built-in synthesizer which can play back MIDI files, though if it's a cheap
one they probably won't sound very good. A MIDI file is a set of
instructions to play particular notes at particular intervals in particular
styles, not a recording.
|
MIME
|
(Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extension; pr. "mime") An encoding system used in email,
mainly for sending attachments. Email was originally designed to just use
plain text, so programs, graphics etc have to be sort of disguised as text
for email systems to be able to handle them. MIME is more powerful than its
predecessor, UUENCODE (pr. you-you-encode), but not all systems accept it.
|
MLM
|
(Multi-Level Marketing) A
scam similar to pyramid selling, once much in evidence on the internet,
particularly in spam. Despite the claims of those promoting MLM, it is
of dubious legality in most jurisdictions.
|
MMORPG
|
(Massively Multiplayer Online
Role-Playing Game). An online role-playing game (RPG) designed to played by
thousands of players simultaneously, such as Everquest or Warcraft.
|
Modem
|
(MOdulator/DEModulator) A device
for allowing computers to communicate over a phone line.
|
Monitor
|
The screen of a PC.
|
Motherboard
|
The main circuitboard in the
computer - all the other bits and pieces are plugged into it.
|
Mouse
|
A device used to move a pointer
around on the computer screen. Essential to get the most out of Windows,
though it is not quite impossible to use Windows without one.
|
MP3
|
(MPeg-1 audio layer 3). A very
popular standard for compressing audio and particularly music files down to a
reasonable size with little or no perceptible loss of quality, and the files
created using it - "an MP3" is an audio file.
See MPEG, Compression.
|
MPEG
|
(Motion Picture Experts Group; pr.
"em-peg") A set of standards for compressing video and audio files,
and the committee that came up with them. Also, often used to mean movie
files created to the MPEG standard.
|
Nameserver
|
An internet server which
translates the alphabetic web addresses favoured by humans into the numeric
ones used by computers.
|
Napster
|
A
pioneering peer-to-peer internet file-sharing system. Because much
of the data shared was copyrighted, and thus being distributed illegally, the
operators of Napster were hit with a number of large lawsuits by the music
industry, and later closed down. The name was bought and is now used by a
legal pay-to-download service.
|
Netbook
|
A smaller version of the popular
laptop computer format.
|
Network
|
A way of linking several computers
together so that their users can share resources such as printers and
documents, often via a central computer called a server. See
also LAN, WAN, Ethernet.
|
Network card, Network Interface
Card
|
An Expansion card which
lets a PC communicate with a network, required
for broadband Internet access. See also Ethernet, NIC.
|
Newbie
|
(New beginner) Internet slang
for someone who hasn't been using computers or the internet long.
|
Newsgroup (or just News)
|
A public area where you can read
and post messages on a particular topic or theme, allowing public discussion,
either on the Internet or a Bulletin Board. Largely replaced by
internet forums.
|
NIC
|
(Network Interface
Card) An Expansion card which lets a PC communicate with
a network or use a broadband internet connection. Almost
all modern NICs are Ethernet cards.
|
Notebook
|
A portable PC, with system unit,
screen and keyboard in one portable package. Also called a laptop.
|
OCR
|
(Optical Character
Recognition) A program which attempts to convert a scanned image (ie a
picture) of text into text that can be edited in a word processor. The result
is rarely 100% accurate and must be carefully proofread, but it can save a
lot of retyping.
|
OEM
|
(Original Equipment
Manufacturer) A company that actually builds computers, as opposed to
just retailing them. "OEM software" is ordinary software bought in
bulk at a discount by the OEM and pre-installed on a new machines, usually
without printed manuals. OEM software cannot legally be sold separately from
a computer, so when offered for sale at huge discounts is either pirated, or
not what it claims to be.
|
Office Suite
|
A related group of programs for
business use, usually including a word-processor, spreadsheet, database and a
number of other programs. The best known is Microsoft Office.
|
Off-topic
|
A message which is not relevant to
a particular newsgroup or forumon the Internet is said to be
"off-topic". Posting off-topic messages in newsgroups annoys people
intensely, as they make it harder to follow the discussion properly.
|
Online
|
Connected to the internet, or of
the internet.
|
Open Source
|
Software (usually) that is created
and distributed with either relaxed or no copyright restrictions.
|
Operating System
|
Every computer has an operating
system, which is a sort of master program that runs automatically when you
switch the computer on, and continues running till you switch off. It is responsible
for the many routine tasks required to keep a computer running : moving the
pointer when you move the mouse, providing icons and menus, running other
programs such as a word processor or a game which you may request,
controlling the various disk drives, the screen and so on. The most widely
used PC operating system is Microsoft Windows.
|
OS/2
|
(Operating System 2) A rival
PC operating system to Microsoft Windows, produced by IBM in the
1990s. It still has a small, dedicated core of supporters, but didn't catch
on and for most purposes is obsolete.
|
Overwrite
|
Replace a computer file such as a
document or picture with a newer version, destroying the earlier version. If
you make changes to a document and save it with the same filename, the
previous version is overwritten and usually cannot be restored.
|
P2P
|
See peer-to-peer
|
Palmtop
|
A small computer which fits into
the palm of your hand. They run similar software to conventional PCs, but
(unlike notebook PCs) are more limited in what they can do than
desktop PCs, because of the constraints of miniaturisation. See PDA.
|
Parallel Port
|
A special socket for plugging a
printer into a computer. The computer usually refers to the parallel port as
LPT1.
|
Patch
|
A program which makes updates to
computer software, usually to fix bugs which had not been detected when the
software went on sale. The best place to look for a patch is on the software
manufacturer's website.
|
PAYG
|
(Pay As You Go) A cellphone
network connection where you add credit to the phone manually, rather than
having a contract billed monthly.
|
PC
|
(Personal
Computer) Originally just short for "personal computer", PC is
now an industry standard, partly evolved in the marketplace, partly agreed by
a committee of the major players in the computer industry.
|
PC 2005 (2004, 2003 etc)
|
An agreed standard for new PCs,
set each year by a committee of the major players in the computer industry.
|
PCI
|
(Peripheral Component
Interconnect) A standard for PCexpansion cards, currently the most
popular in desktop PCs. A "PCI slot" is a socket on
the motherboard for such cards.
|
PCI Express
|
A special type of PCI slot for
graphics cards, replacing AGP in most new computers.
|
PCMCIA
|
(Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association) A type of PC expansion card, the size of
an ordinary credit card, mainly intended for use with notebooks.
|
PDA
|
(Personal Digital
Assistant) A small handheld computer used for taking notes on the move,
keeping contact information and so on. See also palmtop.
|
PDF
|
(Portable Document Format) A
popular document format, used mainly for online computer manuals, which
retains the look of a printed book onscreen. PDFs are created using Adobe
Acrobat, but can be read and displayed by many different programs including
Internet Explorer.
|
Peer-to-peer
|
A type of network where
computers are connected together directly, rather than via a server,
allowing them to access each other's hard disk etc. Most home networs work
like this.
|
Pentium
|
The best known
PC processor (or CPU), manufactured by Intel.
|
Peripheral
|
Anything that plugs into the
computer, such as keyboard, printer etc.
|
Phishing
|
An internet scam in which a forged
message from a bank provides a link for you to go to their website and
"confirm your details" - but the website is a fake, and if you do
enter your details they will be used to steal all your money. Note that a
legitimate email from your bank should be addressed to you personally rather
than "Dear customer" etc, and will never ask you to enter
your PIN.
|
Pixel
|
(PICture ELement) All computer
screen or printed images are made up of pixels, small square dots - the
smaller the pixels, the higher the image quality.
|
pixelated
|
A picture that has been compressed
so much that the pixels that make it up are large and visible to the naked
eye, making the image look like it is made out of square blocks (which it is,
but they shouldn't be visible).
|
Plasma
|
A type of very large screen,
either TV or computer monitor.
|
Platform-independent
|
If something is
platform-independent, you don't need a particular type of computer or
particular software to use it. For example is the internet, which you can
access from a PC, Mac, tablet or any smartphone.
|
Plug'n'play
|
(Plug and Play) A system
where Windows automatically detects any new hardware that is plugged into the
PC and adjusts to it without human intervention.
|
Podcast
|
An audio file that can be
downloaded to a portable audio player or computer, usually speech.
|
POP3
|
(Post Office Protocol version 3;
pr. "pop 3") A protocol for transmitting and receiving
email.
|
Pop-up
|
A form of online advertising where
the advert pops up in a separate browser window when you go to a particular
webpage. Many people find it intensely irritating, and some browsers now have
the ability to block pop-ups from opening.
|
Port
|
A socket on the back (usually) of
a computer which allows you to plug in extra hardware such as a printer or
modem.
|
Portal
|
A virtual gateway between computer
systems, or a website that provides links to lots of useful sites on a
particular theme, eg shopping or news.
|
POST
|
(Power On Self Test; pr.
"post") A routine PCs go through when first switched on, before
loading the operating system, to make sure the hardware is working properly.
|
Power-on password
|
A password which the computer will
prompt you for whenever the computer is switched on, a good security measure
provided you don't forget the password. Power-on passwords can usually only
be bypassed by taking the computer to bits.
|
Powerpoint
|
A very popular program for
creating graphical presentations, mostly for business use. Available
separately or as part of Microsoft Office, Microsoft's office suite.
|
Processor
|
The nerve centre of the computer :
everything flows through it. Also called the CPU. The best known is
Intel's Pentium series. The most important single specification on
any PC is the speed of its processor, usually measured in megahertz (MHz), or
latterly gigahertz (GHz).
|
Program
|
A program is essentially a list of
instructions that tell a computer how to do something. Any word
processor, spreadsheet, database, game or any other tool you may
use on a computer is a program (often a group of programs). Also referred to
as software.
|
Protocol
|
Any "language" used by
computers to communicate with each other for particular tasks.
|
Proxy server
|
A computer used to store copies of
popular webpages at an ISP and provide them on request, to save
having to fetch them from the website again.
|
PS/2
|
The type of connector used to plug
in mouse and keyboard on most modern PCs, now gradually being superseded by USB.
PS/2 was originally the name of a PC from IBM with a number of innovative but
non-standard features, including special connectors for mouse and keyboard.
The PC didn't catch on particularly well, mainly because its unusual
architecture meant that it could not accept standard expansion cards, but its
mouse and keyboard connectors proved popular and were widely adopted.
PS2 (without the /) is often used
to refer to Sony's PlayStation 2, a popular games console.
|
PVR
|
(Personal Video Recorder) A
TV video recorder which records to ahard disk. Typically a standalone unit,
but you can also get software which allows you to use your PC's hard disk for
this purpose.
|
Quad-core
|
PC processors which have four
complete processors on the same chip, allowing computers to handle multiple
tasks faster. See alsodual-core.
|
Quicktime
|
A video compression standard
created by Apple, and the program which displays such movies. Usually
Quicktime files have the extension .MOV.
|
RAID
|
(Redundant Array of Inexpensive
Disks; pr. "raid") A way of connecting multiple hard disks together
so that a computer sees them as one very large, very fast disk instead of
many smaller ones, or to add redundancy so that if any disk in the array is
physically damaged, the others have a copy of all the data and nothing is
lost. Often called a "RAID array", even though the acronym already
contains the word array. Mostly used on network servers.
|
RAM
|
(Random Access Memory; pr.
"ram") The computer's main memory, which it uses to hold
whatever you are currently working on. The contents of RAM are lost when the
computer is switched off. Adding more RAM is often the most cost-effective
upgrade for an ageing computer.
|
Readme
|
An electronic document, usually
distributed with software, containing additional information that didn't
make it into the printed guides, often giving tips about troubleshooting
installation problems, and last minute changes to the software. It is usually
entitled "readme.txt".
|
Read-only
|
A read-only file has been set so
that it cannot be altered or deleted. Also called write-protected. You
can make a file read-only in Windows by right-clicking on it and checking the
"read-only" box under attributes. Floppy disks can be
write-protected by moving a small plastic square in the top left corner.
Files on CD ROM are always read-only because you can't change the contents of
a CD ROM.
|
Real Audio, Real Media, Real Video
|
An audio and video compression
system from RealMedia Inc which produces files small enough to play back in
real time over an ordinary modem, at the cost of a lot of sound/vision
quality.
|
Reboot
|
Restart the computer, either by
shutting it down properly and restarting it (a soft reboot), or just
switching it off and on again (a hard reboot - should only be used as a last
resort).
|
Registrar
|
An organisation which retains a
register of internet domain names, who owns them, and where they
can be found. Domains under the most popular TLDs such as .com, .net and
.org can be registered with a number of different competing registrars, but
you only need to register with one of them. National domains such as .uk
usually have only one registrar.
|
Registry
|
A file on Windows PCs which
contains all the settings for the PC and its software. Can be edited by the
user, but this should only be done as absolutely a last resort, as it is
possible to trash the operating system if you don't know what you are doing.
|
Resolution
|
Loosely speaking, the quality of
an image. When printing or working with images, the resolution is usually
measured in Dots Per Inch (dpi) - the more dots per inch, the higher the
quality of the image but the larger the file needed to store it. In Windows,
the screen resolution is how many pixels fit on the desktop, the
most popular being 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768 - the former makes images, icons
etc look bigger, but the latter means you can fit more of them on the screen.
|
Rewriteable
|
A special type of
reuseable CD or DVD which you can write to, delete the
contents, and write to again, theoretically forever. (A conventional CD or
DVD's contents can't be changed once they have been written). However,
rewriteable CDs are less reliable and more expensive than write-once CDs, and
there are presently several different incompatible formats for rewriteable
DVDs.
|
RGB
|
(Red, Green, Blue) The three
colours used by a computer screen - all the other colours can be made up by
mixing red, blue and green. A few printers use this system as well, though
most use the alternativeCMYK system instead.
|
Ripper
|
Program which copies ("rips")
tracks from music CDs onto a computer, often as an MP3. Technically this
is illegal in many jurisdictions, but in practice extremely widespread, and
is usually tolerated as long as the ripped tracks are for personal use only.
|
ROFL (or ROTFL)
|
(Rolling On the Floor
Laughing) Internet slang indicating laughter.
|
ROM
|
(Read Only Memory; pr.
"rom") Memory whose contents are preset and cannot (usually) be
changed by the user. See also CD-ROM.
|
Router
|
A device used to connect networks
together, for example so that several PCs can share one internet connection.
A relative of the hub, but more powerful.
|
RPG
|
(Role Playing Game) A
computer game in which you control a character and interact with other
characters, explore virtual worlds, undertake quests etc, often involving
swords and sorcery. SeeMMORPG.
|
RSS
|
(Really Simple
Syndication) An automated system for gathering information, usually
news, from multiple sources and bringing it together in one place, usually a
website. If any of the information is changed at the source, it is
automatically updated at the target.
|
RTFM
|
(Read The Flipping
Manual) Internet slang, usually fired at people asking basic questions
to which they would know the answers if they had looked at the manual. There
are several different translations of the letter F... :-)
|
RTS
|
(Real Time Strategy) A
computer game where you command armies (usually) of animated figures, direct
their development, fight their battles and so on. "Real Time"
because the game runs continuously rather than waiting for your orders,
though in practise you can usually pause the game as much as you like unless
you are playing against a human opponent.
|
Safe Mode
|
A cut-down version
of Windows which you can launch instead of the full version for
troubleshooting purposes.
|
SATA
|
(Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment) A high speed standard for connecting hard disks to your
computer, replacing EIDE on most new computers.
|
Save
|
Copy whatever you are working on
from memory, which is lost when you switch off the computer, to permanent storage,
usually the hard disk. It is a good idea to save frequently when you are
working on something important, in case there is a sudden power cut or you
make some awful mistake that trashes your document.
|
S/B Compatible
|
(SoundBlaster compatible) A
common Soundcard format, now obsolete. In practice anything which
is described as "S/B compatible" should work with almost all sound
cards.
|
Scanner
|
A device which makes
high-resolution copies of printed images and text to use on a computer.
|
Screensaver
|
A program that blanks the computer
screen or displays images if you don't do anything for a few minutes, in
Windows for example. Early screens could have images literally burned
permanently onto the tube if left displaying the same thing all day. Much less
of a problem with modern screens, and these days screensavers are mostly used
for security (with a password to return to normal mode), or just for fun.
|
Scroll, scroll-bar
|
To scroll something is to move it
up or down the screen, so you can see what is above or below the current
position, for example at a website. A scroll-bar is a bar on the right-hand
side (usually) of a window which allows you to move the text etc up and
down the screen with a mouse. If the window is too wide to fit the screen
there will be a scroll-bar at the bottom, so you can scroll the text left and
right too.
|
SCSI
|
(Small Computer Systems Interface;
pr. "scuzzy") A fast system for controlling hard disks, tape
drives, and various other add-ons. Sometimes used for a PC's main hard disk,
but more often the main hard disk is controlled by
an EIDE controller built into the motherboard. A SCSI controller
would usually be installed as an expansion board. SCSI is a bit faster than
EIDE, but more expensive.
|
Search engine
|
A website directory which indexes
as many websites as it can and allows you to search its database for sites on
particular subjects. Because of the immense size and rate of growth of the
world wide web, no-one has a complete directory of all sites which exist. The
most popular is Google.
|
Security Suite
|
A set of programs designed to
protect a computer from malware and similar threats. Usually
consists of a firewall, antivirus program,
anti-spyware program, and often an anti-phishing program
|
Serial ATA
|
See SATA.
|
Serial Port
|
A socket for plugging devices into
the computer, now replaced byUSB.
|
Server
|
A computer at the centre of
most networks which provides files and other services to
other computers. Also known as a file server.
|
Shockwave
|
A software technology from
Macromedia Inc for making animations, games, sound and all kinds of special
effects on a webpage.
|
shoot-'em-up
|
A computer game in which you
control a character, vehicle etc and shoot lots of onscreen enemies. Also
called an FPS (First Person Shooter).
|
Shortcut
|
In Windows (from 95 on),
a type of icon which lets you launch a program quickly, without
having to search for it. Often placed on the Windows desktop for
convenience. Usually has a small arrow in the bottom lefthand corner, to show
it is a shortcut rather than the program itself.
|
Sim, sim-free
|
(Subscriber Identity
Module) A chip the size of a man's thumbnail, which contains the number
and network subscription of a mobile phone, and sometimes other data. Move
the chip to another phone, and the phone number moves with it. A sim-free
phone is one bought without a number and not tied to any particular network.
|
SIMM
|
(Single In-line Memory Module;
pr."sim") A largely obsolete type ofRAM for older PCs.
Replaced by DIMM.
|
SIR
|
(Serial InfraRed). A wireless
communication system for PCs and peripherals, especially laptops. Only works
when the devices are in line-of-sight of each other.
|
Siri
|
A voice-controlled AI on Apple
smartphones which can be used to control all the features of the phone, at
least in theory.
|
Smartphone
|
A computer in a cellphone. As well
as a phone, typically it will include both stills and movie cameras, music
player, enough computing power to run sophisticated programs such as office
sofware and games, satellite navigation, and gigabytes of storage. The most
famous is Apple's iPhone, but all the major manufacturers make them and
they are where the IT industry is mostly focussed at the moment. Some think
that they will completely replace most personal computers.
|
SMTP
|
(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
The original method of transmitting and receiving email on the internet.
Still sometimes used for transmitting, but has been widely replaced
by POP3 and IMAP.
|
Smiley
|
:-) or :) A group of
symbols used to indicate a smile or laughter in an email or newsgroup message
(look at it sideways). There are all sorts of variants including :-( for
sadness, ;-) for a smile with a wink, :-D for a big smile or a laugh. and :-o
for astonishment. Collectively they are often called emoticons.
|
Software
|
The programs that run on a
computer. Without software, a computer can't do anything.
|
Soundcard
|
Originally an expansion
card to enable the PC to make sounds more sophisticated than a simple
"beep!". Now usually built into the motherboard.
|
SP2
|
(Service Pack 2). A major
enhancement to Windows XP, particularly its security vulnerabilities,
downloadable as a free patch from Microsoft's website.
|
Spam
|
Unsolicited bulk advertising,
usually via email. Originally a name for mass postings to Usenet newsgroups advertising
products or services, regardless of their relevance to the newsgroup. (The
name comes from a famous Monty Python sketch in which every conversation is
interrupted every few seconds by people shouting "spam spam
spam" at the top of their voices). Sending spam is illegal in most
jurisdictions. A spam filter is a program designed to automatically remove
spam from your email before you see it.
|
Spreadsheet
|
A program used for doing
calculations and setting up financial balance sheets, indispensable for
accountants and managers. By far the best known is Microsoft Excel.
|
Spyware
|
Programs, typically installed by
stealth, which record what you do on your PC and send reports to criminals,
allowing them to steal your bank details, passwords and so on. See
also Malware.
|
SSD
|
(Solid State Drive) A
technology that replaces the conventional hard disk, particularly in laptops,
with a device that behaves exactly like a hard disk but uses memory instead
of magnetic storage. It is very much faster than even the fastest hard disks
and is now standard on high-end laptops and notebooks, and often retrofitted
into PCs as well.
|
Standalone
|
A computer not connected to any
kind of network.
|
Start Button
|
A button on the lefthand end
(usually) of the Taskbar in most versions of Windows, which
you click on to display the Start Menu.
|
Start Menu
|
A set of menus which appear when
you click on the Start Button in Windows, which you can customise
to suit your own preferences. Most programs will automatically add themselves
to the Start Menu when you install them.
|
StartUp Folder
|
An area under Programs in the
Windows Start Menu. Any programs placed in this folder will launch
themselves automatically whenever you start up Windows.
|
Storage
|
The generic term for any method of
storing information which is not lost when the computer is switched off; the
most common types arehard disks, CDs, and DVDs.
|
Stream, streaming
|
Video or audio that plays while
still downloading, rather than you having to wait till the download has finished.
|
Suite
|
A group of programs which carry
out different tasks but are intended to work together, such as Microsoft
Office.
|
Surfing
|
In a computer context, wandering
around the World Wide Web(which really annoys the guys with the boards
and the big waves). Also called websurfing.
|
System Tray
|
An area on the righthand end of
the Windows Taskbar which displays icons representing TSRs
presently running, usually at least a loudspeaker which represents the volume
control for the soundcard, and a clock. Programs in the Sytem Tray are
often but not always launched from the StartUp folder.
|
System unit (or box)
|
The unit with the disk drives
which the keyboard, monitor etc are plugged into on a desktop computer. In
other words, the actual computer.
|
Tablet
|
A portable computer which consists
only of a screen, usually with no keyboard. It is controlled using a
touchscreen. The most popular is Apple's iPad, but all the major
manufacturers are producing them.
|
Taskbar
|
In Windows, a bar across the
bottom of the screen (usually - you can move it to the top or side if you
want to) which contains the Start Button, the System Tray,
and icons which represent all the applications currently running.
You can switch between applications by calling up the taskbar and clicking on
the relevant icon. The taskbar can be set to remain visible all the time (the
default), or only to appear when you press the Windows key.
|
TBH
|
(To Be Honest) Internet
slang.
|
TCP/IP
|
(Transfer Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol) A common protocol(language) which a
computer can use to communicate with other computers, particularly on the
internet.
|
Terabyte
|
Unit of measurement for pieces of
information : approximately 1 trillion bytes, 1 billion kilobytes, 1 million
megabytes or 1000 gigabytes. That's a lot of data.
|
Terminal Adaptor
|
A piece of hardware similar to a
modem, required to operate anISDN internet connection.
|
Thumb drive
|
A computer storage device about
the size of a man's thumb, often carried on a keyring, which plugs into a
PC USB port and is seen by the PC as an extra drive - a very
convenient way to carry large amounts of data around.
|
TIFF, Tif
|
(Tagged Image File Format) A
type of graphics (picture) file, often used for photographs. The files are
usually huge, as the data is not compressed. Files in this format usually
have names ending .tif .
|
TFT
|
(Thin Film Transistor) A
technology used originally in laptop screens for giving a sharp and
vibrant colour display. Much less bulky than theCRT system used in most
desktop monitors, which it is now widely replacing.
|
TLD
|
(Top Level Domain). The part of an
internet address between the last . and the end of the address, excluding the
path/address of a specific page if present. TLDs include .com, .org, .net,
and all the national domains such as .uk for the UK and .fr for France. See
also domain,registrar, How
web addresses work.
|
Toolbar
|
An extra set of controls that can
be added to many programs or the operating system, to provide extra
functionality not present in the standard version. A toolbar often comes free
with downloaded software and is intended to tie you to one company's
products, especially internet search.
|
Touchscreen
|
A computer screen which is
touch-sensitive, used to control tabletcomputers and
most smartphones. They are also widely used for specialised applications
such as supermarket self checkouts and public information devices.
|
Torrent
|
A method of making data available
for download over the internet, where the recipient of data is expected to
make the data available to others for download from their PC, rather than all
users downloading from a central server. Typically much of the data is
bootleg software, audio and video. Because the data is distributed from
multiple computers all over the place rather than a central point, it is
difficult to police.
|
Touchpad
|
A pressure-sensitive pad which
replaces the mouse on
most laptopand netbook computers.
|
Trojan
|
A program similar to
a virus which is disguised as something harmless like a game, but
when launched actually sabotages the computer on which it is running.
|
TWAIN
|
(Technology Without An Interesting
Name, according to legend) A standard "language"
or protocol which computers use to communicate with scanners.
|
UBE, UCE
|
(Unsolicited Bulk Email, Unsolicited
Commercial Email) Email sent out in bulk to addresses harvested from web
pages, newsgroups etc, advertising products or services - mostly scams or
pornography. Also known as spam. Sending UCE is a violation of
most ISP's Acceptable Use Policies, and will often get your account
terminated immediately.
|
Ultra DMA, UDMA
|
(Direct Memory Access) A
standard for EIDE disk controllersrelating to how fast they can
transfer data. Often followed by a number representing the transfer rate
in Mbps, eg UDMA100 operates at up to 100 Mbps.
|
Uninstall
|
Remove a program from your system.
You can't just delete its folder, because almost all programs make changes to
various parts of Windows. Many programs come with a special uninstaller,
which you should use if it exists. Otherwise, you can uninstall programs (in
Windows) from the Control Panel.
|
Upload
|
To transfer information (files)
from a user PC to a network or the Internet. See also download.
|
URL
|
(Universal Resource
Locator) An address used to locate something on the internet, most often
a web page. All web addresses are URLs.
|
USB
|
(Universal Serial Bus) A
standard type of connection port, used to attach extra devices such as a
scanner to a computer. Standard on new PCs from around 1998. USB 2.0 and 3.0
are faster versions of the same thing. Many PCs now use USB to connect the
mouse and keyboard.
|
Usenet
|
An enormous collection of
public newsgroups on the Internet, well over 25,000 at last
count, which allow users to post messages discussing particular issues. Now largely
replaced by internet forums, whcih are easier to police against massive
spamming.
|
User interface
|
A program's controls, with which
the user "interfaces" with the program.
|
Vaporware
|
Derogatory term
for software which is announced but fails to materialise.
|
VGA
|
(Video Graphics Array) An
early colour graphics standard for PCs, now used as a sort of lowest common
denominator which all monitors and graphics cards understand.
|
Virus
|
A program that has been
deliberately created to cause computer problems, usually minor ones as a
prank, but occasionally very nasty ones indeed, such as erasing your entire
hard disk. Viruses were originally designed to attach themselves to programs
on a disk, and then "hide" in the computer's memory once the host program
is executed, and "infect" every disk they come across. Some types
of virus (such as the famous "I love you") propagate by email,
disguised as an attachment, which is why you should never open an
attachment you are unsure of.
|
Virus protector
|
A program which guards against
computer viruses, either by lurking in memory as a TSR and
checking everything you run for viruses as you go along, or by scanning some
or all of the files on either hard or floppy disk at a time you specify.
Virus protectors need to be updated frequently to guard against new types of
virus.
|
Virtual, virtual reality
|
A simulated environment on the
internet or a computer.
|
Vista
|
See Windows Vista.
|
Voicemail
|
A voice message recorded on a
computer and sent to a specific person by the computer or telephone system.
In effect a more sophisticated telephone answering machine.
|
VOIP
|
(Voice Over Internet
Protocol) A system for making cheap phonecalls over the internet instead
of via the telephone system.
|
W3C
|
(World Wide Web
Consortium) An influential group of interested parties who agree what is
and isn't official HTML. Originally WWWC, but W3C is a lot easier to
say.
|
Wallpaper
|
A picture or motif on your Windows
desktop. To change the Windows wallpaper right-click anywhere on the desktop,
select Properties from the pop-up menu, choose the Desktop tab and select a
new entry from the list under Background. To add pictures of your own to the
list, save them as .bmp(bitmap) files and put them in your Windows folder.
|
WAN
|
(Wide Area Network) A sort of
group of networks, or more properlyLANs, connected together.
|
WAP
|
(Wireless Application Protocol;
pr. "wapp" or "wopp") A system to enable early mobile
phones to browse the World Wide Web. In practise the site has to be specially
designed and text only, and only a very few sites have bothered. Now largely
obsolete, as smartphones can display the original sites pretty well.
|
WAV file, Wave
|
A computer sound recording. WAV
files tend to be very large, so sound recordings are often compressed
into MP3s on the internet, giving a slightly lower quality
but much smaller files.
|
Webcam
|
(WEB CAMera) a kind of cheap
TV camera which you can use for videoconferencing over the internet, or just
showing off. They are very popular for making video calls over the internet.
|
Webhost
|
A company which makes webpages
available on the World Wide Web, usually as a commercial venture.
|
Weblog
|
A website documenting someone's
thoughts or experiences, also known as a blog.
|
Webmail
|
Email controlled from a website
such as Hotmail or Yahoo instead of with a dedicated mail program like
Outlook Express or Eudora. Many ISPs allow you to access your email both with
a mail program and via the Web, so that you can access your email while
travelling.
|
Webmaster
|
The person prinicipally
responsible for maintaining a website.
|
Webserver
|
A computer which fetches or
stores World Wide Web pages and provides them over the internet on
request.
|
Website
|
A page or group of pages on
the World Wide Web.
|
Webspace
|
The storage on an internet server
where websites are kept. Webspace can be hired from a commercial provider, or
is sometimes provided free with an internet account.
|
Websurfing
|
Looking at pages on the World
Wide Web. Often just called surfing.
|
Wi-Fi, WiFi
|
(WIreless FIdelity) A method
of connecting computers to a network without cables, using small radio
transmitter/receivers built in to most portable devices and broadband modems.
Many hotels and other public locations now offer free WiFi if you have a
suitable device, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
|
Wiki
|
A website where the users create
and edit the content collaboratively, the best known being Wikipedia, a huge online encyclopedia. Entries on controversial
subjects should be viewed with caution, as they may have been edited by
persons with strong but not necessarily accurate views. Anyone can create a
Wiki using free open source software.
|
Win95
|
Windows 95. See Windows.
|
Win98
|
Windows 98. See Windows.
|
Win9x
|
Compatible with or pertaining to both
Windows 95 and Windows 98.
|
Windows
|
A family of operating systems
from the Microsoft Corporation, standard on most PCs. Windows 95, 98 and ME
(Millenium Edition) were three generations of the early version intended
mainly for home use; Windows NT and 2000, developed and released in parallel
with the 9x family, were intended more for use in office and network
environments. Both lines were replaced by Windows XP, which was first
released in 2001, extensively upgraded since, and still popular today. XP was
replaced first by Vista, released in 2007 to a lukewarm reception, then by
Windows 7, released in 2009 and essentially Vista with the bugs taken out,
which was much better received. The latest version is Windows 8, released in
2012, which has a new interface aimed mainly at touchscreens, as
Microsoft try to move in to the
fast-growing tablet and smartphone markets. However, it
makes little sense on a desktop or laptop, Microsoft's biggest existing
markets, and they fired the chief designer two weeks after it was released.
Another version will no doubt be along shortly.
|
Windows 2000
|
A version
of Windows intended for business users, the successor toWindows NT.
Now obsolete.
|
Windows 98SE
|
(Second Edition) An upgrade
to Microsoft's Windows 98. Generally agreed to be the best of the Win9x
bunch.
|
Windows Key
|
An extra key on keyboards made
after 1995, located between Ctrl and Alt and bearing the Microsoft Windows
logo. Pressing this key in any Win95/98 application should immediately call
up the Taskbar with the Start Menu open. (If your keyboard doesn't have a Windows
key you can perform the same task by pressing Ctrl-Esc).
|
Windows ME
|
(Millenium Edition) The
successor to Windows 98, but not widely taken up, and soon replaced
by Windows XP. Now obsolete.
|
Windows NT
|
An early version
of Windows intended for business use, more stable for networking
but less game-friendly than its Win9x cousins. First released in
1993, superseded first by Windows 2000 and then Windows XP. Now obsolete.
|
Windows Vista
|
Microsoft's first attempt to
replace Windows XP, first released in 2007. It had a prettier interface and a
few nice ideas, but it was bloated and slow and was soon replaced by Windows
7, which looks very like Vista but is quicker and more stable.
|
Windows XP
|
One of Microsoft's more stable and
popular releases, once they had patched it several times to remove the worst
mistakes and security holes, first released in 2001. Some people are still
declining to upgrade from it to any of the more recent releases.
|
Winzip
|
The most popular program for
compressing files, either for storage or transmission via the internet,
widely available as a free download. The compressed files it creates have the
extension .zip. See also zip.
|
Wireless network
|
A computer network which uses
radio transmitters (usually) to move information between computers without
the need for physical cables. See Wi-Fi.
|
Wizard
|
A Windows feature which
presents a user with simple menus or options for what would otherwise be a
complex task, and carries them out automatically. Almost all Windows programs
are installed via Wizards, and they are also widely used inside
Windows programs.
|
Word Processor
|
A program used for
creating documents, letters etc. The best known is Microsoft Word.
|
World Wide Web (WWW or just
"the Web")
|
The easiest part of
the Internet to understand and use, the World Wide Web consists of
many millions of pages of text and images published by anyone and everyone,
from governments and large corporations down to the humblest home user, in a
standardisedhypertext format. A particular person or company's area is
called a website. Viewed with a program called a browser. Wandering
around the World Wide Web is often called Websurfing or
just surfing.
|
Worm
|
A malicious program introduced
into computers by stealth, similar to avirus.
|
Write-protected
|
A write-protected file has been
set so that it cannot be altered or deleted without first removing the write
protection. Also called read-only. You can write-protect a file in
windows by right-clicking on it and checking the "read-only" box
under attributes.
|
Zip
|
A popular standard for
file compression developed by the PKWare corporation. Files thus
compressed usually have the extension .zip. See Winzip.
|
Zip drive
|
A special drive for removable data
cartridges, often used for makingbackups as the cartridges can hold a
lot more data than a floppy disk. Now pretty much obsolete, as almost all PCs
have CD or DVD writers fitted as standard.
|
Source:
http://www.jonstorm.com/glossary/glosssz.htm
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