Glossary
prepared for
The Institute on Learning Technology
part of the
Spring 2001
This conversation also is available from the
Learning Through Technology web site,
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/cl1/ilt/
Glossary
This glossary contains both common and less-common computer technical terms. The
sources used are listed on the bottom of this page. When a technical term has a common
acronym, both the acronym and the unabbreviated version are listed separately in this
glossary (e.g., both "central processing unit" and "CPU" are given).
A
absolute path name - The tree structure which provides the exact address of a file or
directory without referring to some other unnamed directory. The absolute path name
contains a drive or protocol followed by directories or domains, followed by
subdirectories if needed, followed by the file name each part separated by a slash or
double slash. For example, a file on a hard drive may have a path name of
c://documents/personal/shoppinglist, while a file located on a server to be accessed via
the Internet may have an absolute path name of
http://www.aol.com/jones/familypictures.htm. (See also directory path name and path.
Compare to relative path name.)
active matrix screen - A type of LCD (liquid crystal display) screen found on portable
computers where each pixel has its own unique circuit. The advantage of this is that the
screen can be refreshed at a faster rate and other nearby pixels on the screen are not
accidentally activated.
active window - The window that the mouse's cursor can affect.
additive color system - A system where colors are created by combining the primary
colors together. (See also RGB.)
address - Similar to street addresses, computer addresses identify information's storage
location on a computer or identify a node on a network.
alias - 1. The jagged edge found on pixel-based graphical images. 2. In Macintosh
systems, a small file that points to another file (usually an application). The alias is
similar to the shortcut used on PCs employing Windows.
alpha testing - A software developer's initial release of a program to test for bugs and to
receive feedback. Typically, the alpha test has a large number of errors in it. (See Beta
testing)
American National Standards Institute - ANSI. An organization that reviews and
approves standards in the electronics industry to assist manufacturer in making their
electronic products compatible with one another. ANSI is the US representative to ISO.
American Standard Code for Information Interchange - ASCII. The most popular
character set used. It employs a 7-bit code for each character and punctuation mark, and
consists of the first 128 (0-127) characters of the ANSI character set.
American Standard Code for Information Interchange file - ASCII file. A file that
uses the ASCII format. This is one of the simplest formats and can usually be read by any
computer or word processor, and is useful in file transfers. It is also commonly called a
"text file" or "ASCII text file" and contains very little or no formatting.
analog - A signal that varies or modulates; wired telephone systems use an analog system
to covert voice into an electronic signal. (See also Digital.)
ANSI - American National Standards Institute. An organization that reviews and
approves standards in the electronics industry to assist manufacturer in making their
electronic products compatible with one another. ANSI is the US representative to ISO.
anti-aliasing - A process of interpolation that smoothes the step-stairs of images. The
process usually involves adding different hues next to the step-stair, rough-edged pixels
to give it a smooth appearance.
applet - A program that is typically designed not to be a stand-alone program but rather
called upon by another program. Currently, applets are commonly used with browsers
such as Netscape and Internet Explorer and are written in Java.
application - A software program that interacts with the operating system, manipulates
data files, has an interface with the user, and allows the user to perform a task or complete
a job. Common examples include word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and drawing
programs.
AppleTalk - A set of communication protocols used to define networking on the
AppleShare network on the Macintosh system.
architecture - Typically the components of a computer system (hardware, bus, software,
peripherals, etc.) and how they interact with one another.
arrow keys - Sometimes also called direction keys. The keys are usually found together
on the key board and have an up, down, left, and right direction.
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The most popular
character set used. It employs a 7-bit code for each character and punctuation mark, and
consists of the first 128 (0-127) characters of the ANSI character set.
ASCII file - A file that uses the ASCII format. This is one of the simplest formats and
can usually be read by any computer or word processor, and is useful in file transfers. It
is also commonly called a "text file" or "ASCII text file" and contains very little or no
formatting.
assistive technology - Technology (hardware and software) typically used to help
disabled individuals use computers or it provides alternative modes of operation for all
users. Examples include text readers (devices that convert text to audio), devices that
convert text into Braille, and pointing devices other than the mouse.
asynchronous - A process that does not occur in "real time." In distance education, the
learning that typically occurs via email would be asynchronous since there is typically a
time delay between when the message is sent and when a reply is received. (See also
synchronous.)
attachment - An encapsulated file or image that is placed within another document.
Attachments, used with email systems, can be word processing documents, spreadsheets,
audio files, or images among others.
B
BASIC - Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. A simple to use
programming language that has gradually lost favor to other languages because of
portability issues. The most popular version is now Visual Basic.
Basic Input/Output System - BIOS. A program found on PCs used to connect with
input and output devices like the mouse, keyboard, and monitor prior to the loading of the
operating system. The program may be part of the CPU as in firmware.
baud/baud rate - Data transmission speed units that approximately equals one bit per
second (1 bps).
BBS - Bulletin Board System. An electronic bulletin board in which a computer
server/host used by a group of individuals to share messages, software, or who have a
common interest.
Bulletin Board System - BBS. An electronic bulletin board in which a computer
server/host used by a group of individuals to share messages, software, or who have a
common interest.
base-2 numbering - A numbering system based on 2 rather than the commonly used
based 10. Numbering in base 2 would be: 0, 1, 10, 11, 100, 101, 110, 111, 1000, 1001,
1010, 1011, 1100, 1101, 1110, 1111, 10000 (these numbers correspond to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16). The place holders in base-10 are 1's, 10's, 100's,
1000's; in base-2 numbering systems the place holders are 1's, 2's, 4's, 8's, etc. So 1111
means 1 one, 1 two, 1 four, and 1 eight for a total of 15.
Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code - BASIC. A simple to use
programming language that has gradually lost favor to other languages because of
portability issues. The most popular version is now Visual Basic.
beta/beta testing - A program's second-release to discover bugs and receive feedback.
Beta versions may be made public or may be released to a small number of designated
"beta-testers." Typically, beta versions have fewer bugs than alpha versions but more
bugs than a regular release.
binary - The base-2 numbering system which computers use to represent switches of
either being "on" or "off" (or 1 and 0).
binary digit - bit. The smallest unit used by computers (either a 1 or 0).
bit - binary digit. The smallest unit used by computers (either a 1 or 0).
bitmap - An arrangement or set of pixels using binary values (1 or 0 for black and white
images).
byte - Eight bits of data representing a number between 0 and 255 (in the base-2
numbering system, a number between 0 and 11111111). Each byte often represents a
single character in texts.
BIOS - Basic Input/Output System. A program found on PCs used to connect with
input and output devices like the mouse, keyboard, and monitor prior to the loading of the
operating system. The program may be part of the CPU as in firmware.
bit-mapped graphics - An image that uses a bitmap format: an array or matrix of pixels.
Often, bit-mapped graphics are black and white images.
bps - 1 bits per second. Usually used to describe baud rates.
buffer - Usually a temporary allocation of system memory often used by programs as a
way to access and alter content.
bandwidth - The amount or capacity of data that can be transmitted over a unit of time.
Usually described in bits per second (bps) for digital transfers and cycles per seconds
(Hertz, Hz) in analog systems.
broadband - A network that carriers multiple networks using different frequencies. The
networks can work simultaneously without interfering with one another's transmissions.
bug - A hardware or software error that causes inconsistent performance.
batch processing - The scheduling of a series of tasks to be completed; for example, a
series of print job orders are received and carried out in a prioritized order.
boot - Placing the system software into the system memory and starting it up (i.e., often
used to mean starting the computer).
browser - An application used to view and interact with the world wide web and interpret
HTML code. Also called a web browser. The two most common browsers are Netscape
Communicator, Microsoft Internet Explorer.
C
C - A popular software programming language that is highly portable.
C++ - The object-oriented version of the C programming language. It is more
complicated but still portable.
cache - High speed storage used as a transfer point for frequently used data between the
CPU and the hard disk or RAM memory. Cache memory is used because it improves
computer performance making it faster. Cache memory is usually either fast RAM
memory or a specific region of the hard disk set aside for this specific use.
CAD - computer-aided design. Using computers to help design, draw, and analyze the
production of industrial or electronic components.
capture - To save or record some data stream (video, graphical, textual).
card - A processor that can be added to an expansion slot located on the mother board of
a PC. The card can be a video accelerator card (a processor dedicated to processing
video) or it can function in a variety of other capacities. Also called an expansion card.
cascade windows - Overlapping windows on the desktop of a PC with Windows or
Macintosh computer so that only the title bar and a small portion of the inactive windows
are visible. See also tiled windows.
cascading menu - Drop down menus with submenus.
cathode ray tube - CRT. The video/imaging tube of most TVs and computer monitors.
The CRT contains phosphors (chemicals that glow when excited) that are chemically
excited by an electron beam.
CD-ROM - compact disc read-only memory. An optical storage medium that can hold
about 600 MB of data and is accessed with lasers.
central processing unit - CPU. The central processing unit contains the chip or main
processor of a personal computer. It performs the basic tasks and functions of the
computer, and is often called the "brains" of the computer. The central processing unit
may also refer to the housing or motherboard that contains the chip.
character set - A set of numbers, letters, and special characters that have some design
characteristic in common. For examples, the ASCII character set.
checkbox - Usually a small box that can be toggled either "on" of "off." When clicked,
an "x" or checkmark appears signifying an "on" option.
chip - An integrated circuit usually made of silicon that contains a very large number of
electronic components. The chip is the "brains" of the computer.
Chooser - A system component of Macintosh computers allowing the user to select
between printers, servers, and other networked devices.
CHRP - common hardware reference platform. A hardware architecture that uses the
PowerPC CPU and a PCI bus. The CHRP is found in Macintosh computers but supports
other operating systems. (Also called the PowerPC Platform.)
CISC - complex instruction set computing. A chip architecture with a variety of simple
tasks hard-coded into the chip. Older chips such as the Motorola 680x0 and Intel 80x86
had a CISC architecture; newer chips use the RISC architecture.
CLI - command-line interface. Typically refers to an operating system that is controlled
by typing in command lines. A primary example of CLI is MS-DOS where a command
line such as, c://format a:, is required to format a disk in drive “a.” Most desktop
computers use a graphical user interface (GUI) instead (Unix is a CLI-based system).
click - The process of placing the mouse cursor over an object on the desktop and
pressing down on the mouse button and releasing.
client - A computer that is accessing another remote computer (i.e., a server) and
retrieving data in some form.
clipboard - A temporary storage of information (text, image), etc.) to facilitate the
transfer of this data from one document to another or from one application to another.
The clipboard's content is removed when the computer is turned off. It can be accessed in
Macintosh computers under the desktop menu item Edit/Show clipboard or Clipboard
Viewer in Windows-based computer.
CMYK - cyan, magenta, yellow, black. A color description that defines colors with a
subtractive color system starting with white and removing percentages of cyan, magenta,
or yellow. CMYK is used to define colors on printers.
coaxial cable - A wire well suited to network transmissions. It contains a solid core wire
surrounded by insulation surround be another conducting braided band. The wire can
carry high bandwidths with little interference. There are different types of coaxial cables
including thin coaxial (10Base-2), thick coaxial (10Base-5), and twisted pair (10Base-T)
cables.
COBOL - common business-oriented language. One of the older programming
languages aimed at business users that is portable but also longer (i.e., less efficient).
command-line interface - CLI. Typically refers to an operating system that is controlled
by typing in command lines. A primary example of CLI is MS-DOS where a command
line such as, c://format a:, is required to format a disk in drive “a.” Most desktop
computers use a graphical user interface (GUI) instead (Unix is a CLI-based system).
comment - In programming languages, a comment is information placed there by the
programmer but ignored by the compiler. In HTML, a "<!--" starts the comments and a "->" ends the comment.
common business-oriented language - COBOL. One of the older programming
languages aimed at business users that is portable but also longer (i.e., less efficient).
common hardware reference platform - CHRP. A hardware architecture that uses the
PowerPC CPU and a PCI bus. The common hardware reference platform is found in
Macintosh computers but supports other operating systems. (Also called the PowerPC
Platform.)
compact disc read-only memory - CD-ROM. An optical storage medium that can hold
about 600 MB of data and is accessed with lasers.
compiler - A application that takes source code and converts it into machine code that
can be executed by the computer.
complex instruction set computing - CISC. A chip architecture with a variety of simple
tasks hard-coded into the chip. Older chips such as the Motorola 680x0 and Intel 80x86
had a complex instruction set computing architecture; newer chips use the RISC
architecture.
compressed video - A digital video segment that has been reduced in size by using
computer algorithms. The compressed version usually has a lower resolution than the
uncompressed version. The better the compression algorithm, the greater the reduction in
size without the corresponding reduction in resolution.
compression - The process of taking a data object and reducing its size. The tradeoff that
occurs is between the loss of resolution versus the reduction in size.
COM port - A connecting location on computers for a serial cable. Serial cables usually
have 9 pins and pass data at a slower rate than parallel ports. Serial ports can be used for
printers and modems.
computer-aided design - CAD. Using computers to help design, draw, and analyze the
production of industrial or electronic components.
cookie - A cookie is a small amount of information written on a client computer
(typically your personal computer) from a server and is especially common on the web.
The information may include a userID or your previous Internet shopping excursion.
coprocessor - An additional processor that usually has a specific dedicated task such as
number crunching or video processing. Coprocessors are attached on small circuit boards
called cards and are inserted in expansion slots.
CPU - central processing unit. The CPU contains the chip or main processor of a
personal computer. It performs the basic tasks and functions of the computer, and is often
called the "brains" of the computer. The CPU may also refer to the housing or
motherboard that contains the chip.
cross-platform - Different platforms would include Macintosh, PC Windows, and MSDOS. An application that is cross-platform can be run on more than one platform;
currently, most cross-platform applications are compatible with Windows and Macintosh
systems (and/or UNIX systems).
CRT - cathode ray tube. The video/imaging tube of most TVs and computer monitors.
The CRT contains phosphors (chemicals that glow when excited) that are chemically
excited by an electron beam.
cyan, magenta, yellow, black - CMYK. A color description that defines colors with a
subtractive color system starting with white and removing percentages of cyan, magenta,
or yellow.
D
daisy chain - A method of connecting a series of peripherals on a bus in a chain. A
signal is sent from the CPU along this chain of devices, if the device did not request the
signal it passes it along to the next device.
DAT - digital audio tape. An audio tape similar to a magnetic cassette tape but using a
digital process of recording and playing back.
database - A series of files connected and related by data objects it contains. In database
programs, a database may contain forms, tables, queries, and other data manipulation
files.
decompression - The process of taking a compressed file and returning it to its original
uncompressed state.
decryption - The process of de-coding an encrypted set of data using the code’s key.
dedicated line - A communication line, often a telephone or ISDN line, that provides a
specific function such as a modem connecting line.
delimiter - An item that divides data fields. Commonly used delimiters include a
comma, space, or tab character.
desktop - The windows, icons, dialog boxes, aliases, and other items that appear on the
computer screen of Macintoshes and Windows-based PCs.
desktop computer - A personal computer that resides on the desk’s top; a desktop
computer is non-portable and can not function as a mainframe computer.
device ID - An identifying ASCII string used to identify each hardware device from
another; i.e., an internal CD-ROM, a hard drive, a printer, etc., will each have their own
unique device ID.
dialog box - A small window that appears on the desktop typically either notifying the
user of some event (e.g., a system error) and requesting input from the user (“OK” to
print).
dial-up connection - A connection between two devices over the telephone lines; e.g.,
connecting to an email service provider.
digital - A system that defines data in a discrete, non-fluctuating (i.e., non-analog),
numerical method. Similar to a binary system.
digital audio tape - DAT. An audio tape similar to a magnetic cassette tape but using a
digital process of recording and playing back.
digitalize - The process of converting a non-digital item (e.g., a photograph or video clip)
into a digital data object.
digital video disk - DVD. An optical storage medium that can store video, audio, and
text. This medium is beginning to replace magnetic video tapes.
DIMM - dual inline memory module. A pre-assembled RAM module that contains
many smaller memory chips. A DIMM has a 168-pin connector allowing for 64-bit data
transfer, twice the data transfer rate of SIMMs (single inline memory module).
DIP switch - dual inline package switch. A series of small switches on hard devices
like hard drives used to define the configuration of that piece of hardware. For example,
on computers with 2 hard drives, the DIP switches are used to define which hard drive is
the master (primary) and which is the slave (secondary) hard drive.
direction keys - Sometimes also called arrow keys. The keys are usually found together
on the key board and have an up, down, left, and right direction.
directory - A organizational technique used to store computer files. A directory can
contain files, applications, or other directories called sub-directories. On computers with
graphical user interfaces (GUIs), directories are called folders.
directory path name - The complete name of the directory starting with the root
directory (top level directory). A directory name may be for example,
c:/documents/personal. (See also absolute path name and path. Compare to relative path
name.)
disk cache - Using the hard drive as a memory cache for faster data retrieval. Disk cache
is used as temporary higher-speed storage and transfer of data. Cache is used because it
improves computer performance making it faster. Cache memory can also be dedicated
fast RAM memory.
Disks - A portable storage disk. Disks come in a variety of sizes and capacities. Older
versions included the 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 inch floppies. Newer versions are the 3.5 inch disks
with about 1.4 MB storage capacity. Even newer magneto-optical disks such as Zip
disks, can store about 100 MB of storage, while Jazz disks can be as large as 2 GB.
disk drive - The part of the hard drive that holds and spins the disk. The heads of the
disk drive read and write data to the disk.
disk partition - Disk partition occurs when a segment of a disk is set aside for a specific
system file or function. Disk partitioning can also refer to the process of dividing a hard
drive’s disk into smaller segments for more efficient data storage.
dithering - Simulating an unavailable color usually on a monitor by using other colors.
A common example of this is with the world wide web; not all colors are available on all
monitors and computer systems so those colors not available on the client computer are
dithered to create a similar color as the one on the server.
DNS 1. domain name service. A service that takes a domain and searches until a specific host
is found.
2. domain name server. A server that provides routing for a particular domain (i.e.,
wisc.edu).
3. domain name system. A system that converts IP addresses into a specific domain.
domain/domain name - A name such as wisc.edu that identifies the host or organization
with that name.
domain name service - DNS. A server that provides routing for a particular domain (i.e.,
wisc.edu).
domain name service - DNS. A service that takes a domain and searches until a specific
host is found.
domain name service - DNS. A system that converts IP addresses into a specific
domain.
dots per inch - DPI. A measure of the resolution of a scanner, printer, image, etc. The
higher the dots per inch, the higher the resolution.
download - The process of transferring data from one computer to another. Usually,
download refers to the transfer of data from a server to a client computer. The opposite
of upload.
downtime - The time when a desktop or network computer is down and unavailable to
use.
DPI - dots per inch. A measure of the resolution of a scanner, printer, image, etc. The
higher the DPI, the higher the resolution.
drag - The process of moving an object on a graphical user interface (GUI) computer by
holding the mouse button down while moving the mouse.
drag and drop - The process of dragging a GUI item such as a document and then
releasing the mouse button to copy, print, or perform some function on that data object.
DRAM - dynamic random access memory. DRAM is a type of RAM that contains a
capacitor and requires refreshing since capacitors gradually lose their charge over time.
Data transfer rates are slower with DRAM than with static RAM (SRAM), about 60
versus 10 nanoseconds, respectively.
driver/device driver - Software that is used to interface the computer’s OS with external
hardware such as printers or scanners.
drop-down menu - A menu that drops down when a user chooses a menu title in the
menu bar.
dual inline memory module - DIMM. A pre-assembled RAM module that contains
many smaller memory chips. A dual inline memory module has a 168-pin connector
allowing for 64-bit data transfer, twice the data transfer rate of SIMMs (single inline
memory module).
dual inline package switch - DIP switch. A series of small switches on hard devices
like hard drives used to define the configuration of that piece of hardware. For example,
on computers with 2 hard drives, the dual inline package switches are used to define
which hard drive is the master (primary) and which is the slave (secondary) hard drive.
DVD - digital video disk. An optical storage medium that can store video, audio, and
text. This medium is beginning to replace magnetic video tapes.
dynamic random access memory - DRAM. Dynamic random access memory is a type
of RAM that contains a capacitor and requires refreshing since capacitors gradually lose
their charge over time. Data transfer rates are slower with dynamic random access
memory than with static RAM (SRAM), about 60 versus 10 nanoseconds, respectively.
E
EIDE - enhanced integrated device electronics. A disk format used by most common
platforms in which the controller electronics reside within the drive housing removing the
need for a separate adapter. Other formats include SCSI, UltraSCSI, and IDE.
em dash - A dash (—) the width of the letter M in the same font and font size.
emulator - The process where one computer mimics another computer; for example, a
Macintosh computer emulating a Windows-based computers. Once emulated, the
computer theoretically has the same functioning capacities as the computer it is
emulating.
encryption - The process of protecting a set of data usually for security reasons. The
process codes the data which can later be de-coded (decryption) using the code’s key.
en dash - A dash (–) half as wide as the em dash in the same font and font size.
Encapsulated PostScript - EPS. A graphical file format used with desktop publishing
programs.
end of file - EOF. A marker on a file to designate the end of the file has been reached.
enhanced integrated device electronics - EIDE. A disk format used by most common
platforms in which the controller electronics reside within the drive housing removing the
need for a separate adapter. Other formats include SCSI, UltraSCSI, and IDE.
EOF - end of file. A marker on a file to designate the end of the file has been reached.
EPS - Encapsulated PostScript. A graphical file format used with desktop publishing
programs.
Ethernet - A networking system that enables high speed data communication over
coaxial cables. The Ethernet network system supports TCP/IP, AppleTalk, Novell
Netware, and other network protocols.
expansion bus - Control lines that interface with devices on the system board or
expansion cards. Common expansion buses include USB and PCI.
expansion card - A processor that can be added to an expansion slot located on the
mother board of a PC. The card can be a video accelerator card (a processor dedicated to
processing video) or it can function in a variety of other capacities. Also called a card.
expansion slot - The location on the mother board that the expansion card connects to.
extension - Typically a 3 letter ending that follows the file name and is separated by a
period. Extensions are used in MS-DOS systems and often used with world wide web
pages’ graphics and other multimedia files. Common extensions include .doc, .wpd, .txt.,
.rtf for word processing documents; .gif, .jpg., .bmp, .psd, .png, and many more for image
files; .wav and.aiff for audio files; and .mov, .mpeg, .avi for video files.
F
FAQ - frequently asked questions. A document that tries to answer frequently asked
questions. This is a popular mode of support with the world wide web.
FAT
1. file allocation table. A table used by an operating system to keep track of the files
stored on the hard drive disk. Often files are broken into segments on a hard drive disk
with each segment being record by FAT and associated with that file. The FAT is used
when the file is open or run so the various segments can be sequenced together.
2. An application that is compiled to run on 2 platforms. For instance, on Macintosh
computers, a FAT application could run on a PowerPC or a 680x0 platform.
fiber-optic cable - A data transmission wire made of glass or plastic. Data is transmitted
using a modulated laser pulse.
FIFO - first in/first out. A method of processing the first file in the order it was sent.
Typically used with printer queues.
file - A block of stored information that can be retrieve with a computer.
file allocation table - FAT. A table used by an operating system to keep track of the
files stored on the hard drive disk. Often files are broken into segments on a hard drive
disk with each segment being record by FAT and associated with that file. The FAT is
used when the file is open or run so the various segments can be sequenced together.
file format - The file structure that determines how the file is organized and displayed on
a monitor, printer, etc.
File Manager - The Windows-based application that manages files and
directories/folders.
file sharing - A networked system that allows more than one user to access the same file.
file server - A computer that supports a network of computers allowing them to
communicate with one another and share resources.
file transfer protocol -FTP. A common way to transfer files over the Internet. FTP has
been adapted to nearly all platforms and can be used in two modes: ASCII or binary.
finder - An essential component of the Macintosh system and loads with the system.
Firewire - A new, fasted serial port that allows the chaining of devices. Firewire is faster
than most parallel ports.
firmware - Software codes that are written directly and permanently onto chips.
first in/first out - FIFO. A method of processing the first file in the order it was sent.
Typically used with printer queues.
fixed width - As applying to fonts, fixed width fonts are fonts whose characters take up
the same amount of space independent of the specific character. For example, both an “i”
and an “o” will take up the same amount of space even though the characters themselves
are different widths. Variable width fonts (also called proportional fonts) are those fonts
in which the characters take up different widths.
flash memory - Similar to RAM except it does not lose its information when the power
is shut off and is slower.
floating point operations per second - FLOPS. A measure of the speed of computer.
Floating point operations are mathematical calculations with floating point numbers.
floppy drive - Term used for the diskette drive. Diskettes are disks with about 1.4 MB of
storage.
FLOPS - floating point operations per second. A measure of the speed of computer.
Floating point operations are mathematical calculations with floating point numbers.
font - A set of characters, punctuation marks, and symbols. Fonts can be either scable
(TrueType and PostScript fonts) or of fixed point size.
format 1. To format a disk to be compatible with a specific platform. Also called initialization of
a disk.
2. The way text is arranged in a document with such formatting as columns, bold, font
size, etc.
formula translation - FORTRAN. FORTRAN is the oldest programming language, is
not very portable, is compiled, but fast. It has lost its appeal to other programming
languages such as Java and C++.
FORTRAN - formula translation. FORTRAN is the oldest programming language, is
not very portable, is compiled, but fast. It has lost its appeal to other programming
languages such as Java and C++.
frame - A single image that can be displayed with a series of other frames to generate an
animated image or video clip. Computer video often runs at 30 frames per second while
film run at 24 frames per second.
freeware - Software that is in the public domain and can be used free of charge.
frequently asked questions - FAQ. A document that tries to answer frequently asked
questions. This is a popular mode of support with the world wide web.
FTP - file transfer protocol. A common way to transfer files over the Internet. FTP has
been adapted to nearly all platforms and can be used in two modes: ASCII or binary.
full dump - A backup of an entire computer system’s set of files. (See also incremental
dump.)
full-motion video - Frames that are usually displayed at 30 frames per second.
function keys - One of a dozen or more keyboard keys labeled F1, F2, etc. each have a
specific pre-determined or programmed function such as copy, cut, paste, or print.
G
GB - gigabyte. Approximately 1,000,000,000 bytes (1 billion bytes), 1,000,000
kilobytes, or 1,000 megabytes. Exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes, 1,048,576 kilobytes, or
1,024 megabytes calculated from 2 to the 30th power.
GIF - Graphic Interchange Format. A popular graphical format developed by
CompuServe commonly used on the world wide web. Gif files are 8-bit graphic files that
can possess 256 different colors and are compressed without loss of information. GIFs
can be also animated.
gigabyte - GB. Approximately 1,000,000,000 bytes (1 billion bytes), 1,000,000
kilobytes, or 1,000 megabytes. Exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes, 1,048,576 kilobytes, or
1,024 megabytes calculated from 2 to the 30th power.
gopher - A method of distributing information by computers that has waned in popularity
to ftp. Most gopher files contain only text information with few images, audio, or video
components. Files can be downloaded with a similar protocol like ftp.
graphical user interface - GUI. A graphical interface where the user uses a mouse,
keyboard, icons, and menus to send commands to the CPU. Non-GUI systems would
include MS-DOS which required typed commands such as “>format a:” to format a
diskette.
Graphic Interchange Format -GIF. Graphic Interchange Format. A popular graphical
format developed by CompuServe commonly used on the world wide web. Gif files are
8-bit graphic files that can possess 256 different colors and are compressed without loss
of information. GIFs can be also animated.
graphics accelerator - An expansion card used to do calculate pixel values separately
from the computer’s CPU.
GUI - graphical user interface. A graphical interface where the user uses a mouse,
keyboard, icons, and menus to send commands to the CPU. Non-GUI systems would
include MS-DOS which required typed commands such as “>format a:” to format a
diskette.
H
hard disk/hard drive/hard disk drive - These words are often used interchangeably.
The mechanism contains a disk that data is stored on. There is also a mechanism used to
read and write data to the disk, and there is a housing unit that holds the mechanism
together. Hard drives are becoming much more portable (e.g., Zip drives) and larger
(e.g., 20GB non-portable drives are now commonplace).
hardware - Often referring to the mechanical and electrical parts that make up a
computer system. These devices would include the mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer,
scanner, motherboard, RAM, etc.
hexadecimal - A base-16 numbering system based rather than the commonly used based
10. Numbering in base 16 has 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, G (these
numbers and letters correspond to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16).
The place holders in base-10 are 1's, 10's, 100's, 1000's; in base-16 numbering systems
the place holders are 1's, 16's, 256's, 4,096's, etc. So 5CA means 5 256’s, 12 16’s, and 10
one’s for a total of 1482.
high resolution - An adjective that describes a higher number of dots per inch (DPI)
relative to some other resolution. Currently, laser printers and scanners have 1200 DPI
while monitors often have 1600 x 1200 DPI.
HLS - hue, luminance, and saturation. A color model system used to define colors on
monitors and televisions. Other color models include CYMK and RGB. HLS is also
sometimes abbreviated HSI or HSV for hue, saturation, and intensity, or hue, saturation,
and value, respectively.
host - A computer that provides services to another computer; for example, storing
downloadable files.
HTML - hypertext markup language. A file format and programming code commonly
used with pages located on the world wide web. It is read by web browsers and can be
used to embedded graphics, audio, video, and applets. It links to other HTML pages
using uniform resource locators (URLs).
http - hypertext transfer protocol. The protocol used on the Internet to transfer
hypertext media based on the TCP/IP protocol.
https - hypertext transfer protocol secure. The protocol used on the Internet to transfer
secure hypertext media based on the TCP/IP protocol and the SSL security protocol.
hub - A location on the Internet that acts as a junction for many nodes.
hue - A color in the spectrum which can be represented by a word (e.g., red), by a
hexidecimal value (e.g., #000000, white), and by other coding schemes. Hue along with
luminence and saturation are used in the HLS color model.
hue, luminance, and saturation - HLS. A color model system used to define colors on
monitors and televisions. Other color models include CYMK and RGB. HLS is also
sometimes abbreviated HSI or HSV for hue, saturation, and intensity, or hue, saturation,
and value, respectively.
hyperlink - A link within a hypertext document created with HTML.
hypertext - A document created using HTML.
hypertext markup language - HTML. A file format and programming code commonly
used with pages located on the world wide web. It is read by web browsers and can be
used to embedded graphics, audio, video, and applets. It links to other hypertext markup
language pages using uniform resource locators (URLs).
hypertext transfer protocol - http. The protocol used on the Internet to transfer
hypertext media based on the TCP/IP protocol.
I
icon - A graphic used to link to an application, document, etc. Used extensively in GUI
systems.
IDE - integrated device electronics. A disk format used by most common platforms, in
which the controller electronics reside within the drive housing removing the need for a
separate adapter. Other formats include SCSI, UltraSCSI, and EIDE.
IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. A professional organization
of engineers, students, and other related professions established in 1963. Among other
things, it establishes standards for the computer and electronics industry.
image - A computer graphic.
image resolution - A representation of the quality of the image usually measured in dots
per inch (DPI). Typical DPI for world wide web graphics is 72 though higher resolutions
of 600 DPI are not uncommon.
import - Commonly used to refer to documents or images created by one application in
one platform that are opened by another application or in a different platform. For
example, opening a MSWord document using WordPerfect, a PC MSWord document on
a Macintosh, or a Photoshop image with Fireworks.
incremental dump - Backing up a computer’s files that have changed since the last
backup. (See also full dump.)
infrared communication - A means of communicating using an infrared signal. For
example, remote controllers for televisions work by sending an infrared signal to an
infrared receiver on the television. Similarly, laptop computers can send documents to
printers using an infrared port.
Infrared Data Association - IrDA. A voluntary group of manufacturers who have a
common communications system to allow all IrDA compliant devices to communicate
with one another.
INI file - initialization file. A file commonly used in earlier PC Windows systems (i.e.,
Windows 3.1) that contains simple initialization information for the drivers, system, and
other basic computer applications.
initialization file - INI file. A file commonly used in earlier PC Windows systems (i.e.,
Windows 3.1) that contains simple initialization information for the drivers, system, and
other basic computer applications.
input device - Any device that can provide information to a computer including a
keyboard, mouse, joystick, audio recognition device, track ball, light pen, etc.
input/output - I/O. The process of providing data for a computer that can then process
or store that data for later retrieval and output to a user.
insertion point - Typically a location in a text document shown as a blinking vertical bar
where additional text or other data objects will be added.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - IEEE. A professional organization
of engineers, students, and other related professions established in 1963. Among other
things, it establishes standards for the computer and electronics industry.
integrated device electronics - IDE. A disk format used by most common platforms, in
which the controller electronics reside within the drive housing removing the need for a
separate adapter. Other formats include SCSI, UltraSCSI, and EIDE.
integrated service digital network - ISDN. A set of standards used for the
communication of voice, data, video, and audio signals over a single communication line.
Typically, ISDN lines are much faster than traditional telephone/modem lines and transfer
data via a digital signal.
interface - The junction between two items. These items can be two hardware items (a
printer and a computer), two applications, the user and the computer (e.g., GUI), the user
and an application, etc. The interface define the functions and protocols between the two
items.
International Organization for Standardization - ISO. An international organization
that reviews devices and establishes standards in communications. (Often incorrectly
called the International Standards Organization.) http://www.iso.ch/welcome.html
Internet - A worldwide connection of smaller networks hooked together into a massive
network contains millions of hosts and nodes.
Internet Explorer - The Microsoft world wide web browser that is available for a variety
of platforms including PC Windows and Macintosh.
Internet Protocol - IP. The basic protocol of the Internet. It provides the protocols so
two computers will be able to find one another but does not provide any protocols to
assure that the data sent will actually arrive, will not arrive in duplicate form, nor will
arrive in a non-corrupted state. Other protocols are established to monitor data integrity.
Internet relay chat - IRC. A method of voice communication between two individuals
using the Internet in real-time.
Internet service provider - ISP. An organization (typically a company) that provides
Internet access to individuals, companies, and organizations.
interpreter - A program that reads source code and interprets it line by line. It does not
create an executable file.
I/O - input/output. The process of providing data for a computer that can then process
or store that data for later retrieval and output to a user.
IP - Internet Protocol. The basic protocol of the Internet. It provides the protocols so
two computers will be able to find one another but does not provide any protocols to
assure that the data sent will actually arrive, will not arrive in duplicate form, nor will
arrive in a non-corrupted state. Other protocols are established to monitor data integrity.
IP address - In TCP/IP, a 32-bit number that identifies each host on a network.
IRC - Internet relay chat. A method of voice communication between two individuals
using the Internet in real-time.
IrDA - Infrared Data Association. A voluntary group of manufacturers who have a
common communications system to allow all IrDA compliant devices to communicate
with one another.
ISDN - integrated service digital network. A set of standards used for the
communication of voice, data, video, and audio signals over a single communication line.
Typically, ISDN lines are much faster than traditional telephone/modem lines and transfer
data via a digital signal.
ISO - International Organization for Standardization. An international organization
that reviews devices and establishes standards in communications. (Often incorrectly
called the International Standards Organization.) http://www.iso.ch/welcome.html
ISP - Internet service provider. An organization (typically a company) that provides
Internet access to individuals, companies, and organizations.
J
Java - A platform-independent object-oriented programming language designed for the
web and developed by Sun Microsystems. A Java application on the web, an applet, is
downloaded by a client and then runs on the client’s computer. Since it is platformindependent, a separate Macintosh, Windows, etc. version is not needed.
JavaScript - A programming language that is interpreted by both majors browsers
(though not necessarily in identical ways) and is used to enhance a web page, for instance,
by accepting user input. JavaScript is not related to Java.
Joint Photographic Experts Group - JPEG. A graphics file format developed by the
ISO. JPEG files are more useful when the image contains a large color palette while the
GIF format is more suited to a smaller number of colors. The compression algorithm for
JPEG is a lossy one so image resolution is lost as the file is compressed; greater
compression leads to greater loss.
JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group. A graphics file format developed by the
ISO. JPEG files are more useful when the image contains a large color palette while the
GIF format is more suited to a smaller number of colors. The compression algorithm for
JPEG is a lossy one so image resolution is lost as the file is compressed; greater
compression leads to greater loss.
K
KB - kilobyte. Approximately 1,000 bytes. Exactly 1,024 bytes calculated from 2 to the
10th power.
Kermit - A file transfer and terminal emulation protocol not used very often anymore.
keyboard buffer - A temporary memory in the keyboard that stores a number of key
strokes. In this way, even if the computer does not initially respond to the key strokes, it
will when it’s CPU becomes available with having to re-enter the key strokes.
keyword - A word used for sorting, filtering, and searching. In programming languages,
it is a reserved word which can not be used, for example, as a variable name. For
instance, a variable typically can not be name “then” because if-then statements have
reserved the word “then.”
kilobyte - KB. Approximately 1,000 bytes. Exactly 1,024 bytes calculated from 2 to the
10th power.
L
L2 cache - level2 cache. Cache memory installed is called level 2 cache because level 1
cache is already on the CPU. Cache memory is high speed storage used as a transfer
point for frequently used data between the CPU and the hard disk or RAM memory.
Cache memory is used because it improves computer performance making it faster.
Cache memory is usually either fast RAM memory or a specific region of the hard disk
set aside for this specific use.
LAN - local area network. A network of personal computers usually in close proximity
(in the same office or on the same floor of a building) hooked together so common
resources like files, data, and printers can be used by an entire group of workers.
landscape - The orientation of a document or graphic to be horizontal; i.e., the width is
greater than the height. See also portrait.
laptop - A portable computer slightly larger than a notebook computer. These computers
are more expensive than desktops and can run on batteries for a short period of time.
laser printer - A printer that uses a laser beam to produce high quality text and graphic
images. At this time, laser printers are the best resolution printers, come in black and
white or color, and are the most expensive commercial personal printers.
LCD - liquid crystal display. The portable computer display screens filled with liquid
crystals. There are 2 common types: the high quality active matrix displays and the lower
quality passive matrix displays.
LED - light emitting diode. LEDs are the small green, yellow, orange, or red lights
commonly found in computers and other small electronic devices. They are
semiconductor diodes; i.e., containing 2 semiconductors sandwiched together.
level2 cache - L2 cache. Cache memory installed is called level 2 cache because level 1
cache is already on the CPU. Cache memory is high speed storage used as a transfer
point for frequently used data between the CPU and the hard disk or RAM memory.
Cache memory is used because it improves computer performance making it faster.
Cache memory is usually either fast RAM memory or a specific region of the hard disk
set aside for this specific use.
light emitting diode - LED. LEDs are the small green, yellow, orange, or red lights
commonly found in computers and other small electronic devices. They are
semiconductor diodes; i.e., containing 2 semiconductors sandwiched together.
Linux - Linux is an operating system that is very fast and stable. It can run on most
platforms including PDAs; other platforms not yet compatible are under development.
Since it is based on the Unix system, it can run all Unix software and is preferred by ISPs.
It is gradually making headway in the personal computing market, and can be
downloaded free over the Internet.
liquid crystal display - LCD. The portable computer display screens filled with liquid
crystals. There are 2 common types: the high quality active matrix displays and the lower
quality passive matrix displays.
Lisp - Lisp was the second programming language developed after FORTRAN. It is
usually interpreted, is fairly portable but not fast.
load - The common use of load or loading is to place the machine-language instructions
of an program, or some data, into memory.
local area network - LAN. A network of personal computers usually in close proximity
(in the same office or on the same floor of a building) hooked together so common
resources like files, data, and printers can be used by an entire group of workers.
LocalTalk - The hardware built into Macintosh computers used for networking using the
AppleTalk protocol.
login - A process (i.e., noun) to gain access to a server using a user name and password.
log in - The action (i.e., verb) to send a user name and password to a server and gaining
access to that server.
logout - A process (i.e., noun) to disconnect the link to a server that required a user name
and password.
log out - The action (i.e., verb) of disconnecting the link to a server access with a user
name and password.
locked file - A file that is in use, or one that has been protected or in some way limited is
usage (i.e., read only files). For instance, a file opened in an application can not be
deleted until it is closed from that application.
lossless compression - A compression algorithm that reduces the size of a file without
losing any image quality and can be restored to its original form. This type of
compression can not compress the file as much as lossy compression but no image quality
is lost.
lossy compression - A compression algorithm that reduces the size of a file and also
reduces image quality. It can not be restored to its original form but can compress to a
greater degree than lossless compression.
low resolution - Low resolution typically implies that image quality is not high; i.e., the
image is not as sharp as a high resolution image. Resolution can be measured in pixels
per inch or DPI. For example, a low resolution graphic may be 72 DPI while a low
resolution scanner may be able to scan images only at 300 DPI.
LPT1 - The first parallel port on PC computers that typically is used as a connection to
printers. Parallel ports are faster than serial ports because they can send more than 1 bit
of data simultaneously.
luminance - A measure of the total amount of light coming from a given surface area.
The subjective description of luminance is brightness. Luminance along with hue and
saturation are part of the HLS color model system.
M
Macintosh - First developed by Apple Computers in 1984 and one of the first computers
to use a GUI. Older Macintosh computers used the 680x0 chips while most Macintosh
computers from 1996 on use the PowerPC Platform.
MacBinary - A file format used by Macintosh computers to transfer files to other
computers. MacBinary files have a “.bin” extension.
MacOS - The operating system used by Macintosh computers and developed by Apple
Computers.
macro - Typically used to mean a sequence of recorded keystrokes that can be played
back using a shortcut keystroke to re-do the recorded task(s) quickly.
mailbox - An email file used to store mail sent, received, or to be deleted.
maximize - A process of increasing the size of the active window to fill the desktop.
MB - megabyte. Approximately 1,000,000 bytes or 1,000 kilobytes. Exactly 1,048,576
bytes (1,024 kb) calculated from 2 to the 20th power.
Mbps - megabits per second. 1 Mbps is approximately 1,000,000 bits per second, and
refers to the speed of data transmission.
MCAD - mechanical computer-aided design. A specific type of CAD that is used in
the design of mechanical structures like bridges, cars, etc.
mechanical computer-aided design - MCAD. A specific type of CAD that is used in
the design of mechanical structures like bridges, cars, etc.
megabits per second - Mbps. 1 Mbps is approximately 1,000,000 bits per second, and
refers to the speed of data transmission.
megabyte - MB. Approximately 1,000,000 bytes or 1,000 kilobytes. Exactly 1,048,576
bytes (1,024 kb) calculated from 2 to the 20th power.
MegaFLOPS - million floating point operations per second. A measure of a
computer’s speed. A MegaFLOP refers to do 1 million floating decimal point
calculations in 1 second.
megahertz - MHz. A million Hertz, where a Hertz is one cycle (or wave) per second.
MHz are often used to describe a processor’s speed with a greater MHz implying a faster
processor. This is true only in the case where everything else is held constant and the
only difference is the MHz or speed of the processor. In most cases, a comparison of the
processor’s MHz will not reveal which processor is faster; in fact, many processor’s with
slower MHz can actually process a task (e.g., apply a filter to a Photoshop graphic) faster
than another processor with a higher MHz. (The term clock speed is often used in stead
of MHz.)
memory - A temporary storage of an application, parts of an application, or files. Not to
be confused with a hard drive which typically stores files or applications on a permanent
or semi-permanent basis. There are a variety of different types of memory including
RAM, ROM, VRAM, PRAM, DRAM, SRAM, and flash memory.
menu - A list of options for a given GUI operating system or application.
menubar - The bar at the top of a window in an application or the top of the desktop in a
GUI operating system that lists all the titles of the drop-down menus. Some menu bar
options do not have drop-down menus and that menu bar title is the entire menu (e.g.,
some Help options take the user to a Help file when clicked and do not produce a dropdown menu).
MFLOPS - million floating point operations per second. A measure of a computer’s
speed. A MFLOP refers to do 1 million floating decimal point calculations in 1 second.
MHz - megahertz. A million Hertz, where a Hertz is one cycle (or wave) per second.
MHz are often used to describe a processor’s speed with a greater MHz implying a faster
processor. This is true only in the case where everything else is held constant and the
only difference is the MHz or speed of the processor. In most cases, a comparison of the
processor’s MHz will not reveal which processor is faster; in fact, many processor’s with
slower MHz can actually process a task (e.g., apply a filter to a Photoshop graphic) faster
than another processor with a higher MHz. (The term clock speed is often used in stead
of MHz.)
Microsoft Disk Operating System - MS-DOS. The operating system developed by
Microsoft and used on most PCs. MS-DOS is a command-line interface (CLI) rather than
a GUI and can run only on x86 chips.. Both Windows 3.1 and 95 can be used on top of
MS-DOS to create a GUI. MS-DOS is sometimes referred to as simply DOS.
MIDI - musical instrument digital interface. A standard file format and control
language used to specify musical notes and timing. The code can be written and
outputted to a MIDI-compatible musical instrument (e.g., synthesizer) or it can be created
by a MIDI-compatible musical instrument attached to a computer.
million floating point operations per second - MegaFLOPS (or MFLOPS). A
measure of a computer’s speed. A MegaFLOP refers to do 1 million floating decimal
point calculations in 1 second.
millions of instructions per second - MIPS. A measure of the speed of a CPU; in this
case, the number of instructions a CPU can process per second. Since different
processors require different numbers of instructions to perform the same task (RISC
requires more instructions than CISC), and since a variety of other factors play a role in
the overall computer’s “speed,” a greater number of MIPS processed (like MHz) does not
necessarily imply a “better” computer.
MIME - multi-purpose Internet mail extensions. A protocol used to transfer nonASCII files such as video, audio, and graphics as an email attachment.
minimize - A process of decreasing the size of the active window on the desktop. In the
Windows operating system, the active window is reduced to a small title bar at the bottom
of the desktop. In Macintosh computers, the active window is hidden except for its title
bar. The title bar is not reduced in width and is not moved to the bottom of the desktop.
MIPS - millions of instructions per second. A measure of the speed of a CPU; in this
case, the number of instructions a CPU can process per second. Since different
processors require different numbers of instructions to perform the same task (RISC
requires more instructions than CISC), and since a variety of other factors play a role in
the overall computer’s “speed,” a greater number of MIPS processed (like MHz) does not
necessarily imply a “better” computer.
modulator-demodulator - modem. A device used as a bridge between a desktop
computer and the telephone lines. The modem converts digital signals from the computer
into analog signals which can be sent over telephone lines. If the message is sent to a
server, then another modem must first receive the analog signal, convert it back to a
digital signal, and then pass it on the server.
modem - modulator-demodulator. A device used as a bridge between a desktop
computer and the telephone lines. The modem converts digital signals from the computer
into analog signals which can be sent over telephone lines. If the message is sent to a
server, then another modem must first receive the analog signal, convert it back to a
digital signal, and then pass it on the server.
monochrome - Monochrome means literally one color and refers to one-color monitors
where there is one color associated with background and one for the foreground. The
common monochrome monitors are white on a black background or green on a black
background. Monitors that have shades of gray are not monochrome but gray-scale
monitors.
Mosaic - The first widely used web browsers available free and developed by NCSA.
motherboard - The main circuit board of the computer that contains the CPU, the RAM,
the SBus, the ports, the BIOS, and expansion slots. (Also called system board.)
Motorola - The manufacturer of the 680x0 chip and a co-developer and manufacturer of
the PowerPC chip.
mouse - An input device that controls the location of the cursor. The mouse works with a
small ball that rolls underneath as the mouse housing is moved. The rolling ball’s motion
can be detected and converted into an electronic signal which correspondingly moves the
cursor on the monitor. There are variations to this design (e.g. track balls), and newer
models use lasers and an optical/electical pad that detects the laser motion. These laser
mouse is more sensitive to movements since there is an optical rather than a mechanical
interface.
mouse button 1 - The primary mouse button that starts applications, etc. On Macintosh
computers, mouse button 1 is the only button since it is a one button mouse. On PCs, the
left-most button is mouse button 1.
mouse button 2 - The secondary mouse button. There is no mouse button 2 on a
Macintosh computer mouse since it has only one button. On PCs, mouse button 2 is the
right-most button.
moving pictures experts group - MPEG. A standard lossy compression to compress
video and audio data streams.
MPEG - moving pictures experts group. A standard lossy compression to compress
video and audio data streams.
MS-DOS - Microsoft Disk Operating System. The operating system developed by
Microsoft and used on most PCs. MS-DOS is a command-line interface (CLI) rather than
a GUI and can run only on x86 chips.. Both Windows 3.1 and 95 can be used on top of
MS-DOS to create a GUI. MS-DOS is sometimes referred to as simply DOS.
MS-Windows - A GUI interface operating system written by Microsoft that can refer to a
some or all of the Windows operating systems developed (Windows 3.1, Window 95,
Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows CE).
multi-purpose Internet mail extensions - MIME. A protocol used to transfer nonASCII files such as video, audio, and graphics as an email attachment.
multimedia - A package of information that usually includes several formats of
information including video, audio, animation, graphics, and/or text. Because of the large
size of multimedia files, many multimedia projects are available only on CD-ROMs.
multiprocessor - A computer with more than one CPU allowing parallel tasks to be
completed simultaneously.
multisync - The ability of a monitor to run at different scan rates which permit different
resolutions.
multitasking - The process of running two or more tasks at the “same” time. Actually,
the programs take turns using the available input/output ports and the CPU. There are
different types of multitasking: Cooperative multitasking is a system that requires
programs to take turns using the CPU while preemptive multitasking is a system that
prioritizes programs, stopping some programs to allow others to access the CPU.
multiuser - A system that allows more than one user to access information in a sequential
fashion in a given time frame.
musical instrument digital interface - MIDI. A standard file format and control
language used to specify musical notes and timing. The code can be written and
outputted to a MIDI-compatible musical instrument (e.g., synthesizer) or it can be created
by a MIDI-compatible musical instrument attached to a computer.
N
nanosecond - A time unit of one billionth of a second or 0.000000001 seconds.
National Center for Computer Applications - NCSA. The University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign who developed the original NCSA Mosaic web browser.
navigation keys - Keys on the keyboard that can move the cursor. These include the
arrow keys, the home, end, page up (PgUp), page down (PgDn), and tab keys.
NCSA - National Center for Computer Applications. The University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign who developed the original NCSA Mosaic web browser.
Netscape browser - A web browser called Communicator, that works on the Macintosh,
Windows, and other platforms.
network - The hardware that connects a collection of computers and their peripherals
wired together so they can communicate and share resources like hard drives and printers.
node - A device or computer with a specific address connected to a network.
notebook - A small laptop portable computer.
O
object - A graphical image such as a photograph, video clip, etc. It is also one of the
principle building blocks in object-oriented programming and can include buttons, tables,
forms, etc.
object linking and embedding - OLE. A software design that allows objects to be
shared among applications. If the original object is changed, that changed is also made in
all documents containing that object.
object-oriented design - A software design approach that models the characteristics of
real or abstract objects to create objects that mimic these items and events. Common
object-oriented programs include Java and C++.
OCR - optical character recognition. Software and hardware components that can
recognize bitmaps and characters and convert them into ASCII text characters.
office suite - A collection of software sold as a package and often containing a word
processing application, a spreadsheet application, a database application, and a drawing
application. Many vendors have such suites including MSOffice, Corel Office, and
ClarisWorks among others.
OLE - object linking and embedding. A software design that allows objects to be
shared among applications. If the original object is changed, that changed is also made in
all documents containing that object.
online - A computer or device that is connected to a network and is functioning.
open source - An application that not only is freeware but the source code for the
application itself is also available for developers to use and adapt as needed.
operating system - OS. The software program(s) on a computer that monitors the
computer, is in charge of input and output for that system, controls data storage, and
executes other applications. There are many different operating systems including
MacOS, MS-DOS, Windows, Unix, and OS/2 among others.
optical character recognition - OCR. Software and hardware components that can
recognize bitmaps and characters and convert them into ASCII text characters.
OS - operating system. The software program(s) on a computer that monitors the
computer, is in charge of input and output for that system, controls data storage, and
executes other applications. There are many different operating systems including
MacOS, MS-DOS, Windows, Unix, and OS/2 among others.
OS/2 - A GUI operating system developed by IBM and Microsoft for use on the 80x86
chip computers. OS/2 Warp is the current version of OS/2.
OS/2 Warp - The current version of OS/2.
P
parallel port - A port on PC computers that typically is used as a connection to printers.
On PCs, the first parallel port is designated LPT1. Parallel ports are faster than serial
ports because they can send more than 1 bit of data simultaneously.
parameter RAM - PRAM. PRAM is a portion of RAM that is used on Macintosh
computers to store system information such as time, date, Control Panel settings, etc. The
PRAM is maintained with a small battery so information is not lost when the computer is
shut down. Occasional corruption of the PRAM information occurs and can be corrected
by “zapping” the PRAM.
partition - A hard drive can be partitioned into smaller segments. Sometimes this is
done to increase the efficiency of the disk by reducing the size of the minimum allocated
space for each file or to segment the required backup.
Pascal - A computer programming language often used to teach individuals how to
program named after the mathematician Pascal.
passive matrix display - A type of LCD (liquid crystal display) screen found on portable
computers where wires form a grid in front and behind the liquid crystals. Pixels are
activated when a current is generated at the intersection of these wires. Unlike active
matrix displays in which each pixel has a unique circuit, the passive matrix display does
not refresh as fast and other nearby pixels on the screen can be accidentally activated
from residual currents given a lower quality image.
path - A path describes the location of a file. The path usually starts with a hard drive or
peripheral storage device followed by a directory pathway, followed by the file name. For
example, c://documents/personal/familyphone.doc. (See also absolute path name,
directory path name, and relative path name.)
PC - personal computer. PC originally referred to the IBM PC but now is used to refer
to any IBM compatible personal computer.
PCI - peripheral component interconnect. A new computer bus that is faster than
previous versions and allows cross-platform compatibility for cards other than requiring
different software drivers.
PDA - personal digital assistant. A small, hand-held computer that is used for a variety
of simple tasks including organizers, word processing, etc. The common ones include the
Palm Pilot and Apple’s Newton. Most PDAs are less powerful than laptop computers but
their small scale is a strong draw for many users.
pdf - portable document format. A format that is cross-platform compatible and wellsuited for web document transfer because it retains full formatting when printer. PDF
was developed by Adobe for its Acrobat Reader.
Pentium - A chip developed by Intel for PCs. The newer Pentium chips are called
Pentium Pro and have both a L2 cache and new architectural design.
Peripheral - Any device that attaches to the computer through a port.
Perl - An interpreted language used in many web applications.
personal computer - PC. PC originally referred to the IBM PC but now is used to refer
to any IBM compatible personal computer.
personal digital assistant - PDA. A small, hand-held computer that is used for a variety
of simple tasks including organizers, word processing, etc. The common ones include the
Palm Pilot and Apple’s Newton. Most PDAs are less powerful than laptop computers but
their small scale is a strong draw for many users.
Ph - An online database searching function found on some email programs to search for
individuals at the domain the email program uses.
pica - A unit of measure used with printing where 6 picas equals where inch.
PICT - A Macintosh-based graphics format.
Pilot - A popular PDA.
pixel - Short for picture element. It is the smallest addressable unit (a “dot”) found on
monitors or printed documents. It can be used as a measure of resolution as in pixel per
inch. Each pixel has a color and intensity associated with it.
platform - A term used to characterize the hardware and/or software of a computer. The
hardware platform may be, for example, a 604 PowerPC Macintosh with a or a PC with a
Pentium Pro 6. A software platform usually refers to the operating system being used and
its version; for example, a Windows 2000 or MacOS 9.0 operating system.
Plug and Play - PnP. A PC computer design and hardware specifications such that any
peripheral that is plugged in is automatically recognized and configured to work with that
particular platform.
plug-in - A component designed to run in tandem with a software application to enhance
the application’s capability. For example, with web browsers there are plug-in that
permit the reading of pdf, audio, and video files.
PnP - Plug and Play. A PC computer design and hardware specifications such that any
peripheral that is plugged in is automatically recognized and configured to work with that
particular platform.
point - A unit of measure for printed text. A point is 1/72 of an inch. A typical font size
is 12 points, which corresponds to 6 lines of 12-point text per inch.
point size - A unit of measure for fonts sometimes called font size. A point is 1/72 of an
inch. A typical font size is 12 points, which corresponds to 6 lines of 12-point text per
inch.
Point-to-Point Protocol - PPP. A protocol that allows connection to the Internet via
modem. Another protocol that also permits such a connect is SLIP.
POP - Post Office Protocol. A protocol used for email applications to connect a single
user (client) to a server to download email. Other protocols are used for server-to-server
email transfers (see SMTP).
pop-up menu - A menu that remains unseen until activated by clicking on an icon or
text.
port - A place to attach a device such as a monitor, printer, scanner, or modem.
Associate with each active port will be an operating system address.
portability - The ability of an application to work on various platforms or with various
operating systems.
portable document format - pdf. A format that is cross-platform compatible and wellsuited for web document transfer because it retains full formatting when printer. PDF
was developed by Adobe for its Acrobat Reader.
portrait - The orientation of a document or graphic to be vertical; i.e., the width is less
than the height. See also landscape.
POST - Power-on self test. A BIOS procedure used to identify and test the computer
prior to the operating system being loaded.
Post Office Protocol - POP. A protocol used for email applications to connect a single
user (client) to a server to download email. Other protocols are used for server-to-server
email transfers (see SMTP).
PostScript - A language used to describe printed text and graphics written by Adobe.
Power-on self test - POST. A BIOS procedure used to identify and test the computer
prior to the operating system being loaded.
PowerPC - A RISC processor developed by Apple, IBM, and Motorola and used with
Macintosh computers and supporting several different operating systems including the
MacOS and Windows NT.
PowerPC Platform - common hardware reference platform. A hardware architecture
that uses the PowerPC CPU and a PCI bus. The PowerPC Platform is found in
Macintosh computers but supports other operating systems. (Also called the CHRP.)
PPP - Point-to-Point Protocol. A protocol that allows connection to the Internet via
modem. Another protocol that also permits such a connect is SLIP.
PRAM - parameter RAM. PRAM is a portion of RAM that is used on Macintosh
computers to store system information such as time, date, Control Panel settings, etc. The
PRAM is maintained with a small battery so information is not lost when the computer is
shut down. Occasional corruption of the PRAM information occurs and can be corrected
by “zapping” the PRAM.
print spooler - A software program used to queue print jobs. Spooler stands for
“simultaneous print operations online.”
processor - The computer’s CPU.
proportional font - Proportional fonts are fonts whose characters take up more or less
space depending on the individual character. For example, an “i” will take less space
than an “o” will. Proportional fonts are also called variable width fonts. Common
examples include Times and Helvetica. Fixed width fonts are fonts whose characters all
take up the same amount of space.
protocol - A set of standards that allows two computers or devices to communicate with
one another, Computers that have different platforms and/or operating systems can
communicate with one another as long as they have a common protocol. Protocols are
also used for the timing, sequencing, and error-checking of data transmissions.
peripheral component interconnect - PCI. A new computer bus that is faster than
previous versions and allows cross-platform compatibility for cards other than requiring
different software drivers.
pull-down menu - A menu that is activated by clicking on a menu title. The menu
remains as long as the mouse button is held, is clicked in a region outside of the pulldown menu, or after a specified time interval.
push technology - In the client/server relationship, data that is sent to the client computer
without the client requesting it. For example, an unwanted email message.
Q
query - The process of extracting a subset of a database.
queue - A list of items to be processed by a computer. For example, a printer often will
have a print queue for the list of jobs to be printed.
QWERTY - The standard American-English typewriter keyboard arrangement. The
name comes from the first six top row letters on the keyboard.
R
radio buttons - A button on the desktop that allows the user to select an option. Radio
buttons are interdependent on one another: When one is selected the others are
automatically de-selected unlike check boxes. Radio buttons could be used, for example,
to select the type of credit card one is using to purchase over the Internet; the choices
might be Visa™, Mastercard™, Discover™, or American Express™. Radio buttons are
used here since only one option is possible.
RAM - random access memory. A temporary storage location for the CPU to use and
access data quickly. The memory is short term: When the computer is shut off, the data is
lost. "Random access" refers to ability of the information to be accessed without going
through other data as would be the case in, for instance, a tape cassette. RAM is not a
permanent or semi-permanent storage medium like the hard drive.
random access memory - RAM. A temporary storage location for the CPU to use and
access data quickly. The memory is short term: When the computer is shut off, the data is
lost. "Random access" refers to ability of the information to be accessed without going
through other data as would be the case in, for instance, a tape cassette. RAM is not a
permanent storage medium like the hard drive.
read only memory - ROM. Memory that is permanent: A program or some data is
written into the memory chip at the time of manufacturer. It can be read but not altered
(hence, "read only") and is not lost when power is shut off.
real-time - A loosely defined term in which a computer process occurs almost
"instantaneously." For example, computers used in science laboratories to collect data
and return the "massaged" data back within a few seconds for instant feedback to the
student would be considered real-time processing.
red, green, blue - RGB. A color model system that uses red, green, and blue (the
primary colors) in an additive color system to create the other desired colors on computer
monitors and video images. Other color models include CYMK and HLS.
reduced instruction set computer - RISC. A computer chip architecture that has fewer,
simpler instructions built into the chip. The RISC chips can perform many of the same
functions that CISC chips can by combining the simpler instructions to perform the more
complex tasks. The RISC chips is faster than the CISC chips because RISC chips can
process the combination of instructions faster than the CISC chips can processor the
larger, more complex instructions. Many common chips use the RISC design including
the PowerPC.
relative path name - The address of a file or directory in relationship to another directory
or file, usually a working directory or on the Internet, relative to the page being browsed.
The relative path name usually does not contain a drive or protocol but usually does
contain subdirectories, if needed, followed by the file name with each part separated by a
slash. When going "up" to a higher level directory or subdirectory, a "../" is commonly
used. For example, a file ("business_schedule") in the "work" subdirectory in the
"Documents" directory may have a relative path name to the file "shopping list" in the
"personal" subdirectory as "../personal/shoppinglist." That is, a file with an absolute path
name "c://documents/work/business_schedule" could have a relative path name to the
"shoppinglist" in "personal" of "../personal/shoppinglist." (See also absolute path name,
directory path name, and path.)
remote - Typically refers to electronically accessing a computer's data over a network at a
site distant from that computer (i.e., from another room, building, city, etc.).
resolution - A measure of the quality of an image either in print form or on a monitor. In
printers, resolution is usually characterized as dots per inch, DPI, while monitor
resolution usually uses the number or size of the pixels in a unit area. The higher the DPI
or the larger the number of pixels per unit area, the higher the resolution of the image.
RGB - red, green, blue. A color model system that uses red, green, and blue (the
primary colors) in an additive color system to create the other desired colors on computer
monitors and video images. Other color models include CYMK and HLS.
Rhapsody - An operating system designed by Apple and relatively newly released. It is
based on the Unix system, but has been designed to mimic a variety of other operating
systems. At this time it is not used commonly on Apple's personal computers but is used
more with servers and other more commercial applications.
rich text format - rtf. A word processing document format that can be opened by many
word processors. An rtf document can be read by many word processors and retains a
great deal of the formatting in the document, as opposed to text files which can be read by
nearly all word processors but contain only minimal formatting.
RISC - reduced instruction set computer. A computer chip architecture that has fewer,
simpler instructions built into the chip. The RISC chips can perform many of the same
functions that CISC chips can by combining the simpler instructions to perform the more
complex tasks. The RISC chips is faster than the CISC chips because RISC chips can
process the combination of instructions faster than the CISC chips can processor the
larger, more complex instructions. Many common chips use the RISC design including
the PowerPC.
ROM - read only memory. Memory that is permanent: A program or some data is
written into the memory chip at the time of manufacturer. It can be read but not altered
(hence, "read only") and is not lost when power is shut off.
root directory - The highest, upper level directory on the hard drive in which all other
directories are found.
router - Hardware and software used to route signals and data between different
networks using similar or dissimilar protocols. The router assigns a path for the data
transmission between the network server providing the data and the network requesting it.
rtf - rich text format. A word processing document format that can be opened by many
word processors. An rtf document can be read by many word processors and retains a
great deal of the formatting in the document, as opposed to text files which can be read by
nearly all word processors but contain only minimal formatting.
S
saturation - Saturation describes how "deep" a color is on a range between gray and the
color of interest. A high saturation corresponds to a strong or deep color. Saturation is
one part of the HLS color model system.
scaleable font - A font in which the characteristics of the font have been described but
the size is arbitrary; that is, the character can be scaled to any size. (See also TrueType
fonts.)
scanner - A hardware device that optically scans an image and converts it into a digital
image. Many computers have scanners and OCR software so sheets of text can be
scanned and converted into editable word processing documents.
screen capture - The process of capturing the image or text on a monitor screen and
saving it as a graphic image.
script - A short set of instructions usually that performs a simple task. The script is
interpreted or run by another program.
scroll - The process of moving up or down, or left or right, across an image or text
document.
scroll bar/scroller - A bar typically found on the right hand side and bottom of an image
or document. The scroll bar contains a scroll box and 2 arrows to scroll up/down or
left/right.
scroll box - The box contained in the scroll bar. The scroll box shows the relative
position of the information displayed on the monitor as compared to the entire document.
That is, if the scroll box is in the middle of the scroll bar, the current text shown is in
about the middle of the document. The scroll box can be dragged by the mouse to make
an image or text document move up/down or left/right.
SCSI - small computer system interface. A disk format used by most common
platforms, in which the controller electronics reside within the drive housing removing
the need for a separate adapter. Other formats include UltraSCSI, IDE, and EIDE.
Secure Sockets Layer - SSL. A protocol designed by Netscape to assure privacy by
encrypting messages, authenticating them, and assuring message integrity for data
typically sent between a client’s browser and a host server. Messages sent via SSL use
https in the beginning of the URL. Authentication and encryption is achieved by using
information from the required Security Certificate that is sent by each partner in this
communication to one another. Information from the Security Certificate is used as part
of the encrypting code so only the two computers have the key to de-crypt the messages.
serial - The process of transferring data one bit at a time. This is different from parallel
where many bits of data can be received simultaneously.
serial line Internet protocol - SLIP. A protocol that allows connection to the Internet
via modem. Another protocol that also permits such a connect is PPP.
serial port - The port in which serial devices are connected to the computer. Such
devices typically include mice, keyboards, modems, and some printers.
server - A computer on the network that provides service to client users. The services
typically include file transfers, printing jobs, and database access. Because of the high
demands on servers from many clients, servers are often more powerful and robust
computers than the typical desktop computer.
shareware - Software publicly distributed and created by programmers for profit. Often,
the software can be downloaded freely, used for a specified time without charge, and then
the author requests that the program be paid for or discarded. Sometimes if purchased,
additional options are provided to the purchaser.
shielded cable - A cable that has an insulating layer to reduced electromagnetic
interference.
shortcut key - A key stroke that performs a task such as opening, printing, or closing a
file. In Macintosh computers, many shortcut key strokes involve the "'open apple' +
letter" or "option key + letter." In Windows-based systems, many shortcut keys include
the "alt + letter" stroke.
SIMM - single inline memory module. A pre-assembled RAM module that contains
many smaller memory chips. A SIMM has a 72-pin connector allowing for 32-bit data
transfer, half the data transfer rate of DIMMs (dual inline memory module).
simple mail transfer protocol - SMTP. An email protocol used to transfer email
messages between two servers. In addition to this protocol, another protocol is needed to
connect between the server and the client before the client can receive messages; e.g.,
POP.
single inline memory module - SIMM. A pre-assembled RAM module that contains
many smaller memory chips. A SIMM has a 72-pin connector allowing for 32-bit data
transfer, half the data transfer rate of DIMMs (dual inline memory module).
sleep 1. The process of suspending a computational process without terminating it. The
computations can be re-started after some event triggers it.
2. On desktop computers, an option to go into a low-energy mode. This process is
usually engaged after a user-specified amount of time without any input device (e.g., a
mouse or keyboard) being used. The event that re-activates the computer is often a
mouse movement or a key stroke.
SLIP - serial line Internet protocol. A protocol that allows connection to the Internet
via modem. Another protocol that also permits such a connect is PPP.
small computer system interface - SCSI. A disk format used by most common
platforms, in which the controller electronics reside within the drive housing removing
the need for a separate adapter. Other formats include UltraSCSI, IDE, and EIDE
SMTP - simple mail transfer protocol. An email protocol used to transfer email
messages between two servers. In addition to this protocol, another protocol is needed to
connect between the server and the client before the client can receive messages; e.g.,
POP.
software - A set of instructions to make hardware perform some task. Operating
systems, scripts, applications are all forms of software.
source code - The uncompiled software instructions of an application written in a
programming language like C. The source code is compiled into machine language and
then executed.
spam - The process of sending out large amounts of unwanted and unrequested email.
Email addresses can be obtained from electronic businesses or from educational
institutions, sometimes with and sometimes without their knowledge or permission.
special character - A character that is not a letter, number, or the space. For example,
the dollar sign, $.
spool - The process of transferring data into a storage location before sending it to a
peripheral device like a printer. In this way, the sending computer can continue to operate
until the printer is available or the printing is done.
SQL - structured query language. The programming language used to access relational
databases. All SQL-capable databases support a common set of SQL commands though
individual applications may have their own unique SQL features.
SRAM - static RAM. A type of RAM that contains capacitors. Since capacitors can
store energy, the SRAM is faster than most DRAM which requires refreshment but
slower than most caches. Data transfer can occur in about 10-20 nanoseconds with
SRAMs while DRAMs can transfer data in about 60 nanoseconds.
SSL - Secure Sockets Layer. A protocol designed by Netscape to assure privacy by
encrypting messages, authenticating them, and assuring message integrity for data
typically sent between a client’s browser and a host server. Messages sent via SSL use
https in the beginning of the URL. Authentication and encryption is achieved by using
information from the required Security Certificate that is sent by each partner in this
communication to one another. Information from the Security Certificate is used as part
of the encrypting code so only the two computers have the key to de-crypt the messages.
startup disk - A disk (or CD) used to start the computer. It is often used when an
operating system is corrupted or a hard drive crashes thus preventing the computer from
being started up. (Also called system disk.)
static RAM - SRAM. A type of RAM that contains capacitors. Since capacitors can
store energy, the SRAM is faster than most DRAM which requires refreshment but
slower than most caches. Data transfer can occur in about 10-20 nanoseconds with
SRAMs while DRAMs can transfer data in about 60 nanoseconds.
structured query language - SQL. The programming language used to access relational
databases. All SQL-capable databases support a common set of SQL commands though
individual applications may have their own unique SQL features.
subdirectory - A directory that resides in or is "below" another directory. For example, a
directory called "Personal" in the "Documents" directory.
submenu - A menu that appears after the user selects a higher-level menu option from the
menubar. Most submenus have a small triangle next to them which implies a series of
choice for that menu item exists. For example, if under the "File" choice of a menubar is
an "Import" option with a small triangle, the series of options that appears when the small
triangle is selected (spreadsheet, picture, or object) is the submenu.
subnets - A method that divides a network into small pieces to improve routing.
subtractive color system - Uses CMYK colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) and
defines a color by subtracting a percentage of cyan, magenta, or yellow from white.
SuperDrive - A Macintosh floppy disk drive that can access several different disks (e.g.,
400kB, 800kB, and 1.4 MB, and PC disks).
SuperVGA - Specifications to enhance VGA's monitor output. VGA supports a 640x480
pixel resolution with 8-bit graphics color (256 colors) while SuperVGA supports
resolutions greater than 640x480 and more than 256 colors.
surge suppresser - An electrical device used to prevent electrical power surges from
reaching your computer. The device has a circuit breaker built in which is flipped when
an electrical surge comes through. Many power strips have surge suppressers built in.
synchronous - A process that occurs in "real time." An example from distance education
would be a lecture given "live" over the Internet with microphones in both the host and
remote sites so questions from a remote site can be asked and answered immediately. In
contras, a question sent via email would be asynchronous since there is typically a time
delay between when the message is sent and when a reply is received.
syntax - The "rules" followed in a language. For example, in some programming
languages, a semicolon is required at the end of each line of instruction.
system - System can mean several things. It is often used to mean an operating system,
or can be used to refer to a computer, its monitor, the software, and other peripherals that
are packaged together in a bundle.
system board - The main circuit board of the computer that contains the CPU, the RAM,
the SBus, the ports, the BIOS, and expansion slots. (Also called motherboard.)
system disk - A disk (or CD) used to start the computer. It is often used when an
operating system is corrupted or a hard drive crashes thus preventing the computer from
being started up. (Also called startup disk.)
T
tagged image file format - TIFF. A standard graphics format used with high resolution
bit mapped graphics.
TB - terabytes. Approximately 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (about 1 trillion bytes),
1,000,000,000 kilobytes, 1,000,000 megabytes, or 1000 gigabytes. Exactly
1,099,511,627,776 bytes, 1,073,741,824 kilobytes, 1,048,576 megabytes, or 1,024
gigabytes calculated from 2 to the 40th power.
TCP/IP - transmission control protocol/Internet protocol. A protocol developed by
the US Department of Defense as a means of transferring data between computers. It is
used widely throughout the Internet and still used by the US DoD.
telephony - Using telephone technology.
Telnet - A protocol that enables a user to login from one server to another. Telnet
protocol is usually used for text transmissions (as opposed to graphics, video, and audio).
terabyte - TB. Approximately 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (about 1 trillion bytes),
1,000,000,000 kilobytes, 1,000,000 megabytes, or 1000 gigabytes. Exactly
1,099,511,627,776 bytes, 1,073,741,824 kilobytes, 1,048,576 megabytes, or 1,024
gigabytes calculated from 2 to the 40th power.
text area - A multi-line area used to contain text. In the web, a text area box contains
text in one font that can be part of the page or used as a means to submit information
from the client to the host.
text field - Same as a text are except is only one line in height.
text file - A file that uses the ASCII format. This is one of the simplest formats and can
usually be read by any computer or word processor, and is useful in file transfers. It is
also commonly called an "ASCII text file" or “ASCII file” and contains very little or no
formatting.
TIFF - tagged image file format. A standard graphics format used with high resolution
bit mapped graphics.
tiled window - Windows that do not overlap on the desktop of a PC with Windows or
Macintosh computer. Typically, the desktop is filled with the windows; if there are 2
open windows, each fills 50% of the desktop; if there are 3 windows open, each fills
33%; etc. In this way, each window is visible at all times though a smaller portion is
visible as more windows are open. See also cascade windows.
timecode - With videos, a time stamp placed on each frame.
title bar - The top of a window that usually contains the title of the file, and some
window controls to close, re-size, or hide the window.
toggle - A button or switch that is either “on” or “off.” An “off” button that is clicked is
turned “on” while an “on” button that is clicked is turned “off.”
toolbar - A set of often used commands. The toolbar can consist of icons, text, or icons
and text. The tool bar can vary in size (small icons versus large icons) and location
(horizontal at the top of the window, horizontal below the window, or vertical on the lefthand side are common locations).
toolbar button - A specific button in the toolbar. The button can be a toggle or a simple
command (like open a file).
transmission control protocol/Internet protocol - TCP/IP. A protocol developed by
the US Department of Defense as a means of transferring data between computers. It is
used widely throughout the Internet and still used by the US DoD.
transparent - There are several definitions for transparent. 1) An action run by a
program that is done without user intervention. 2) In web graphics, an image whose
background takes on the background of the window it is placed in.
Trash Can - A window with an icon usually on the desktop. Items to be deleted are
placed in this window; once the item has been deleted, it is removed from the Trash Can.
Trojan horse - Taken from mythology, the Trojan horse was used by the Greeks to defeat
the Trojans at Troy. In computers, it is a program that purports to do one thing yet does
something else; usually, Trojan horses are intended to damage or harass other users and
their computers. See also worms and viruses.
true color - A monitor system that has at least 24-bit graphics divided among the 3
primary colors, red, green, and blue (RGB). Each color is allocated 8 bits which
translates into 256 different possible hues of red, 256 hues of green, and 256 hues of blue.
Since each color is independent of the other, this leads to 16.7 million possible colors
(256 x 256 x 256) which has a greater resolution than a human eye and hence is
considered to lead to accurate (i.e., true) colors.
TrueType fonts - Fonts that are scaleable to any size and appear the same on the monitor
as they do after output to a device.
twisted-pair wire - A pair of wires that are twisted together and typically used in
telephone and other communication lines. The two wires are used for transmitting and
receiving signals, and the twisting of the two wires reduces induction between them.
U
UltraSCSI - A disk format used by most common platforms, in which the controller
electronics reside within the drive housing removing the need for a separate adapter.
Other formats include SCSI, IDE, and EIDE.
uniform resource locator - URL. A standard for locating data (i.e., files) on the world
wide web. Typically, the URL has the form, protocol://host/localinfo where the protocol
is ftp, http, gopher, etc., the host would be for example, aol.com, and the localinfo would
be the directories, subdirectories, and file name to reach that specific file.
uninterrupted power supply - UPS. A power supply that can be used as a backup
supply when the regular power source is interrupted. Most computer system don’t require
this except for systems that are operational 24 hours a day like servers.
UNIX - An operating system designed in 1972 by AT&T Bell Laboratories that features
multiuser, multitasking and extensive networking capabilities. It is a common operating
system on many servers.
upload - The process of transferring data from one computer to another. Usually, upload
refers to the transfer of data from a client computer to a host server. The opposite of
download.
UPS - uninterrupted power supply. A power supply that can be used as a backup
supply when the regular power source is interrupted. Most computer system don’t require
this except for systems that are operational 24 hours a day like servers.
URL - uniform resource locator. A standard for locating data (i.e., files) on the world
wide web. Typically, the URL has the form, protocol://host/localinfo where the protocol
is ftp, http, gopher, etc., the host would be for example, aol.com, and the localinfo would
be the directories, subdirectories, and file name to reach that specific file.
USB - universal serial bus. A serial port that is much faster than many parallel ports but
not as fast as a Firewire port. It has many characteristics of a SCSI port and can connect a
series of devices in a chain.
user - Any person/device that connects to a networked computer.
user account - A set of data about the user stored on the computer that the user accesses.
Each user will have their own user account on the server accessed.
universal serial bus - USB. A serial port that is much faster than many parallel ports but
not as fast as a Firewire port. It has many characteristics of a SCSI port and can connect a
series of devices in a chain.
V
VAX - A minicomputer built by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), that had terminal
computers attached to them.
variable width - As applying to fonts, variable width fonts are fonts whose characters
take up more or less space depending on the individual character. For example, an “i”
will take less space than an “o” will. Variable width fonts are also called proportional
fonts. Common examples include Times and Helvetica. Fixed width fonts are fonts
whose characters all take up the same amount of space.
vector graphics - Images that are composed of vectors: lines that have a direction, a start,
and an end point. Vector graphics have the advantage that they can be scaled without loss
of resolution.
VGA - video graphics array. The specifications for video output for PCs. VGA
supports a 640x480 pixel resolution with 8-bit graphics color (256 colors).
video graphics array - VGA. The specifications for video output for PCs. Video
graphics array supports a 640x480 pixel resolution with 8-bit graphics color (256 colors).
video RAM - VRAM. Video RAM is a type of dynamic RAM (DRAM) dedicated for
higher speed video graphics. For video, both the processor and frame buffer must share
the same signal line and buses. In video RAM, a separate line and bus is provide for the
processor and the frame buffer.
virtual reality - VR. A technology designed to create an interactive, entirely new
environment for the user, usually in 3 dimensions, that provides input to all the senses.
virtual memory - A process of creating “extra” RAM by using the hard drive as a
temporary RAM. A segment of the hard drive is allocated to virtual memory; if an
application requires more memory than is available, the active components of the
application are loaded into the RAM while the other inactive parts are load into the
virtual memory. The downside to this is that virtual memory is much slower than RAM
so the application runs slower if components in virtual memory are used.
virus - A segment of programming code that copies itself and can often have a
destructive intent. It has similar behavioral characteristics of real viruses in that there can
be a trigger to get it started (like a date code or re-booting), it can “reproduce” itself by
using the computer’s own hardware and software, it can cause significant damage, and it
can be transferred to another computer when files are exchanged either with floppies or
via a network. Usually, the viruses are platform specific, and different computers have
different susceptibilities with Unix machines being the most impervious and Windows
95/98 being much more susceptible.
VR - virtual reality. A technology designed to create an interactive, entirely new
environment for the user, usually in 3 dimensions, that provides input to all the senses.
VRAM - video RAM. VRAM is a type of dynamic RAM (DRAM) dedicated for higher
speed video graphics. For video, both the processor and frame buffer must share the
same signal line and buses. In VRAM, a separate line and bus is provide for the
processor and the frame buffer.
W
W3C - World Wide Web Consortium. A non-profit, advisory board that makes
recommendation about the future directions of the Internet.
WAIS - wide area information server. An information retrieval system that searches
text strings on the Internet.
web - The collection of all the interconnected networks that contain texts, graphics,
images, audio, and video data. Though commonly viewed as all http protocol networks,
the web also includes the ftp, gopher, and WAIS networks as well.
web browser - An application used to view and interact with the world wide web and
interpret HTML code. Also called a browser. The two most common browsers are
Netscape Communicator, Microsoft Internet Explorer.
WebTV - A box that converts an ordinary television into a receiver of web pages.
what you see is what you get - WYSIWYG. Pronounced “wizzywig.” WYSIWYG
means that what is shown on the monitor is what will be seen in an output device like a
printer.
wide area information server - WAIS. An information retrieval system that searches
text strings on the Internet.
wildcard - Wildcards are characters that can represent several or any characters. Often
used during searches, wildcards are often “*” or “?.” For example, a search for
individuals living in Missouri that was searched by “Miss*” where the * represents any
other characters after the “Miss” would yield a search result of those individuals in
Missouri and Mississippi.
Windows - A GUI interface operating system written by Microsoft that can refer to a
some or all of the Windows operating systems developed (Windows 3.1, Window 95,
Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows CE).
Windows 3.1 - An interface system that operates in tandem with MS-DOS. As such,
Windows 3.1 is not an operating system but rather MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 together
create a GUI operating system.
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 - The MS-Windows operating systems
developed after Windows 3.1 for PCs.
Windows NT - An operating system designed to provide networking capabilities.
Windows NT is designed to be platform independent, is fully multitasking, and is very
robust.
word wrap - A word processing feature that moves the words to the next line as the line
being typed fills up. In this way, an “enter” or “return” does not need to be hit at the end
of each line to keep it in view.
world wide web - www. The collection of all the interconnected networks that contain
texts, graphics, images, audio, and video data. Though commonly viewed as all http
protocol networks, the web also includes the ftp, gopher, and WAIS networks as well.
World Wide Web Consortium - W3C. A non-profit, advisory board that makes
recommendation about the future directions of the Internet.
workstation - Generally used to mean a high-end desktop computer with strong
calculation capabilities and/or graphical prowess. The most common example is the
Silicon Graphics Workstation which has tremendous graphical strengths.
worm - An unwanted application that duplicates itself (like a virus) but does not have
usually do the same amount of damage as a virus. Where a virus might erase a hard
drive, a worm copies itself until the hard drive or RAM is completely filled.
write-protect - To prevent an unintended or unauthorized writing to a file or disk.
www - world wide web. The collection of all the interconnected networks that contain
texts, graphics, images, audio, and video data. Though commonly viewed as all http
protocol networks, the web also includes the ftp, gopher, and WAIS networks as well.
WYSIWYG - what you see is what you get. Pronounced “wizzywig.” WYSIWYG
means that what is shown on the monitor is what will be seen in an output device like a
printer.
X
Y
Z
Sources:
"Everything you wanted to know about your Mac," Larry Hanson
Prentice Hall (http://vig.prenhall.com/), Indianapolis, IN, 1993
ISBN: 1-56830-058-1
Matisse's Glossary of Internet Terms
(http://www.matisse.net/files/glossary.html)
Matisse Enzer (http://www.matisse.net)
Copyright ©1994-2000
Microsoft Corporation's Glossary and Acronyms
(http://www.Microsoft.com/hwdev/glossary.htm)
Microsoft Corporation (http://www.Microsoft.com/)
Copyright ©1999 All rights reserved.
The Network Page: Standard Computer-Term Glossary
(http://blake.sunderland.ac.uk/~ta5wpr/computer.htm)
Constructed as part of a course assignment for third year engineering students: An
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(http://www.pccablesdirect.com/main/guide/glossary.htm)
PC Cables Direct, Inc. (http://www.pccablesdirect.com)
3307 Langdon Road
Angier, N.C. USA 27501
Copyright ©1999
Saugus.net: Glossary of computer terms
(http://www.saugus.net/computer/terms.shtml)
Part of the Home Page for city of Saugus, MA (http://www.saugus.net/)
Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000 Saugus.net
Sun Global Glossary Collection: Global Glossary
(http://www.sun.com/glossary/glossary.html)
Sun Microsystems Inc. (http://www.sun.com/)
901 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
USA
Copyright ©1994-2000.
University of Chicago Campus Computer Stores
A Glossary of Computer Related Terms (http://wwwccs.uchicago.edu/technotes/misc/Glossary/)
University of Chicago (http://www-ccs.uchicago.edu/)
Copyright ©1997