GLOSSARY OF COMPUTER TERMS

bandwidth

-The capacity a network or data connection has for carrying data.

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

- A special piece of software built into a computer to control the startup process of the machine and other basic functions such as the keyboard, display, and disk drives.

benchmark

-- To test aspects of computer hardware or software against a known standard. Benchmarks are only useful if all computers or applications being tested are tested under the exact same conditions.

bit

- Short for binary digit, the smallest unit of computer storage. A bit is a single digit in a binary number, either 1 or 0, often called "on" or "off."

bitmap

--A type of graphics file in which one or more bits are used to describe the color of each tiny square that makes up the image.

buffer

--A temporary storage area in a computer's memory, usually random-access memory (RAM), that hold recent changes to files and other information to be written later to the hard drive.

bulletin board system (BBS)

--An online computer system you access through your modem that acts as a central source of information. Bulletin board systems are usually geared toward particular interests.

Cell

--The intersection of a row and a column in a spreadsheet, such as cell A1, the cell located at the intersection of column A and row 1. Each cell is a box that can hold text, a numerical value, or a formula.

Chip

--A piece of silicon with electronic circuitry components embedded in it. A microprocessor is a type of chip. Chips can be thought of as the basic building blocks of computers.

clip art

-Predesigned art for use in documents. The term originates from books of art out of which people literally clipped pictures to paste onto their documents. Clip art is included in many programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Publisher.

cluster

--A group of disk sectors (usually two to eight) treated as one entity by the operating system or a disk controller for storage purposes.

Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL)

--A high-level programming language developed in the 1950s and 1960s. COBOL is popular for business applications designed to run on large computers. COBOL's wordiness makes its programs lengthy, but that offers the advantage of explaining the programs in detail.

computer-aided design (CAD)

- The use of computers to design various engineering, architectural, and industrial

objects.

cross hairs

---A set of crossed lines that take the place of the cursor in some programs. An operation will take place at the point of the intersection.

Cryptography

--The discipline of encoding and decoding information.

database

--A collection of related information in an easily accessible format, such as a table, form, or report.

decryption

--The process of translating encrypted data back into its original language.

device driver

--A program that allows a hardware peripheral, known as a device, to communicate with a computer. Some device drivers, such as those for the monitor and keyboard, usually come with the computer, while others, such as those for a sound card or printer, come packaged with their corresponding devices.

directory

--An organized catalog of files and subdirectories contained on a hard drive or a removable disk. The main directory is called the root directory. All subdirectories stem from it. Directories are found in the hierarchical file schemes common to most operating systems.

encrypt

--The act of encoding a file for the purpose of preventing others from gaining access to its contents.

Ethernet

--The most widely used local-area network (LAN) protocol.

executable file

--A file that can be executed, or run, as opposed to data files, which are simple collections of data used by exe-curable files.

file allocation table (FAT)

--The method Microsoft DOS (MS-DOS) uses to keep track of the contents of a disk. The table is a chart of numbers that correspond to cluster addresses on the disk. When a file is requested, DOS searches addresses in the FAT to find where a file's clusters are stored on disk. In then goes to the disk to collect each cluster of information.

file conversion

--The process of changing the format of a file from one standard to another. For example, to look at Microsoft Word documents with WordPerfect, it might be necessary to convert the Word documents into WordPerfect documents.

file extension

--A "tag" that can serve as an additional identifier for a file beyond the file name. Separated from the rest of the file name by a period, the file extension can be used to indicate whether the file is an exe-curable program (.EXE), a data file (.DAT), and so on.

font

--The design for a set of characters, which includes typeface, point size, and weight. Within the Helvetica typeface family, 12-point bold is one font while Helvetica 14-point is another.

formula

--An expression telling the computer which mathematical operations to perform upon a specific value. Formulas are used most often in spreadsheet programs.

function

--A preset equation used to perform mathematical, financial, or statistical calculations in a spreadsheet or database.

graphic

--The digital version of an image, photograph, or picture displayed on a monitor screen. The computer must change photographs or other images into the digital form of files for it to understand and work with them.

high resolution

--A term that refers to monitors or printers that produce high-quality output because they generate more dots per inch (dpi).

home page

--The name for the main page in a World Wide Web site where users can find hyperlinks to other pages in the site. It is like a welcome mat for a site on the Internet and may include a logo, table of contents, and hyperlinks to other, related sites.

Hypertext Markup Language(HTML)

--A language used to create electronic documents, especially pages on the World Wide Web.

image editor

--A graphics program used to edit or manipulate an image, either by adding a user's special touches through computerized drawing or by using computer-generated manipulations such as morphing.

Information Technology (IT)

--A general term used to describe any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, or disseminate information.

infrared

--A band of electromagnetic waves slightly below the frequency of visible light. Infrared beams often are used for remote control devices and data transmission. The remote device, such as a remote control, sends an infrared beam of light to a receiving device, such as a television or a computer.

Java

--A programming language designed to write programs that can be safely downloaded form the Internet to computers and immediately run without fear of viruses. Java is known for its ability to run on diverse types of computers and operating systems.

laptop computer

--A portable computer smaller than a transportable (or lug-gable) but bigger than a handheld (or palm-top). Most laptop computers are small enough to allow for easy mobility; a battery or an AC power adapter provides the electricity it needs to operate.

library

--A collection of files, programs, routines, or functions.

lower resolution~

--A computer screen or printed page that appears rough, with very little fine detail. Low resolution on a display is the result of too few pixels; low resolution on the printed page is the result of too few dots per inch.

mailing list

--Discussion groups that use E-mail messages to link a group of people together with common interests.

morphing

--A method of animation that seamlessly transforms one image into another.

motherboard

--The printed circuit board that is the foundation of a computer. The board contains a computer's central-processing unit, random-access memory, chips, and expansion slots. The motherboard is where all the computer's components meet.

network server

--The computer that controls access and offers resources to other computers in a group of interconnected computers. A server usually contains a network drive and a network directory.

nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery

--A rechargeable battery used primarily in portable computers. These batteries do not suffer from the "memory loss" problem of nickel-cadmium batteries and can store more power.

Offline

--Broken contact between a computer and its connected devices. A device is offline, for example, when it is disconnected or when it is turned off.

operating system

--Software, such as Windows 95 and Windows 98, that controls a computer and its peripherals and handles many of the computer's basic functions.

operator

--A symbol that denotes an action to take place, such as a "+" to mean addition. Boolean operators (AND, OR, and NOT, for example) are used to verify or disprove truth.

optical character recognition (OCR)

--The process in which the images of letters, entered into a computer with a scanner, are translated into characters that are worked with in the computer as text, not as an image. OCR is far from perfect, but it is the fastest way of digitizing typed pages of text.

palette

--The set of available colors in a given computer graphics program or computer system. Palette also can refer to the collection of tools in paint programs used for creating and altering images.

paper feed

--The method or system by which paper moves through a printer.

password

--A set of secret characters or words needed to gain access to a computer or to files and programs within the system.

physical address

--An actual hardware-based location within a computer. For example, a computer's hard drive has a physical location denoted in memory by the physical address that the processor knows to access when it seeks material stored there.

pixels

--The smallest part of an image that a computer printer or display can control. An image on a computer monitor consists of hundreds of thousands of pixels, arranged in such a manner that they appear to each be connected.

print quality

--The overall quality of a printer's output, based on resolution and clarity of the characters printed. A number of factors can affect the print quality, including the type of printer and the mode setting of that printer.

programmer

--A person who writes the codes that make up a program. A programmer may write an entire program alone or with a team or programmers. Another part of a programmer's duties is debugging the program and getting rid of any glitches the program may contain.

realtime

--Refers to a computer-related operation that occurs within a time frame imposed by external conditions. Real-time operations either happen in human perception of the normal passage of time, or proceed at the same speed as a physical or external process.

registration

--To register software with the manufacturer, which makes the user eligible to receive benefits such as free technical support and product updates. Registering software usually involves sending in information on a registration card or via an E-mail message.

reset button

--A button, usually found on the front of the computer case that lets a user restart the computer without shutting off the power to the computer.

resolution

--The amount of definition and clarity in an image on a monitor or from a printer. In monitors, resolution is measured by the number of pixels per square inch the device can display. In printers, resolution is measured in dots per square inch that can be printed on paper.

router

--The part of a communications network that receives transmissions and forwards them to their destinations using the shortest route available. Data may travel through multiple routers on the way to its destination.

search engine

--A program that has users locate specified information from a database or mass of data. Search engine sites such as Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.corn) are extremely popular on the World Wide Web.

stacks

--Memory buffers your computer uses like sticky notes to decide which piece of hardware is next in line to work.

startup

--The process of getting a computer ready for operation. This includes internal checks and the loading of software, such as the operating system.

Stylus

--A pen-shaped instrument used with graphics tablets or touch screen input devices to write or draw on the computer screen as if on a sheet of paper.

system files

--A file used by an operating system or control program.

Taskbar

--A bar at the bottom of the screen that displays open applications and aids in task switching in Windows 95.

Technology Without An Interesting Name (TWAIN)

--A standard interface for scanning equipment. Most scanners come with a TWAIN driver, which lets scanners work with any software that supports TWAIN. These drivers often let graphics programs automatically activate a scanner or other input device.

thumbnail

--A smaller version of a graphic or document pages that takes up less space on-screen to allow multiple images to be viewed simultaneously. These smaller images also are faster to load than full-size images.

toolbar

--A row of boxes, often at the top of an application window, which control various functions of the software. The boxes often contain images that correspond with the functions they control.

touch screen

--A type of monitor with a sensitive panel directly on the screen that registers the touch of a finger as input.

typeface

--A certain design for a character set. The typeface is just one aspect of a character's font. Examples of typefaces you are likely to find in a word processing program include Arial, Times New Roman, and Garamond.

Universal Resource Locator (URL)

--Astandardized naming, or "addressing," system for documents and media accessible over the internet.

Web server

--A computer where a certain set of World Wide Web pages reside. A server may be dedicated, meaning its sole purpose is to be the server, or non-dedicated, meaning it can be used for basic computing in addition to acting as the server.

Web Site

--A collection of World Wide Web documents managed by a single entity that provides information such as text, graphics, and audio files to users, as well as connections called hyperlinks to other Web pages.

wizard

--A feature that provides step-by-step instructions to lead users through certain tasks in applications. A wizard uses dialog boxes that walk users through each step of a process.

Zip

--To compress a file.