accelerator - A
hardware device that
makes something work faster.
and graphics accelerator.
active window - In Windows applications,
the window containing the
cursor movements, commands
and keyboard
entries. See window.
application - A term
for software that
helps people perform a certain type
which is a kind of
software that runs a computer or a utility, which performs small tasks
See operating system
ASCII - A plain text
file format.
A file in ASCII format lacks frills such as fancy fonts or complex formatting.
AVI - A digital movie format created by
Microsoft. AVI is short for "audio/video
interleave," a method of including a digital movie and its
accompaning sound in the
same file. Files in the AVI format have the .AVI
extension. See also
MPEG and QuickTime.
back up - The process of copying files from your
hard disk to diskettes, cassette tape, or
other storage media. As hard disks have
gotten more and more
monstrous in size, tapes and newer forms of storage
media (such as
zip drives) have pretty much replaced floppy
disks. Used as a noun,
"backup," the term refers to a duplicate copy of a
program, disk or data.
In other words, a backup file, is a duplicate file
made for safekeeping.
Go to Top
bandwidth - The amount of data a wire
or other computer network connection can carry
at
any given time. The greater the bandwidth, the
faster the data transfer
capability. Bandwidth becomes important any time
you use the Internet
because when a lot of people are using the
same lines to access the
Internet as you are, the bandwidth becomes "crowded"
and
the data flow to your computer slows down.
BBS - Acronym for bulletin board system. A BBS
is a computer system that has one or
more modems and is programmed to serve as
an information and
message center for people accessing it through their own
computers and modems.
A BBS can be public or private. A
private BBS typically
requires the user to supply a password to access its
information.
beta - A term
frequently applied
to software that is still in the testing stage.
Beta software is
often distributed to select groups of users or the
public at large in order
to get feedback on any operational or other errors
(bugs) in the
program code. See bug.
BIOS - Acronym for Basic Input/Output System.
Think of a BIOS as a basic control center
for the keyboard, monitor, disk drives and other
parts of your PC. Under
normal circumstances, you never have to do anything
to your BIOS -
unless you do something like upgrade your
microprocessor or memory,
or have a really old computer that needs its BIOS updated to run newer
hardware you've installed.
bit - Short for "binary digit." A bit is the
smallest
unit of storage in a computer. A bit is a
number that can only be zero or one, much like a
switch is either on or
off. A group of eight bits, called a byte, can represent
larger numbers.
See also byte, gigabyte, kilobyte and
megabyte.
Go
to Top
bitmap
- Generally a file that describes a sequential collection of bits that together will
display an image on the screen. Many images created
with graphics programs
are saved as bitmaps. Some of the most popular bitmap formats are
BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, and TIFF.
BMP - A file format for bitmap images (short for
bitmap). This is
the file format used for
"wallpaper" in Microsoft Windows, among other
uses. See bitmap, GIF,
JPEG, PCX, TIFF.
bps - Acronym for
"bits
per second." This term is used for rating the speed
at which a modem
can communicate. See bit and modem.
boot
or boot up - To start up a
computer. See reboot.
browser - An
application used to
view information on the Internet, particularly
the World
Wide Web. See World Wide Web.
bug - An error in a
software
program or hardware device. Bugs in software are
errors in
coding or logic that cause a program to
malfunction in some sort
of way. Some bugs are merely frustrating, others
cause a program to
stop responding to commands, forcing you to
restart the program and
lose whatever you work you had done since the
last time you saved
the file you were working on. Software bugs
are
fixed by software updates -
new versions of the software. Many companies now
post on
their Web sites software updates you can
download for free.
bulletin board - See BBS
bundled software - Software sold as part of the
package with a computer, peripheral or
other software product.
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bus - A set of wires used for data transfer
between the components
of a computer system. Think of it
as a shared railroad tracks. Components
like your CPU and hard
drive connect and exchange information on your
computer's bus.
Boards or cards, such as video adapter, internal
modems and disk
controllers, plug into expansion slots that through an
electrical connection to
the bus, making them effectively part of the
system. Buses are rated
by how many bits of data they can transfer at a
time. Consequently, a
64-bit bus is twice as fast as a 32 - bit bus.
See bit.
byte - A unit of
storage equal
to eight bits. A byte can store a single letter
of a word in a
document or a dot helping to form a graphic on a
computer screen. See also
bit, gigabyte, kilobyte and megabyte.
cache - A very fast and expensive type of memory
(SRAM, or static RAM) most often used to
hold data frequently used by the CPU. Also
known as processor cache.
A cache is a great way of boosting performance.
Want the
best kind of cache in your next computer?
Look for
"synchronous pipeline burst cache." It's currently the fastest.
card - A circuit board or adapter than can be
plugged into a
computer to add a new capability.
For instance, a scanner might require you to
install a card in your
computer's expansion slot in order for it to communicate
with your
computer and its software.
CD - ROM - An acronym
for Compact Disc
- Read Only Memory. A CD-ROM is much like the
audio CDs you buy for your stereo, only
instead of just sound, it
holds applications or data to be used by your computer.
Because it is
"read only," you can't record anything on a CD
- ROM, but your computer
can read whatever is on it.
CD - ROM drive - A disk storage device that uses
compact disc technology. Think of it
as the computer's equivalent of the CD player
on your stereo. A crucial
difference though is that a computer's CD - ROM
drive can read
applications and data embedded in CD - ROMs,
not just digital audio
files. See CD -
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chat - A digital form of communication enabling
immediate feedback between two or more
people using modems. It's like a phone
connection, only instead
of using speech to communicate, you use the written
word. As one
person types in a message, everyone else who is
connected by modem to
that person also reads that message on their screen
and can answer
immediately with their own message. The
Internet is full of chat
groups on just about every topic, from bee - keeping
to UFOs.
click - To press and release a mouse or
trackball button once while
the cursor is stationary.
Clicking is done to select or deselect an item or
activate a program or
feature. See double click.
clip art - Graphics that can be cut and pasted
electronically into documents you're creating
on your computer. Clip art can be
photographs, diagrams,
maps, illustrations, or cartoons.
clock speed - The speed of a microprocessor. See
megahertz.
close - To quit an
application or
"put away" a file. Closing an application
makes its
functions unavailable to you until the next time
you launch it. Closing a
file results in a choice to save the file or not. Unsaved
files will be
eliminated. Saved files will be stored on your hard
drive until the next time
you need them.
command - An instruction you issue through
software to get a computer to perform a
specific action. Commands can be issued
through typing specific
keys or key combinations at your keyboard or by using a pointing
device like a mouse. See menu and mouse.
compatible - The extent to which a computer,
peripheral, program or file can work with
or
understand the same commands, formats, or
language as another. If
two modems, for instance, are compatible, they can
communicate. If
they're not, they can't. (It's kind of like people.)
Another example: you try
to run an application written only for Windows
95 on a computer
running Windows 3.1, there's a good
chance there's going to
be a failure to communicate.
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compress - To make a
file smaller,
so that it takes up less space on disk or when
transmitted
over the Internet. Compression works by
examining the bytes in a
file and rewriting the file so that it uses less bytes.
Generally,
compressed files must be uncompressed before you
can view them. See also
ZIP.
configuration - The
sum of all your
computer's internal and external components. The
configuration of a computer typically consists of
everything that was
included when you bought it - including its CPU, memory,
disk drives,
sound card and CD - ROM drive - and anything
you might have added to
it since then, like a printer or a scanner.
cookie - A small unit of information sent from a
Web server to a
your computer, and stored on
your hard disk. When you visit the site again
later, the server can
recall this information. Here are ways that Web sites
use cookies:
An online store
might use cookies to remember the contents of
session at a later
time. Many sites use them to
remember your preferences about how you want to view the
site, to save you time
when you come
back.
Many new Web users have
misconceptions about what cookies do:
Cookies cannot carry
viruses into your computer.
Cookies cannot be
used to reveal personal information about you or
your computer
(other than what you volunteer).
Individual cookies
don't take up much disk space, but the file that holds
them might,
depending on how many sites you visit.
Many Web browsers,
including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape
Navigator, can
be made to alert you when a site wants to
send a cookie, so you can
accept or refuse it.
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CPU - Acronym for
"central
processing unit." The CPU is the computational
and control
unit of your computer. Other names for the
CPU include
microprocessor, processor, or simply "chip." The CPU is the
brains, the big
kahuna. Without it, a computer is nothing but an
expensive paperweight.
The CPU interprets and executes the instructions
you and your
software provide. See microprocessor.
crash - The sudden failure of a program or hard
drive. A program crash usually means the
loss of all your unsaved data and can either
require you to restart
the program or the entire computer. A hard disk crash
can leave your hard
drive totally unusable, resulting in the loss of
everything on it. See
back up.
cursor - An on -
screen symbol
marking the position on the screen where you'll
next be able
to add text or graphics. It takes several
forms, most commonly a
blinking underline, blinking vertical bar or blinking
rectangle. See
pointer.
cut and paste - A command sequence in which your
computer acts as scissors and glue,
cutting a graphic or chunk of text from one document
(or a section of that
document) and inserting it somewhere else.
data - An item of information. Data is actually
the plural form of
the Latin word datum, but the
word "data," is used as both the singular and
plural form of the noun
when referring to information you create and process
using your computer.
Data can be anything from a word -
processing document or an
electronic (digitized) version of your family's
photo album.
desktop - The on -
screen work
area. Desktop is frequently used to describe the working area
of a operating system like Windows 95 that
uses icons (pictures of
objects) arranged on the surface of your display.
device driver - See driver.
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digital - Related to digits or represented in digits.
Digital
information is expressed in bits (zeros
and ones), the form understood by computers.
Digital devices are
hardware products like printers or scanners that receive
and/or send out
information in a digital format. See bit.
digitize - To convert
any
continuously varying source of input, such as an
audio signal, into a
form understood by a computer (i.e., bits). In
plain speak, it means
taking something like a document or photo and converting
it by some
means into something you can use in your
computer. In the most
basic form, if you have a piece of paper with handwriting
on it and you
key all the words into your computer, you've
just digitized that
document. See bit.
DIMM
- Dual
In-line Memory Module - RAM consisting of an array of
memory chips, IC's, on a small pc board with two rows of I/O
contacts.
These modules have 168 pins and can transfer 64 bits at a time.
DRAM - Dynamic Random Access Memory -
the most common form of
computer memory.
DRAM must be refreshed
approximately every 10ms to
15ms.
secondary
level cache. Generally not
compatible with 386's, 486's, and older
Pentium machines.
directory - A catalog of filenames, folders and
even other
directories that are stored on a hard
drive, CD - ROM or diskette. Directories are
a way of organizing files
and folders into logical groups. You might think
of directories as
the file cabinets and folders as the file drawers.
See file and folder.
disk - A storage device for computer
information. There are two
basic types, hard disks (or
drives) and floppy disks. See hard drive and
diskette.
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disk
controller - The chip and related circuitry that directs the reading and writing from a
computer's disk drives. Disk controllers can be built
into a computer or on a
card that plugs into an expansion slot. See disk drive.
disk crash - A failure of a hard disk. Disk
crashes can be total
losses, where the data is
unrecoverable. Consequently, it pays to regularly
back up the data on your
hard disk. See back up.
disk drive - A electromechanical device that
reads data from and writes data to disks.
A
disk drive can be a hard drive or a floppy
diskette drive. See disk,
hard drive, and diskette.
diskette - A flat piece of flexible plastic
coated with a magnetic material that can record
data. Often called "floppy disk." Floppy disks
are removable and their
most common form is a 3.5 - inch disk encased in
a protective plastic
jacket.
display - A computer monitor. Frequently the
word
"display" is used to describe the actual
viewing area of your monitor. See monitor.
document - A file created by a program. Don't
think of it only as
text. Just like a paper
document might also contain photos or art, a computer
document can be anything
you've created on the screen with an application
and saved as
a file. See file.
dots per inch (dpi) - A measure of screen and
printer resolution.
Its the number of dots a device
can print or display per linear inch. See
resolution.
double click - To press and release a mouse or
trackball button
twice in rapid succession while
the cursor is stationary. Double clicking is
done to rapidly select or
deselect an item or activate a program or feature,
often bypassing
a secondary acceptance step. See click.
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download - The process of moving a copy of a
file from a remote computer to your
computer, usually using modems. A link is created
between the two computers
and one or more files are transferred from one computer to the
other. Data, programs, images, and many other
kinds of files can be
downloaded. See modem.
dpi - See dots per inch.
drag - To hold down a
mouse
button while moving the mouse. Dragging is a way
in
Windows to move an object. Used on a border,
dragging can shrink or
expand an object such as a window. Dragging over
text can select or
deselect it in blocks.
DRAM - Short for Dynamic
Random Access Memory. See RAM, SDRAM.
driver - Most commonly a software program that
controls or
regulates a hardware device like a
printer. Called device drivers, these programs
are usually included with
the hardware device. Updated versions of drivers
(called
"updates") are some of the most frequently downloaded
files on the Internet.
DVD
- Short for Digital Versatile Disc, a new CD format that can hold computer data, music, or
full-length movies. DVD discs work only with
a DVD drive or player and
cannot be played in standard CD players or CD-ROM
drives. Some of
Packard Bell's newest computer models
contain DVD drives. See
CD-ROM.
Go to Top
designed for use with the
Intel Pentium processor. See also: RAM, Pentium
e - mail - Short for
"electronic mail." E - mail is a computer - to - computer
form of
communication that enables people to send and
receive written messages
nearly instantly. The best part? You don't need
stamps.
electronic mail - See e - mail.
expansion board or card
- A circuit board with chips and other electronic
components
that can be plugged into a computer's expansion
slots to add a
capability. For instance, modems advertised as "internal"
models are expansion
cards.
expansion slot - A socket inside a computer for
adding expansion boards or cards. Buying a
computer with one or more empty expansion
slots, enables you to add
cards later to expand or improve your computer's capabilities.
FAQ - Abbreviation for
Frequently Asked Questions.
file - A computer file is a collection of
information that has been
saved under a single name. It
could be text, it could be a photo, it could even
be an application. The
one thing it's not is manila or stored in a file cabinet.
File Transfer Protocol - See FTP.
floppy disk - A removable disk for data storage.
See disk and
diskette.
Go to Top
folder - A file drawer
of sorts
for computer files or applications. Storing
groups of files
or applications in folders helps you organize
them. For instance, for
easy reference all the letters you've written decrying the placement of
a new town dump just down the street from
your home can be kept in
one folder.
font - A set of characters all in the same
typeface (such as Times New Roman), style (such
as italic), and weight (such as bold).
format - Used as a noun, refers to the page
layout, structure or
general appearance of data on
your computer screen (and when it's printed). A
word processing file can
have an elaborate format, with headlines, bold text,
indented sections
of copy, etc., or it can be saved in a plain text
format called ASCII. Used
as a verb, format can refer to setting up the structure
of either a
document or a hard disk or diskette. Formatting a
word processing document,
for instance, consists of things like choosing fonts,
setting margins,
and developing a system of header sizes.
Formatting
a disk, on the other hand,
is a process where your computer's operating
system or a utility organizes the disk's storage
space so data can be
systematically stored and retrieved from it.
486 microprocessor - A 32 - bit microprocessor produced
by Intel. The 486 microprocessor
brought new performance gains to personal
computers by including a
built - in cache controller, a built - in floating - point
processor, and an
execution scheme that fed the microprocessor
instructions in multiple
stages, ensuring that as soon as the microprocessor
completed
the execution of one instruction, the next
instruction was ready and
waiting. See microprocessor and Pentium.
frame - In Web terminology, frames are separate
areas of a Web browser screen. Each
frame holds a separate document that stays in its
frame, even when the
contents of other frames change. Some Web sites
use frames to put a
table of contents on one side of the screen,
and articles on the other
(www.disney.com is a good example).
Not all Web sites use
frames; the choice of whether or not to use them is
up to the site's
designers. Some sites (including Packard Bell's) do
not use frames because
the feature is not supported by older Web browsers.
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freeware - Software given away free of charge.
Freeware is often found on bulletin boards
and the Internet, especially through user
groups. See BBS.
FTP - Acronym for File
Transfer
Protocol, a method of transferring files between
computers
connected to the Internet. FTP is a special
way to login
to another Internet site for
the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files.
Many Internet sites have established publicly
accessible repositories
of material that can be obtained using FTP by logging
in using the
account name "anonymous." These sites are called
anonymous FTP servers.
function keys - The 10 or more keys placed along
the top or left
side of your keyboard and
labeled F1 through F12. Function keys typically
perform special commands
specific to whatever software you're using and
are used in
combination with the Ctrl or Alt keys.
game
pad - A pointing device for playing computer games. Game pads are very similar to the
controls for popular video games like Sega and
Ninetendo.
General Protection Fault (GPF) - In Windows, an
addressing error detected by the memory
protection hardware and causing the program
to crash. Earlier
versions of Windows, prior to Windows 95, were more prone
to GPFs.
GIF - A file format for bitmap
images (short for Graphical Interchange Format).
GIF is a popular
format on the World Wide Web because it
allows images to be
compressed so that they can be transmitted faster, and
also lets designers
add animated effects to images. See bitmap,
BMP, JPEG, PCX, TIFF.
gigabyte (GB) - A unit of storage equal to 1
billion bytes, or in a
more strict sense, 1,024 megabytes .
Gigabytes
are used to measure the
capacity of hard disks.
Because of the size of today's applications and everything
you'll want to
do with them, it's generally best to get the
biggest hard disk you can
afford. See byte and hard drive.
Go to Top
Gopher - A method of organizing information from
all over the Internet, making it
easier to find and retrieve. To use it, you need a
Gopher software.
Originally very popular, Gopher is being supplanted by
the Internet's World
Wide Web. There are still thousands of Gopher
servers on the Internet.
See World Wide Web.
GPF - See General Protection Fault.
graphical user interface (GUI) - A type of
software interface that enables users to start
programs, select commands, and view files and
other
options all as either icons
(symbols) or lists that drop down under organized
headings.
Windows and Windows 95 are graphical user
interfaces. See icon.
graphics accelerator - A graphics adapter
specially configured to provide enhanced
performance. See accelerator.
graphics adapter - A video adapter enabling a
computer to display graphics as well as
numbers and text.
GUI - See graphical
user
interface.
hang - A sudden freeze up in an application. A
hung computer has a screen that looks like
it's functional, only no input is being accepted
from
either the mouse or
keyboard.
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hard drive - The primary storage device for your
computer. Also called hard disk. The
hard drive is where all or part of every
application, as well as
your data, is stored. We say "part," because many
applications today
are sold on CD - ROM discs and run off both
the hard drive and the CD
- ROM at the same time. A hard drive is like a
closet. It's never big enough.
Especially today when applications
take more space than ever
on the hard drive and it's so easy (and tempting)
to download
such space hogs as graphics, audio and video
files from the Internet.
So the best rule of them is to get the biggest you can
afford at the time
you buy your computer. See gigabyte.
hardware - The physical components of a computer
system, including peripherals like
printers, modems, keyboards and mice. See software.
home page - The main page of a Web site,
frequently used as a table of contents or
directory
for the rest of the contents of the site. See
Web site.
HTTP - Short for
HyperText
Transport Protocol, the protocol for moving
hypertext files
across the Internet. Your browser uses HTTP
to
access this site. HTTP is the most
important protocol used in the World Wide Web. See
hypertext and World Wide Web.
hypertext - Text that contains links to other
documents. These
links are commonly signified by words or
phrases in the document that are
bold or underlined.
Clicking on these words retrieves and displays another
document. The
Internet's World Wide Web is an entire system
of hypertext documents.
icon - A small symbol used to represent an
object that can be
activated or manipulated by a
computer user. Icons can represent applications
you can open with a click
or two of your mouse. They can also represent
actions - for
instance, in many applications clicking on a icon
containing a picture of a
printer will print the document that's active on your
screen.
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install - A software term describing the process
of loading a
program on your computer,
particularly on your hard drive. During a typical
install, files are copied
onto your hard drive and the software sets itself up
to run with your
particular computer and its devices. Many
programs also give you
customization options, such as what parts of the software
you want to install and what parts
you want to leave out. See
setup.
intelligent - An adjective frequently applied to
hardware devices
that can process information
independent of your computer's CPU. Such
devices provide better
performance because they aren't as much of a drain
on your computer as
a "dumb" hardware. Used in reference to
software, intelligent
implies the ability of a program to initiate actions on its
own in the presence
of the right conditions. In other words, an
application might be
programmed to be intelligent enough to back up your data any time there
has been no input from the keyboard or mouse
for over a minute.
interactive - A system
in which an
action gets an immediate response from the
object the
action was communicated to. Personal computers
are interactive. You use
a command and the computer responds instantly.
internal modem - A modem installed inside your
computer.
Internet - A diverse and global collection of
networks and
computers all linked together.
That's basically all the Internet is. But that's also
precisely why it's so
exciting. By connecting your computer to the Internet,
you can use your
PC to travel the world, picking up a
shareware program from a
site in
with someone in
Go to Top
Internet service provider - A company or
organization that provides connections to the
Internet. These companies typically offer plans
charging a flat rate for
an unlimited amount of hours or for a set number
of hours each
month. See online service provider.
Intranet - An internal
(private)
network inside a company or organization that
works
much like the Internet. Intranets are becoming
a popular way to network
a company. See Internet.
ISP - See Internet
service
provider.
Java - A network - oriented programming language
invented by Sun Microsystems. Programmers
use Java to write programs that are safe
and
easy to download through
the Internet. Using Java, Web pages can feature
things like
animations, calculations, games and other "tricks." In
fact, Java can be used to
write programs that can do most of the things your
regular software can
do.
joystick - A pointing device for playing
computer games. Joysticks typically have a base,
a
playing stick, and control buttons.
JPEG - A file format for bitmap images (short for Joint
Photographic Experts Group, the
organization that created the format). The JPEG
format allows images to
be compressed, so that even large pictures do not
take up much space on
disk or when transmitted over the Internet.
For this reason, JPEG is
a popular format for designers of Web sites. See
bitmap, BMP, GIF,
PCX, TIFF.
jumper - A small metal connector
encased in plastic, with two holes at tne end. Jumpers are used
to change configuration settings on
computer motherboards,
modems and other printed circuits, by adding or
removing jumpers from
pairs of pins on the circuit board. Jumpers
are added to the computer
during manufacture, and usually do not have to
be adjusted later.
launch
- To start an application. Launching an application brings it up on
your screen and makes
it active, allowing you to use it.
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liquid crystal display (LCD) - A type of display
used on many portable or notebook computers.
local bus - A system architecture allowing some
expansion cards to communicate with the
microprocessor (CPU) directly. Cards using the
local bus enhance system
performance by avoiding the normal system bus.
maximize - To increase the size of a window to
its maximum dimensions. Windows 95
includes a maximize/minimize button on the
top
bar (title bar). Earlier
versions of Windows used an upward pointing arrow
button for the
maximize function. See window.
megabyte (MB) - A unit of storage equal to 1,024
kilobytes. Megabytes are used to measure the
capacity of hard disks, diskettes
and memory. See byte.
megahertz (MHz) - A unit of measurement for CPU
or microprocessor speed. The
bigger the number before the abbreviation
"MHz," the
faster that chip goes than another version of the same chip with a lower number.
Thus, a 200MHz Pentium chip is faster than a
166MHz Pentium chip.
Megahertz is also referred to as "clock speed."
See also Pentium.
memory - Electronic circuitry, usually a
semiconductor chip, that
lets a computer store and
retrieve information.
menu - A list of command choices
in an application. Menus can take many forms,
from a simple
list to a pull - down list under a heading in a
menu bar. See pull - down
menu.
menu bar - In Windows applications, this is the long
horizontal bar that contains the headings
categorizing all the menus for commands within
the program. See pull -
down menu.
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microprocessor - A
central processing unit
(CPU) on a single chip. Microprocessors are the
"brains" behind all personal computers. See
CPU.
synthesizers with
computers.
minimize - To reduce the size of a window.
Windows 95 includes a maximize/minimize
button
on the top bar (title bar). Earlier versions of
Windows used an downward
pointing arrow button for the minimize function.
See window.
MMX - A designation for a particular model of
the Intel Pentium microprocessor line. The
Pentium MMX chip is designed to boost the
performance of many
audio, video and image - processing applications. Games
and many multimedia
software titles will perform better on
computers equipped with
the MMX chip, especially software applications
written
specifically to take advantage of it. See
microprocessor and Pentium.
modem - A
communications device
that enables a computer to transmit information
(data) over a standard telephone line. Today's high
- speed modems are used primarily for e - mail, exploring the Internet, and exchanging files, such as a word processing document, from one
computer to another miles
away. Most modems today also have fax capabilities,
so you can
send a document created on your computer and
have it print on the
recipient's fax machine. The faster the modem you get,
the faster it will
perform in general - a feature you'll really
appreciate when surfing
the Internet. See Internet.
monitor - The device that displays the images
generated by your computer. It's the
"TV" you see all your information on.
Go to Top
MOV - See QuickTime.
MPEG - A digital movie format created by the Motion
Picture Experts Group (MPEG). MPEG files
allow for more realistic motion with a
smaller file size than
earlier formats, making it a popular format for digital full-length
movies. Files in the MPEG format have an .MPG
extension. See also AVI
and QuickTime.
motherboard - The main circuit board of a
personal computer. The motherboard contains all
the primary
components of the computer
system, including the
microprocessor, memory, bus controller, expansion
slots, and
support circuitry.
mouse - A pointing device. A mouse is cupped in
the hand and rolled on a flat surface. Mice
control the on - screen cursor and enable you to
execute software commands
quickly by clicking a built - in button. Other pointing devices include
trackballs
and touch - sensitive pads.
See trackball.
multimedia - The use of more than one media,
such as any combination of sound,
graphics, animation and video. A "multimedia"
computer typically has
speakers for sound and a fast microprocessor that
can handle graphics,
animation and video. A multimedia software
application usually
contains images, audio, text and, in many cases, video
clips and
animations.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface - See
Go to Top
network - A group of
computers and
related devices, such as printers, that
are connected by
cable or some other means so they can
communicate with each
other. See Internet.
newsgroup - A topical discussion group within
Usenet. Participants submit messages to a
particular
newsgroup and read messages left by
others using newsreader
software. See Usenet.
OCR - See optical character recognition.
OEM - Short for Original Equipment Manufacturer.
Often refers to the original maker of a
part that will be included as part of another
product, such as a hard
drive that will be included in a computer.
online - To be
activated and ready
to go. For instance, if your printer is online,
it's properly
connected to your PC, loaded with paper, and
turned on. To be online
with your modem means you're connected and ready
to communicate with another
computer, online service, or the
Internet.
online service provider - A company or
organization that provides a collection of
information
services accessible by modem. Services might
include news, sports,
weather and online chat groups on a variety of topics.
Most online
services now also provide a connection to the
Internet. Probably the
most well - known example of an online service is
America Online. See
chat and Internet service provider.
open - To recall an
existing
file to your screen to review, make changes, or
perform some
other operation to it. Files are typically
opened from within the
application that was used to create them. Some operating
systems, like
Microsoft Windows 95, allow you to select the
file
and then open it and launch the
application at the same time.
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operating system (OS) - The software responsible
for controlling
the usage of your computer's
hardware (things like its CPU, memory and
hard disk) and providing a
foundation on which your applications can run.
Popular operating
systems include MS - DOS, the Macintosh OS,
Windows, Windows NT,
Windows 95, and UNIX.
optical character recognition (OCR) - A process used to
translate printed text into a
digital format you can use and edit in your computer.
Using a scanner and OCR
software, printed documents from a variety of
sources can be entered
into your computer and edited in word
processing files, saving
you from having to input the entire document by hand.
See scanner.
parallel port - The input/output
connector for a parallel interface device. Many
printers
connect to your computer through the parallel
port. See port.
password - A unique string of keyboard
characters known only to you and used as a
security
measure to prevent other people from accessing
your computer or just
certain files.
PC - See personal computer.
PCI local bus - Abbreviation for Peripheral
Computer Interconnect local bus. PCI is a
specification for the bus connecting expansion slots
and their cards to the
CPU. Allowing the exchange of data at a very fast
rate (up to 64 bits at a time), PCI
is currently the local bus
specification used by
most personal computer manufacturers. See bus.
PCX - A file format for bitmap images. PCX files
can be viewed and edited with the Windows
Paint program. See bitmap, BMP, GIF, JPEG,
TIFF.
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Pentium - A registered trademark and name for
the current line of microprocessors
available
from Intel. These processors feature a
number of innovations to
increase performance, including two built - in 8K
caches, a 64 - bit
system bus, an on - chip floating - point unit, and a
superscalar design that
can execute two instructions per clock cycle.
See cache.
peripheral - A term used in computing for
devices that are
connected to a personal computer
and controlled by its microprocessor. Peripheral
can be internal
(installed inside the computer) or external (existing outside
the computer but
connected electronically to it). Common
peripherals include keyboards,
monitors, mice, disk drives, printers, modems,
and joysticks.
personal computer (PC) - A computer designed for
use by one person. A personal
computer is very different from a mainframe
computer which is
designed for intensive computational tasks and often shared
by multiple users
who are connected to the "mainframe."
pixel - The smallest element that can be
displayed on a computer screen. Pixels are the
building blocks for making the letters and images
you see on your computer
screen. An image on a screen can be made up of
hundreds of pixels,
each a different color.
plug and play - Used to refer to hardware or
software that requires
an absolute minimum of
effort to install. An example of a plug - and - play
device would be a sound
card that, once installed in an expansion slot, communicates
with your
computer's operating system to let it complete
the setup of the card for
you. Windows 95 has been especially designed to
facilitate
plug - and - play installations.
pointer - An on - screen symbol, such as an
arrowhead or index finger, that is
controlled by a mouse, trackball or other pointing device.
The pointer is used to
indicate and select locations or choices on a screen.
See cursor.
pointing device - Device used to select text and
objects on a computer screen and to
position the cursor. See mouse and trackball.
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port - A location for passing data in and out of
a computer. Ports enable you to connect
peripherals like printers and scanners to your
computer. See peripheral,
parallel port, and serial port.
PostScript - A page description language from
Adobe Systems that makes fonts readily
scalable. With PostScript, you can create
documents using a variety
of font sizes, as well as high quality graphics. PostScript
is a feature
offered on many printers. See font.
power surge - A sudden increase or "spike" in
line
voltage. Power surges can damage data
and your computer. See surge protector.
printer driver - A software program that enables
your applications
to work with your printer.
Because each printer is different, a different
driver is usually
required for each printer. Operating systems like Windows
95 include
printer drivers for nearly all popular printers. See
driver.
processor - See CPU.
program - A sequence of instructions that can be
executed by a computer. In common
usage, program, software and application all
pretty much mean the same
thing. Splitting hairs, a program is a complete
executable file, whereas
"software" and "application" more
accurately describe
collections of program and data files devoted to a single
purpose, such as
word processing. See software and application.
pull - down menu - A method of selecting a
command in an application having a menu
bar that categorizes commands under a
number of headings. By
clicking on the category head, a list of commands
is extended
downwards. Clicking on an item in that list
initiates the command.
See command and menu bar.
Go to Top
QWERTY keyboard - A keyboard layout named for
the six characters in the top
alphabetic row, reading left to right. It's the
standard layout for most
typewriters and computer keyboards.
queue - An
organization of
elements that can be removed only in the same
order in which they were
inserted. The most common form of
queue occurs in printing.
A queue of documents is a line of documents waiting
their turn to be
printed. The first one sent to the printer is the
first one that will be
printed and thus removed from the list.
QuickTime - Trademark for a digital movie format
created by Apple Computer. Files in the
MPEG format have an .MOV extension. See
also AVI and MPEG.
quit - To exit an application. Quitting an
application makes its
functions unavailable until the
next time you launch that application. See open.
RAM - Stands for Random Access Memory. RAM is
semiconductor - based memory that can be
read and written to by the microprocessor
or other hardware
devices. It's where the data that needs to be immediately
available for every
application that's in use at a time on
your computer is stored.
Because today's applications are bigger and handle
more data than
ever, you want as much of it as you can afford -
within reason. More RAM
means better performance. By the way, EDO RAM
performs better
than just ordinary RAM. See
SDRAM, semiconductor.
README - A name for a file containing
information that wasn't included in the user
manual or other documentation for a software
product.
read - only - Information stored on a medium
that lets you see or
play it, but not change or
revise it. A CD - ROM is a read - only medium.
For instance, with a CD -
ROM encyclopedia, you can display an entry on
your screen, but you
can't revise the words. Compare this to
documents on your hard
drive that can both display and change using the
document's
application.
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real - time - A term
describing
something capable of being acted on as it
occurs. In computing,
an example would be a real - time
communication form such
as chat. In a chat, people in remote locations can
type something that
appears on all the participants' screens as it is
being typed and any
participant can immediately answer back. See chat.
reboot - To restart a computer by reloading its
operating system. A reboot doesn't require
that the power to the computer be interrupted.
Many computers have a
reboot button that can be pressed should the computer
crash or hang in
such a way that you lose all control through
the mouse
and keyboard. See crash and
hang.
Registry - A Windows
95 term for the
location of files critical for running your
computer and
applications under the Windows 95
operating system. These
files include system, hardware, and application settings, as well as
user
information. In earlier versions, this information
was contained in a number
of separate files, specifically the autoexec.bat,
config.sys, system.ini
and win.ini files.
remote - Something that's not in the same place
you are. A remote computer, for instance,
is a computer that could be across the street
from
you or on the other side of
the world.
resolution - A term that refers to the degree of
detail achievable
by a monitor or printer. In
monitors, resolution is commonly measured by the
number
of pixels that can be
displayed in a specified area. In printers, resolution
is measured in
dots per inch (dpi). In either case, more pixels
or dots mean a finer
graphics image.
restore - In Windows, to restore a
window to its previous size. In pre - Windows 95
versions, the
restore button has both up and down arrows
on it and replaces the
maximize button whenever the window is already at
maximize size.
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run - To start and operate a program such as an
operating system or application.
scalable font - A font
that can be
readily increased or decreased in size. See
PostScript.
scanner - A device for converting text or
graphics displayed on a sheet of paper into a
digital image you can display on your computer
screen and
use with certain applications.
Scanners can be a great way to do things like
copy a
newspaper article into your computer for future
reference, or scan a
photo of a new baby to put on an announcement card
you're creating with
one of your applications. See optical
character recognition.
screen saver - An
application designed
to protect your display when it's on, but not in
use.
Static images, like an application's interface, left
on a screen for a long
time can actually burn themselves into your display,
leaving annoying
traces of their image on everything you
subsequently
view. Screen savers
counteract this problem by replacing static
images with
constantly changing images. Screen savers can be
set to come on after a
set number of minutes of inactivity.
SDRAM - Short for Synchronized Dynamic Random
Access Memory, which can be synchronized
to the clock speed of the computer,
improving performance.
See also RAM.
scroll bar - A vertical or horizontal bar at the
side or bottom of
a window that allows you to
move around quickly in a document. Scroll
bars typically have
arrows for moving up, down or sideways in increments
and a slider button that lets
you make big movements.
search and replace - A command in an application
that lets you search a document for a
particular word, number or phrase and change
every
use to a different word,
number or phrase all at once or instance by
instance.
Go to Top
semiconductor -
Technically, a material
that in its ability to conduct electricity,
ranks between
a conductor and a nonconductor. In
everyday computer talk,
the term semiconductor is loosely used to refer to
electronic components
such as microprocessors or memory
fabricated from semiconductor
materials.
serial port - An input/output connection
allowing you to attach a variety of devices to
your computer. Modems, mice, joysticks, game
pads, scanners, and other
peripherals are plugged into serial ports. See port.
server - A computer or software package that
provides a specific
kind of service to users
connected to it by a network or the Internet. A
server can be dedicated to
a single function, like handling a company's e -
mail, or be a
computer with a number of server applications running
on it that enable it to
handle e - mail, provide an Internet connection, and
fax documents for an
entire organization.
setup - When referring to software, a program
within the software that prepares the program
to work with your computer and its devices.
shareware - Software distributed free of charge
with the
expectation you'll pay for it (honor
system) if you end up liking it and using it.
Shareware is software you
try before you buy. Generally less expensive than store -
bought software, shareware can be found in
Web sites all over the
Internet.
SIMM - Abbreviation for single in - line memory
module. SIMMs are small circuit boards
designed to hold multiple memory chips. SIMMs
make it easier to add RAM
to a computer. See RAM.A particular configuration
for RAM . An array of memory chips on a small
pc board with a single row
of I/O contacts.
Slots - Number of RAM sockets available
for upgrading memory.
Go to Top
SO DIMM - Small Outline Dual Inline Memory
Module - 72 pin or 144
pin - These modules are much smaller than
regular DIMMs and are usually
used in laptops. It has 32
bit
transfer rate.
SDRAM SO DIMM - Synchronous Dynamic
Random Access Memory
Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module
Speed - Listed in nanoseconds, (1ns =
one/billionth of a second). The
access speed required for the RAM to work
properly with a particular machine.
Because
this is an access time, the lower the number - the faster the
module. (Remember: 60ns is faster
than 70ns).
SRAM - Static Random Access Memory - A
form of high speed memory. Ram
chips function at high speeds and do not
require a refresh cycle like
standard DRAM.
SDRAM - Synchonous Dynamic Random Access
Memory. This is standard DRAM with the addition
of syncronous
control logic.
By synchronizing all
address data and control
signals with a single system clock. SDRAM technology enhances
performance,
thereby simplifying design and
also provides a faster data transfer.
software - A term for the instructions that
enable your computer to
do useful (to you) work. The
two primary categories of software are
operating
systems and applications. See
operating system and application.
sound card - A device that handles audio files
for your PC, acting much like the
amplifier
in a stereo. One thing to look for in a computer
with a sound card is
Sound Blaster compatibility, a specification widely used
by many
applications. If sound quality is really important to you,
look for a sound card
that also has wavetable synthesis. This technology
enables your
computer to play back the prerecorded sounds
of actual instruments.
(Don't forget either, your sound card won't be worth
much if your
computer doesn't have decent speakers.) See
wavetable synthesis.
Go to Top
surge protector - A device for protecting
computers and computer devices from power
surges. Surge protectors collect and harmlessly
diffuse the excess
current. Installation is simple - instead of plugging
your computer into the
wall outlet, you plug the surge protector into the
outlet and plug the
computer into the surge protector. See power surge.
SVGA or SuperVGA - An
acronym for Super Video Graphics Array, a video
standard for
providing high - resolution color on computer
monitors. Nearly all
monitors sold today adhere to it. The 1024 by 768 resolution
is the most
commonly specified SVGA standard - you'll find
it on most personal
computers sold today.
taskbar - The gray band along the bottom of the
Windows 95 desktop. The "start"
button is located there, as well as buttons for any software
application or windows
you have open at the time. Click on a button and
it activates that application or
window.
text file - A file composed entirely of text
characters. Text files
are usually in ASCII format,
a format practically all computers can use.
See
ASCII.
TIFF - A file format for bitmap images (short
for Tagged Image File Format). The TIFF format
is especially popular with graphic designers
because it uses
compression to make file sizes smaller, and allows colors to be
separated
into the four basic inks: cyan, magenta, yellow,
and black. See bitmap,
BMP, GIF, PCX, JPEG.
touch pad - A type of pointing device that uses
a pressure -
sensitive pad to control the
position of the pointer on the screen. Touch pads can
also be special graphics
tablets where each point on the tablet references
a specific
location on the screen - when you touch a point
on the pad (usually with
a special pen), the cursor moves right to that point.
See mouse and
trackball.
Go to Top
trackball - A pointing device with an exposed
ball you rotate with
your thumb or fingers.
Trackballs, like mice, are used to control the on -
screen cursor and enable
you to execute software commands quickly by
clicking built - in
buttons. See mouse.
undo - To reverse the
last
action. Many applications include an undo command
so if you make a
mistake - such as delete a block of text -
you can recover it. In some
applications you can only undo the last action,
in others you can
undo an entire series of actions in the order
they were done.
update - In its verb form, making a file more
current. When you update a file, you
replace it with its more current version. Used as a
noun, an update is an
interim version of a software product. It's usually produced
and distributed
to correct errors or bugs while a new version,
offering new and expanded
features, is being developed.
upgrade - In its verb form, to change to newer,
usually improved version. Can refer to
either hardware or software. Used as a noun, an
upgrade is a hardware or
software product that's an improvement on the
earlier version. Can
also be applied to a part, such as a CPU. A
CPU upgrade would be a
microprocessor chip that replaces your current
chip.
URL - Abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator.
URLs are the standard form for
Internet addresses on the World Wide Web. For
instance,
the URL for the
Packard Bell Web site is
http://www.packardbell.com. This is the address you would type
in the
location box on your
browser to get to our Web site. See Web site.
user - friendly - An adjective implying that something is
easy to
learn and use.
user interface - The part of the application you
actually interact
with. For instance, in Windows
95, which uses a "graphical" user interface,
choices are displayed
pictorially as icons or objects that you click on.
Go to Top
Usenet - A worldwide system of topically named
discussion groups whose participants read and
submit news
and comments to each other
over the Internet. Usenet
is completely decentralized with over 10,000 discussion
areas called
newsgroups. See Internet and newsgroup.
utility - A program used to solve a specific problem or
fill a
particular system management need.
For instance, a backup utility is a program
that helps you back up
your computer's hard drive.
VESA local bus - See VL - bus.
video adapter, board or card
- A chip, board or card that generates the video
signal sent to
the computer's monitor.
video conference - A discussion between two or
more people, each in a different location,
but capable of seeing and hearing each other
through live video and
sound being carried by the telecommunications network.
Some of today's most advanced
personal computers, including
the Packard Bell
Platinum™ and Platinum Pro models, are video conferencing ready. With
the additional of a small, inexpensive video
camera,
these computers can be
used for video conferencing.
video memory - Memory (RAM) installed on the
video adapter. Also referred to as video RAM.
virus - A program that infects and replicates
itself in computer
files, spreading from computer
to computer. Some viruses can be relatively
harmless, simply
displaying a message on your screen. Other viruses can
be extremely
damaging, crashing your hard drive so you lose all
your data. There are
three things you can do to protect yourself from a virus
infection. Buy and
use a virus detection application frequently.
Back
up your hard drive
frequently. And be careful what files you introduce
into your
computer. Viruses are often found in files passed
between users, especially
on the Internet and bulletin boards.
Go to Top
VL - bus - Abbreviation for VESA local bus, a
local bus
architecture from the Video
Electronics Standards Association. This specification
permits up to three VL -
bus slots on a PC motherboard. The advantage
of the VL - bus is it allows "intelligent"
adapter cards to do
some processing
independent of the system's CPU. The disadvantage is
that these cards is
that in doing some of the processing, they tie up
the local bus and prevent
the CPU from using it. The PCI local bus has largely
supplanted the VL
- bus as the local bus of choice among
computer manufacturers
and the public. See PCI local bus.
wavetable synthesis - A technology that enables
a computer to play back prerecorded sounds
of actual instruments. Cards without
wavetable synthesis use
an inferior technology, FM synthesis, synthesizing
the sounds
of the instruments, rather than creating them
from their real sounds.
On some sound cards wavetable synthesis is an upgradeable
feature,
meaning you can add it later. See sound card.
Web site - A location on the Internet,
specifically the World Wide Web, with its own
address. Universities, organizations, governmental
bodies,
companies and individuals all
can and do have Web sites on the World Wide Web.
World Wide Web or WWW -
A popular part of the Internet where information
is organized
in something called hypertext. Hypertext
allows you to click on a
"link" word or title and have a document relating
to that word or
title instantly appear on your screen. If you
connect your computer to
the Internet, you'll probably spend most of your
time, if not all, on
the World Wide Web. See hypertext.
window - A portion of the screen that can
contain information and
you can perform software
functions on it. In Windows, you can open
multiple windows of the
same application or of different applications. The active window is the
window you're currently using, the window
where your cursor
is located.
x2 - A new transmission scheme developed by U.S.
Robotics that achieves line speeds of
up to 56 Kbps. This technology overcomes the
theoretical limitations
imposed on standard (analog) modems by exploiting
the digital
connections that most Internet and online service
providers use at their
end to connect to the public switched telephone network.
Users of modems
with x2 technology will be able to surf the
Internet, exchange e -
mail, and download graphics, audio and video files
found on the
Internet in nearly half the time it takes with earlier
modem
technology. See modem.
ZIP - A popular type
of
compressed file format, named for the PKZIP software
utility for file
compression. See compress.
.
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Copyright © 2001 by Jean J. Lee. All
rights reserved.
Reproduction or redistribution prohibited.