Glossary of Computer / Internet Terms

32-bit/16-bit This denotes the number of "pieces" (or bits) of information required by an operating system to run a certain application. It also deals with the construction of the computer's CPU (Central Processing Unit) or brain. The Pentium CPU easily runs 32 bit applications because the wires that hold all the pieces together (known as "busses") are big enough to flow through 32 bits at a time. 486s, 386s and below aren't big enough. They work with 16 bits at a time. Windows95 is a 32-bit application. Yes, it will run on a 486, but very slowly while using a great deal of memory and virtual memory (hard drive space) to do it.
ANSI It stands for American National Standards Institute. This is the place that sets standards for data communications, like the Internet.
Analog Not digital. This is data in the form of a continuous flow. A record or a tape is analog. Digital on the other hand is in pieces, or samples. More to come on that.
AppleShare This is Apple Computer's network system. It allows many different end users (people on computers) to attach to one central location and get files. (sound familiar?)
Application This is a program. It does things when called upon. A shortened version gave Java it's name: applet.
ASCII It stands for American Standard Code Information Exchange. This is text. Its all those things you see on your keyboard. However, it is standardized text so data transfer is allowed between systems. It works by representing letters and characters through a seven digit code of one's and zero's. An example would be that "Joe" might look like this to the computer: 0011010,0111100,01010011.
Asynchronous Transferring data with the help of start and stop bits that indicate the beginning and end of each character being sent.
Backbone Well, all of these computers have to come together somewhere. There are many "backbones" on the internet. Think of the backbone as the next larger grouping of computers you attach to to get included in the web. You're at the end of a rib coming off of the backbone-get the picture? The main backbone of the Internet here in the US is the NSFNet. It stands for National Science Foundation Net.
Bandwidth The carrying capacity of a wire attached from one computer to another. It is usually measures in the amount of bits carried. You know that 28.8 modem you have? It will allow a bandwidth of 28,800 bits per second.
Baud This is a measurement of amount of data that can be transferred in one second. Example: A 14.4 baud modem can transfer 14,400 bits of information in one second.
BIOS Stands for Basic Input/Output System. This is the little set of programs that let all the different parts of the computer talk to each other.
Binary This is a basic system of numbering using ones and zeros.
Bit/s "Bit" is a grouping of the words "binary" and "digits." Think of a bit a number, a 1 or a 0 to be exact. A grouping of bits help to make up ASCII Code. Data transfer is often in terms of the number of these "bits" that can be moved in a second.
BMP Pronounced "bimp." It's a bitmap, an image made up of little dots.
Buffer The buffer is a section of the computer where data is stored before being used. This buffering allows time for an application to fix differences in bit rates among other things. It creates a space of time for compensation.
Burst Most people know this from "pipeline burst cache". Burst means to send data in a large package all at one time rather than small bits over a longer time.
Bus There are wires between all the parts of your computer. There is a wire from the memory to the brain, and from the brain to the printer, etc, etc. Those wires are called busses. They differ from one another due to the amount of data they will transfer at one time.
Byte A unit of space. It is also used to represent a series of seven or eight ascii code digits representing a character.
C A programming language developed at AT&T.
Cache This is a memory section that holds data while the CPU (central processing unit) or brain, is working on it. Go to your Netscape directory - you'll see a cache full of files marked ".moz". Those are "mozilla" files. That's what Netscape calls pages after they display and save them.
CD-ROM Compact Disc - Read Only Memory. It's a storage place that disallows recording or manipulating of its data.
CGA Stands for Color Graphics Adapter. It's a piece of hardware that plays with colors.
COBOL Stands for Common Business Oriented Language.
COM Stands for Component Object Module.
Compiler This is an application that converts a programming language into machine language program.
CPU Stands for Central Processing Unit. This is the brain of your computer. It is made up of two parts: The Arithmetic Logic Unit (this does all the processing) and the Control Unit (this make sure every part of the computer is working together to present the information).
Client A computer attached to an internet server.
Cyberspace This is a term that gives us a way to sort of "see" what we are surfing while on the net. It's a generic term for all of the Internet, not just the World Wide Web.
Data Anything that is recorded or used for processing. The stuff that transfers between computers needed a name - Data seemed good.
Database Anything that accepts data is a database. A pile of newspapers is a database. A computer database has the ability to manipulate that data. It is possible to attach applications to that database to search the contents.
Data Rate Speed that information moves from one item to another. This is usually in the form of bits.
DDS Stands for Direct Digital Signal.
Dedicated Line This is a phone line meant specifically for one thing, like being attached to a computer.
Demodulation This is the process of converting analog information (like over phone lines) into digital information (like in a computer). See "Modem" for more.
Dial-Up Line This is a telephone line that is connected to a server. When it is called, tones are exchanged between the server and the devise calling in order to attach.
Digital Your CD player is digital. It is a series of small samples of data play together very quickly (30,000 times a second). Digital recording of information means representing the bits of data through ones and zeros. Playing the bits back to again create what was recorded is called digital processing.
DNS This stands for Domain Name System. The Internet runs by assigning different sites "Names". They are actually 4-part strains of numbers associated with names, but names none the less. Getting a DNS error means that the address you are attempting to reach is not recognized by the Internet community.
Domain This is a higher level section of the Internet, usually given its own DNS. The domain is the section of an address before the directory slashes start. www.htmlgoodies.com is my domain.
DOS Stands for Disc Operating System. It is a generic term for the many programs that accept commands to trip applications to run. The most popular is MS-DOS (MS stands for Microsoft).
DPI Stands for Dots Per Inch
Dumb Terminal This a video screen that is seeing manipulation going on an another computer. Example: If you log into AOL, your computer is not doing the work--AOL's computer is. You are just being offered a window into that world. That window is your screen. It is a terminal, but is just watching--thus a dumb terminal.
EDO RAM Extended Data Output (Memory)
EISA Extended ISA (32 bit bus)
Email Stands for Electronic Mail. Email is actual a method of transferring files among computers, rather than the the actual file, but that's what the name has come to mean.
Encryption This is any one of many methods to transfer a file into a hard to crack code. It is often done by scrambling or by letter to letter replacement.
Engine As in "Search Engine." This is the working part of a data base or application.
ESDI Enhanced System Device Interface. Serial HDD 10 m/s/bit
Ethernet This is a method of file transfer that uses dedicated cables rather than dial up phone lines. Ethernets are usually set up attaching end users to a central system like an Intranet. It was invented by Xerox believe it or not.
FAT Stands for File Allocation Table. Basically this is a table of contents in a directory that tells the computer what al is in there. Look at your Netscape cache, you'll see a FAT. It'll be the first file.
Fiber-Optic This is a new style of cable being used for very high speed data transmission. It works by pushing (modulating) a light wave across cable. The data is carried along with the light.
File Sharing This is the most important feature of the Internet. This is a method of allowing one server to give the same file to many different end users.
FORTRAN Stands for FORmula TRANslation.
Freeware This a shortened version of Free Software. Programmers offer their work without wanting pay in return.
FTP Stands for File Transfer Protocol.
Gateway As in Common Gateway Interface (CGI). It is a piece of software that allows two items to communicate with each other. They are used to make connection between computers and systems inside that computer.
GIF Pronounced "jif." Stands for Graphical Interchange Format. It is an image format created by Compuserve.
Gigabyte (GB) It's about a billion bytes. Actually it's 2 to the 30th power or 1,073,741,824.
GIGO It's an acronym that stands for Garbage In, Garbage Out.
GUI Pronounced "gooey". It stands for Graphical User Interface. It's the graphical representations you see on the screen.
Hardware These are the physical items including your computer and floppy discs.
Helper Application This an application your browser uses to manipulate a downloaded program.
HTTP Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.
Hypertext This is a mark-up language that allows for non-linear transfers of data. The method allows your computer to provide the computational power rather than attaching to a mainframe and waiting for it to do the work for you.
IBM Stands for International Business Machines
Icon A small video display that acts as an activation link when click on.
IDE Integrated Disk Electronics (controller circut)
Interface This is any type of point where two different things come together. Most often, the term is used to describe the programs between you and your computer like Windows, OS/2 and others. What you see on the screen is the interface between you and what your computer is doing.
IS Stands for Information System.
ISAIndustry Standard Association (16 bit bus).
ISO Stands for the International Standards Organization. Someone has to say what is the standard for transferring data. These people are it. You'll find them in Paris.
ISDN Stands for Integrated Services Digital Network.
Java Java is an Object Oriented Program developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems. Java is delivered over the Internet in the form of little applications or "applets" that do tricks when the download and are read by the browser.
Java Script This is a language very close to java that allows for more interaction with the viewer. It is much more forgiving than Java as it doesn't require it's own window in which to work.
JPEG Pronounced "J-Peg." Stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. It's an image format that allows for compression when stored.
Kilobyte (KB) This is about a thousand bytes of space. In reality, it's two to the 10th power or 1,024 bytes.
Kbit/s Stands for thousands of bits per second.
LAN Stands for Local Access Network. And Intranet would be one of these. It's a smaller network covering a set area.
LBA Logical Block Addressing (for enable SCANDISK.EXE) In BIOS setup - Hard Drive Auto Detect.
Live Script This is the former name of Java Script. There are few updates between the two.
Login To attach to a computer. It has also come to represent your User ID command.
Login Script This is the small text file that is run by the server gateway to make the attachment between it and your computer.
Mainframe Mostly a mainframe is only a mainframe when compared to a desktop computer. It's bigger and much more powerful. Sometimes it's called a server or CPU.
Megabyte (MB) About a million bytes of space. Actually it's 2 raised to the 20th power or 1,048,576 bytes of space.
MIDI Stands for Music Instrument Digital Interface. It allows a computer to store and replay a music cal instrument's output.
Modem This a word created out of the beginning letters of two other words: MOdulation and DEModulation. The words mean the changing of data from digital (computer language) to analog (phone line language) and then back again. It represents the purpose of your computer's modem.
Multiplexer This is a piece of hardware that allows one item to take the place of several. An example would be using a multiplexer to allow 10 computers to attach where only one could before.
NACS Stands for Netware Asynchronous Communication Services.
Network This a system that send and receives data.
Network Adapter This is the hardware that allows the computers that are part of a network to communicate with each other.
Object Something that contains both the data and the application that operates on that data.
OOP Stands for Object Oriented Program. A larger program made up of smaller objects.
Operating System Often written just as OS. This is the software that manages the computer system. It controls all functions and direction. Examples include Windows and Windows 95.
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect. (64 bit PCI bus) Card slot eg. SVGA card
PPP Stands for Point To Point Protocol. It's a software application that allows an attachment to a server.
PICT Pronounced "Pick,t." It is another image format.
Plug-In This is a program that your browser uses to manipulate a downloaded file. It differs from a Helper Application in that the Plug works inside the browser window.
Port This is the connecting component or hardware that allows two computers to attach to one another.
Protocol This is a series of set rules that allow items to transfer.
Query This is make a computer request of a database.
RAM Stands for Random Access Memory. It's the memory of the computer.
RealAudio This is a method of playing sounds invented by Rob Glasser that creates a buffer between the supplying server and your computer. The file is plaed without downloading it completely.
Real Time This is method of processing data the moment it is received. Batch mode is a term used for a mainframe computer dealing with data when it has the time.
ROM Stands for Read-Only Memory. This is memory and information that cannot be changed.
SCSI Small Computer Sytem Interface. Parallel HDD 10 m/s/bit
Serial This is a consecutive occurance of two items in the same channel.
Server This is a main frame computer that serves the other computers attached to it.
Shareware This is an application that a programer makes available to users for a set amount of time and then asks for a donation. In return for the donation, a registration number is often returned that can be used to "turn on" othe features of the program.
Shell This is program that sets parameters and acts as a series of boundaries in which an application can run.
SLIP Stands for Serial Line Interface Protocol. This is another application that allow connection to another computer.
SMTP Stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
Software This is program, the actual code the computer reads. All other stuff is hardware. A floppy disc is hardware.
Spam This is transmit unwanted messages, usually over email, to a great many people.
SVGA Stands for Super Video Graphics Adapter. It's a high level monitor.
TCP/IP Stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This is a large grouping of programs and standards that govern how information moves round the Internet. The protocols were established around 1970-1980 to allow computers to attach to one another.
Telnet One of the TCP/IP Protocols. It allows a connection to another computer over dedicated phone lines.
Terabyte (TB) It's about a trillion bytes. Actually its 2 to the 40th power or 1,009,511,627,776 bytes.
Terminal This is what you look at when you're on the Internet. It's your computer screen.
Terminal Emulation This is an application that allows your terminal to act as a dumb terminal.
Transparent Something that occurs without being known to the user.
TWAIN Stands for Technology Without An Interesting Name. I like this, I found it on another site.
VESA Video Electronic Standard Association.
UNIX This is an operating system developed by At&t. It's big push is that it allows one server to service many different end users at one time.
User Someone attached to a server or host.
VDD Stands for Virtual Device Driver.
VGA Stands for Video Graphics Adapter. This is a lower level color monitor.
VMS Stands for Video Memory System
VRML Stands for Virtual Reality Modeling Language. It's a form of application that gives a 3-D effect to pictures sometimes allowing you to "move" through them.
WWW Short for World Wide Web.
WAN Stands for Wide Area Network, like the Internet.
Workgroup Persons sharing files and data between themselves.
Workstation The computer attached to the Internet.
WPG Stands for Word Perfect Graphics.
ZIP Stands for Zone Information Protocol. This is an application that allows for the compression of application files.

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