PastIT - were everyones at home!

A
Access	To gain entry to or connect to.
AGP	Accelerated graphics port. An enhancement of the system bus designed to boost graphics performance.
Alphanumeric	Consisting of letters, numbers and special characters such as punctuation or spaces.
AMD	Advanced Micro Devices a manufacturer of CPUs and other chips - Intels main opposition
Applications	See software.
ASCII	American Standard Code for Information Interchange. It is a code for representing text as a set of binary numbers. Text in ASCII can be easily transferred between programs without formatting data.
Athlon	The name for AMDs version of the Pentium from Intel
Autoexec.bat	A batch file that is Automatically Executed when your computer starts up. It can hold a menu or system Information.
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Back slash	The \ character. On most computer keyboards the back slash key is located near the top-right corner of the main section of the keyboard, although this is not always the case. The back slash character is frequently used when describing the location of a file. Sometimes reffered to as slosh and slash for the forward slash (/) and the back slash (\) respectively. The slosh is used in Web addresses.
Backup	A duplicate copy of a file. You should back up your data files regularly so you have a spare copy if the original is accidentally damaged or lost.
Bandwidth	The amount of data that can be transmitted over a connection at any one time. A standard modem connection to the Internet provides a relatively low bandwidth, making it unsuitable to download large media such as video; a cable modem such as DSL provides considerably higher bandwidth.
BIOS	Basic input/output system, pronounced buy-oss. Software built into a chip in the computer motherboard which controls basic communications, screen, keyboard and other functions. When you switch on your computer, it loads the BIOS before loading anything else.
Bit	Short for Binary digit. The smallest piece of information that can be stored or moved by a computer. A bit can have a value of 0 or 1. There are 8 bits in a byte.
Boot	This is a term used when you turn on your machine. It checks the Boot Strap Loader, a program stored in ROM. It is looking for a boot record. This is loaded into RAM, executed and all should start up.
Bps	Bits per second, the standard measure of data transmission speeds.
Browser	See Web browser.
Bug	An error in a computer program or in computer hardware.
Bus	A set of wires used to transfer data between the main components on a computer’s motherboard, it distributes signals from one component to another e.g. from hard disk or video card to the processor.
Byte	A measurement of memory. One byte can contain a single character – a letter, number, punctuation mark or other symbol. A byte contains eight bits
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Cache	A memory storage system used by a programme. It is temporary and between CPU and RAM which therefore increases speed of access of information.
Cable modem	A modem which operates over cable TV lines, providing high transmission rates.
CD-R	Compact Disc Recordable. A drive that can create and read CD-ROMs and audio CDs. Also refers to the writeable compact disc media you place in a CD-R drive
CD-ROM	Compact Disc Read-Only Memory. A data version of the familiar audio CD. It used for program installations and data backup. The‘read-only’ indicated that while you can read information with CD-ROMs you cannot write information to them
CD-RW	Compact Disc Rewriteable. A type of CD that lets you write on it multiple several times (unlike a CD-R disc which can be written to only once).
Central Processing Unit	Also known as the CPU or microprocessor. The‘brains’ of your computer. The CPU handles all the central logic and operations for your computer
Chip	Short for ‘microchip’. A small piece of silicon (or another semi-conducting material) which contains electronic components such as transistors and resistors organised into a circuit. Your computer contains many chips, including the central processing unit, memory chips, and other support chips
Chipset	Normally the type of controller Chip used by a motherboard
Clipboard	A special temporary storage space in memory. Whenever you use the cut or copy commands in a program, the information is stored in the clipboard. It may then be inserted into the current document using the paste command. The clipboard can normally contain only one item at a time, so each copy or cut command will replace the current contents of the clipboard
Configure	To set up a computer system or computer program so that it functions as it should
Cookie	A small file placed on your hard disk by a Web site in order to identify you when you visit again. Also used by some Virus
CPU	See central processing unit
Crash	A serious computer problem that causes a program to halt or the whole computer to hang up
Cursor	The small pointer that moves about the screen controlled by your mouse.
Cyberspace	The non-physical world created within computer systems. When you’re connected to the Internet, for example, you are ‘in cyberspace’.
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Data	Any type of information. A letter you create with your word processor is data, as is a picture you draw using a graphics program, or an image imported from your digital camera. Data is stored on your computer in files.
Default	A standard or recommended setting which you may alter if you wish. For instance, the Windows Taskbar appears at the bottom of your screen by default; you can move it to another position by drag-and-droping it
Desktop	The full-screen display where all Windows activity takes place. Analogous to a real desktop, where you place everything you’re currently working on
Device driver	A software which tells a piece of hardware how to work with the rest of a computer system. Your printer, for instance, requires a printer driver to make sure it works correctly
Device	Any computer sub-system or peripheral, such as a printer, USB port or disk drive
Dialog box, Dialog	An onscreen box which lets you adjust settings or provide information needed to run a program, or which is used to alert you to some event. Dialog boxes require some form of interaction between the user and the computer, hence the name
Dial-up connection	A widely-used method of connecting to the Internet. A dial-up connection uses regular phone lines to connect one computer to another via modem
Directory	An area on the disk where files are stored. You can have as of them as you want and they hold associated information also See folder.
Disable	To prevent a feature or component from operating
Disc	A storage medium using optical technology. The term includes CD-ROMs, digital video discs and laser discs
Disk	A computer storage medium (using non-optical technology)
Diskette	Seefloppy disk
Document	Any self-contained piece of work created using a program. A letter you create with your word processor is a document, or a Web page you design with a Web page editor
Download	To copy information from a remote computer to your computer. When you connect to the Web, you’re constantly downloading Web pages and files to your computer system
Drop-down menu	Sub-menus which drop down from another menu. Also known as pop-up or cascading menus.
DSL	Digital Subscriber Line. A technology that supports high-speed data connections
DVD	Digital Video Disc or Digital Versetile Disc. A high-capacity ROM storage disc
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E-mail	Electronic mail. Messages exchanged between users on a network
E-mail address	A unique name that identifies an e-mail recipient. E-mail addresses take the form username@hostname. An example is johndoe@myhomepage.co.uk, which is pronounced ‘johndoe at my homepage dot co dot uk’. Note that e-mail addresses, unlike URLs (Internet addresses), are not case sensitive
Enable	To allow a program feature or a computer device to function
Ergonomic	Designed to enhance human comfort and performance
Execute	To run a computer program
.exe	An executable program, one that can be started on a computer
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FAQ	Frequently Asked Questions (pronounced fak). Documents which give the answers to commonly asked questions about a particular topic. This is in a way an FAQ!
File	A collection of related information stored on a computer. Each document you create is stored in a file with its own filename, so you (and the computer) can identify it. Programs are also stored in files.
Flame	A vicious e-mail message or newsgroup posting in which the author attacks another online participant.
Floppy disk	A small, removable storage medium. Floppies are so-called because inside the rigid protective case is a flexible, brown plastic disk on which data can be stored. To use a floppy, you insert it in a floppy disk drive. Usually has disks that are 3.5" (Old ones are 5.25") Sometimes called the 'a' drive
File	Data is stored in files held in directories as in a filing cabinet
Font	A typeface in just one style.
Format	Making a floppy disk, hard drive or writeable CD ROM ready to receive info. Do this when you buy blank (unformatted) disks. This command is used in Windows Explorer, File Manager or DOS
Folder	A file container on a disk. Like a folder in a filing cabinet, you can store related files in the same folder to help organise your information.
FTP	File Transfer Protocol. A commonly used method for transmitting files across the Internet. Also used for 'uploading' your homepage
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G	See gigabyte.
GIF	Graphics Interchange Format. A graphics file format used extensively on the Internet because it uses compression to minimise the size, and hence the download time, of the images. The format was originally developed by the online service provider, CompuServe. The letters gif are used as a file extension (the characters after the full stop/period in a filename) for files in the Graphics Interchange Format
Gigabyte	A measurement of memory. One gigabyte is equivalent to 2 to the 30th power (1,073,741,824) bytes or 1024 megabytes
GUI	Graphical User Interface, pronounced gooey. Windows is a GUI. That is, it is made up of graphical elements (windows, icons, menus). Contrast this with earlier operating systems such as DOS, which were purely text, with commands entered by typing. Many programs still do not use GUIs, garages und department store for example
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Hang	See crash.
Hard disk	A high-capacity, long-term storage medium. Hard disks are usually connected permanently with the main computer housing. Also called a hard drive, hard disk drive or HDD. Often known as the 'C: drive'
Hardware	The physical equipment that makes up a computer system. Hardware is essentially the parts of a computer you can touch – the monitor, keyboard, disk drives, and so on
Home page	The main page of a Web site. Usually used to refer to private sites
HTML	Hypertext Markup Language, the language used to create pages on the Web
HTTP	Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The set of rules governing the transmission of documents on the Web.
Hyperlink	A link contained in a document that refers to another place in the document or to an entirely different document even on a different web site. When you click a hyperlink, the link’s destination displayed. The Web is composed of documents which use hyperlinks for interaction. Text-based hyperlinks are often displayed in a different colour or underlined, so they stand out from the rest of the document.
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Icon	A small on-screen picture which represents something: a program, a folder, a data file, a command shortcut. Something you might associate with what it does.
Input	Information entered into a computer, or the act of entering such information. You can input information using input devices such as the keyboard, mouse or a scanner.
Intel	One of the larges Manufactures of CPU and other chips such as Graphic card chips and chipsets
Interface	A term most often used to describe the ‘user interface’, which is the way a computer system or program is designed to work with its human operator.
Internet	A global network of computer networks, allowing communication and information exchange.
Internet address	See URL.
ISP	Internet Service Provider. ISPs maintain a dedicated communication line to the Internet; users dial in to the ISP, which then connects them to the Internet via a (hopefully) high-speed dedicated communications line.
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.jpg	Pronounced jay-peg. A graphics file format which can compress graphics to a fraction of their size. JPG uses ‘lossy compression’, which means that the higher the degree of compression, the more detail is lost from the image. JPG images are frequently used on Web pages because their small size reduces download time, and they have the file extension .jpg (or, occasionally, .jpeg).
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K	See kilobyte.
Kbps	Kilobits per second. A measure of data transfer speed. One kilobit is 1000 bits. A 56Kbps modem (ideally) transfers information at 56,000 bits per second. If you divide the Kbps rate by 10, you’ll get the approximate number of characters transferred in one second.
Kilobyte	A measurement of memory. One kilobyte holds 1024 bytes.
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LAN	Local Area Network. A group of computers connected together within a fairly small geographical space, usually within one building.
Laptop	See Notebook.
Link	A dynamic reference to another document (or another part of the current document). Clicking a link will connect you to the destination document.
Linux	An operating system which runs on a variety of computer hardware, including PCs. Linux has a very strong following due to its efficient design and because it’s offered free of charge under a system called open source. However, despite attempts to make a user friendly version of Linux, it is far more difficult to use than either Windows or Mac OS and is not suitable for beginners. Though it is getting better with time
Log off, Log out	See sign off.
Log on	See sign on.
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M	See megabyte.
Mac	OS An operating system designed by Apple which is used on Macintosh computers. Also use to refer to Apple computers themselves
Macro	Automation within an application e.g. making commands a keystroke
Mainboard	See Motherboard.
Mbps	Megabits per second – millions of bits per second. A measure of data transfer speed
Megabyte	A measure of computer storage. All information in your computer is measured in bytes, with one byte containing the equivalent of a single character, such as a letter of the alphabet, a number, a punctuation mark (including spaces) and so on. A kilobyte is 2^10 bytes – 1024 bytes, although hard drive manufacturers often define it as 1000 bytes. A megabyte is 2^20 bytes – 1,048,576 bytes. These days, hard disk sizes are usually measure in gigabytes, 2^30 bytes – 1,073,741,824 bytes
Megahertz	A measure of frequency. Used to measure microprocessor speed.
Memory	Random Access Memory (RAM). Temporary storage area for programs and data while your computer is switched on. Anything stored in RAM is lost when the power is turned off. Do not confuse memory with storage.
Menu	A list of options from which you can choose. You open a menu by clicking its title with the mouse; then you select an option by moving the mouse pointer to the desired option and then clicking it
MHz	See megahertz.
Microcomputer	A computer built around a single microprocessor, such as a PC or a Mac. These days the definition is getting a little stretched as microcomputers are sometimes built with two or more microprocessors working together.
Microprocessor	A silicon chip that contains a central processing unit. The term is often used interchangeably with the term central processing unit when talking about personal computers.
Modem	Modulator-demodulator. A device used to transmit digital data (from one computer to another) across a telephone line
Motherboard	Also called a mainboard. The main circuit board in a computer, holding the primary components such as the CPU, RAM and Chipset
Mouse	A pointing device which lets a user interact with a computer.
MP3	A compressed audio format that has gained huge popularity. Thousands of musical tracks are available in MP3 format on the Web, and you can download these tracks using a browser or other software and listen to them on your computer or a portable MP3 player.
Multimedia	The integration of sound, video and/or animation as well as static graphics and text.
Multitasking	A system which can perform more than one task at a time. Both Windows and Mac OS are multitasking operating systems.
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Nanosecond	One billionth of a second.
Netiquette	Etiquette guidelines for behaviour on the Internet, in particular with regard to posting messages to newsgroups, e-mails and chatrooms
Network	Two or more computers linked together.
Newsgroup	An online discussion group on a particular topic.
Newsreader	An application that lets you read and reply to messages posted on Internet newsgroups.
Notebook	Portable computer for use while traveling or for from different sites.
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OCR	Optical Character Recognition. Converts scanned images into text files that can then be edited or corrected
Offline	Disconnected from a computer communications system.
OLE	Object Linking and Embedding. You can edit the image or file you have imported by double clicking and you will return to original application.
Online	Connected to a computer communications system.
Open	Also called run, load, start or execute. Opening an item (such as a program) activates it.
OS	See operating system.
Operating system	A collection of programs which, together, manage all the basic functions of a computer. The operating system runs programs (such as a word processor, graphics editor or speadsheet), manages the storage of your documents, and coordinates the functions of the computer itself and all the devices connected to the computer. Windows XP, Mac OS and Linux are three examples of operating systems. A program written to work under one operating system will not work on another operating system (a different version must be written for each operating system)
Output	Information processed by a computer program and displayed or stored on a device. Output may be printed, displayed on the screen, sent across a communications link, played through the speakers, and so on.
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Parallel port	The connection used mostly for printers od scanners. See also port
PC	Personal computer. Usually used to refer to any computer that runs the Windows operating system.
Pentium	The latest microprocessor from Intel, it was also refered to as the 586. Starting with the Pentium, Intel is now up to Pentium 4
Peripheral	Hardware component that you add to the central unit of a computer, such as a monitor, printer, mouse, etc.
Plug and Play	The ability to configure a new device automatically without too much fuss
Port	A conduit for transferring information between a computer and an external device, such as a modem, mouse, joystick, digital camera or printer. Parallel ports (used by printers and scanners) transfer bits of information simultaneously in groups. Serial ports (used by modems and joysticks) transfer information one bit at a time. See also USB
Post	To place a message on a newsgroup or BBS
Processor	See microprocessor
Protocol	A set of rules which allows different parts of a computer network to ‘talk’ to one another.
Public-domain software	Any program that is not copyrighted, and is thus available for free use by anyone. (Note that ‘freeware’ is copyrighted software that is free.)
Pixel	Picture element, a single dot on the screen
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RAM	Random Access Memory. The fast internal memory used by the computer to store information and instructions while the computer is operating. Anything stored in RAM is lost when the power is switched off.
Resolution	The clarity and size of the image on the screen.
ROM	Read-Only Memory. Internal memory which contains permanent instructions. These chips hold data that can be read but not written to, can be used to run checks on a computer and then load up the operating system
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Scanner	Convert paper based information into a style that can be held on a computer.
Scroll	To move a document in a window so you can see any portion of it. You can scroll up and down or side to side using scrollbars to the right and bottom of the window.
SCSI	Small Computer System Interface (pronounced skuzzy). A high performance design for connecting disk drives, scanners and other devices to a computer.
Search engine	A program that searches pages on the Internet for specified keywords and returns a list of the documents containing the keywords. Examples include Google and AltaVista.
Serial port	Maily used for Modems, used to be used for the mouse. See also port
Setup, Set up	To install and configure computer hardware or software. Most computer applications come with a setup program which steps you through this process.
Shareware	Software which you can try out without payment. If you continue to use the software, you are honour-bound to pay the author the requested fee.
Shortcut	A pointer to a file. Creating a shortcut allows you to quickly access a program or document no matter where it’s actually stored. The Mac equivalent is called an alias.
Sign off, Sign out	To finish a session on a computer system or network.
Sign on	To start a session on a computer session or network. By signing on, usually by entering a username and a password, you let the system know you are connected.
Software	The term for computer programs. A program is a series of instructions used to manipulate data or to control the workings of a computer system. The former is often called applications software, while the latter is called operating systems software. A word processor is an example of applications software; Windows 2000 is an example of an operating system.
Spam	Electronic junk mail sent on mass
Storage	Any medium or device (such as a hard disk) used to store data for an extended period.
Surf	To move from place to place on the Internet, usually using a Web browser.
SVGA	Super Video Graphics Array. IBM standard for screens
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Taskbar	The long horizontal bar at the bottom of the Windows Desktop which you use to access programs and manage your Desktop
Toolbar	Icons grouped together within a program, usually in a strip across the top of the window. Each toolbar icon or ‘button’ provides a shortcut to one of the program’s commands or features. Many programs have their own toolbars
Tooltip	A short, informative message which pops up when you let the mouse pointer linger on an icon, menu option or other part of the user interface.
Traffic	The amount of information being handled by a communications system. During times of heavy traffic on the Internet, the connections will be slow.
Truetype (font)	Fonts that that are seen on the screen as they would appear on printed paper.
TSR	Terminate and Stay Resident. programs leave these codes in memory and sometimes affect other applications. Go when PC is turned off.
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Undo	To reverse your last action in a computer program. Many programs allow multiple ‘undos’ so you can reverse a whole series of actions.
Unzip	To decompress a file that has been compressed using a program such as WinZip
Upload	To send information from your computer to a remote computer, e.g. when loading you homepage 'into' the Web
URL	Uniform Resource Locator, the address used to identify documents and other resources on the Internet. URLs consist of two parts, the first denoting which protocol to use to transfer the document and the second specifying the location of the resource. For example, addresses beginning with http:// use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol for transmission – the protocol for the Web. Addresses beginning with ftp:// use the File Transfer Protocol for transmission.
USB	Universal Serial Bus. A fairly recent type of connector that will replace serial and paralle ports. With USB, you can connect up to 127 different devices to your computer and data transfer is much quicker
User friendly	Expexted to be easy to learn and use, but this is usually only relative depending on how 'computer literate' you are!
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Virtual	Not real. Something which is virtual has no physical basis itself but mimics a physical object in conceptual terms. For instance, on the Web you’ll find graphical representations of buildings which you can‘walk through’ using your mouse. Such a building is a virtual building and it may be part of a larger virtual world.
Virus	A computer program designed to replicate itself and/or destory data. Many computer viruses are innocuous, some are harmful and can either damage information and programs on your computer or cause your computer to malfunction. Check the disks you use and where they have come from and Run a virus checker program
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Web	Short for World Wide Web.
Web browser	A software application used to locate and display Web pages.
Web page	A document on the World Wide Web.
Web server	A computer that stores Web pages and delivers them to Web browsers on request.
Web site	A location on the World Wide Web, consisting of at least one page (the home page) and usually many pages. Offen used to refer to company sites
Window	A portion of the screen used to display a program, document or data.
Windows	An operating system designed by Microsoft. Most home users use Windows 98, Windows 2000 or the newer Windows XP. Most business users use Windows NT or Windows 2000. There are also the older Windows ME and Windows 95
Wintel	An old term for computer that contains an Intel (or compatible) microprocessor and which runs Microsoft Windows. That’s almost 90 percent of the personal computers in the world.
World Wide Web	A collection of online documents stored on interlinked computers, called Internet servers, around the globe. The documents are written in a language called HTML that supports links to other documents. Users can view the documents using a Web browser, and can jump from document to document by clicking on the links contained in the documents. The Web is only a part of the Internet – some Internet servers perform functions, for example, mail servers store and handle e-mail; news servers control newsgroups, etc.
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Zip	To compress a file using a program such as WinZip. You zip files to package numerous related files together and to make them smaller, so they are easier to store on disk or to send to another user via the Internet.
Zip disk	A portable device for storing information. Zip disks are about the same size as floppy disks, but they hold between 100 and 250 megabytes of information (contrast that with the floppy disk’s 1.44 megabyte capacity). You need a Zip drive to read a Zip disk and, as with floppies, you can remove the disks and insert new ones when needed. The Jaz disk, made by the same company (Iomega), stores even more information than a Zip disk.
ZIF Socket	Zero Insertion Force socket so that you can easily replace chips etc. This is used by all modern Motherboards.

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