Application Software:
Software programs designed to meet specific needs, such as typing documents,
producing charts, or tracking payroll information.
Bit: the small unit of data. The value
of a bit is 0 or 1.
Backup: Duplicate
copies of data on different storage media for emergency purposes.
Bandwidth: The amount of data you can send
through a network connection. Bandwidth is usually measured in bits-per-second
(bps).
Bookmark: A stored location for quick retrieval
at a later date; Web browsers provide bookmarks that contain the addresses
(URLs) of favorite sites. Most electronic references, large text databases
and help systems provide bookmarks that mark a location users want to revisit
in the future.
Boot: Initiating
commands, causing the computer to start executing instructions.: personal
computers contain built-in instructions in a ROM chip that are automatically
executed on startup. These instructions search for the operating system,
load it and pass control to it.
Browser: Another name for a client program
that allows users to access documents on the WWW. Browsers can be both
text-based or graphic.
Bulletin Board (BBS Bulletin Board System):
A computer system used as an information source and forum for a particular
interest group. A BBS functions somewhat like a stand-alone Web site, but
without graphics. However, unlike Web sites, each BBS has its own telephone
number to dial into.
Cold Boot:
Starting the computer by turning power on.
CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory):
A compact disc format used to hold text, graphics and hi-fi stereo sound;
similar to an audio CD, but uses a different track format for data.
Computer:
A general-purpose machine that processes data according to a set of instructions
that are stored internally either temporarily or permanently. The computer
and all equipment attached to it are called hardware. The instructions
that tell it what to do are called software. A set of instructions that
perform a particular task is called a program, or software program.
Control Panel: A program used to change
some setting in the operating system or computer. Control panels allow
for changing keyboard and mouse sensitivity, speaker volume, display colors
and resolution as well as modem, network and printer settings. Control
panels are part of most operating systems, but also come with peripheral
devices to allow fine tuning of particular features.
CPU (Central Processing Unit): The computing
part of the computer; also called the processor, it is made up of the control
unit and ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit).
Cyberspace: A term coined by author William
Gibson in his novel "Neuromancer". Cyberspace is
currently used to refer to the digital world
constructed by computer networks, in particular the Internet
Database: A set of related files that
is created and managed by a database management system (DBMS).
Digital Camera: A video or still camera
that records images in digital form.
Directory: A simulated file folder on disk.
Programs and data for each application are typically kept in a separate
directory (spreadsheets, word processing, etc.). Directories create the
illusion of compartments, but are actually indexes to the files which may
be scattered all over the disk.
Disk drive:
A computer’s information storage device.
Domain name: The address that identifies
an Internet site. Domain Names consist of at least 2 parts. The part on
the left is the name of the company, institution, or other organization.
The part on the right identifies the highest subdomain. This can be a country,
such as ca for Canada, fr for France, or the type of organization: com
for commercial; edu for educational, etc. The IP address is translated
into the domain name by the DNS
DOS (Disk Operating System): Program information
that provides instruction to enable computer to interpret keyboard and
mouse input, display information on the screen, control printer, and work
with other hardware attached to the computer.
Download: To transfer files from
one computer to another. The most common way of doing this on the Internet
is by FTP
DVD ROM: The
next-generation video CD and high-capacity CD-ROM; the disc is the same
diameter as a CD-ROM, but can be recorded on both sides. Each side holds
4.7GB, equivalent to seven CD-ROMs, or 14 CD-ROMs, if both sides are used.
E-mail: The transmission of memos and
messages over a network. Users can send mail to a single recipient or broadcast
it to multiple users.
Encryption: A way of making data unreadable
to everyone except the receiver. An increasingly common way of sending
credit card numbers over the Internet when conducting commercial transactions.
File: A collection of bytes stored as
an individual entity. All data on disk is stored as a file with an assigned
file name that is unique within the directory it resides in. To the computer,
a file is nothing more than a string of bytes. The structure of a file
is known to the software that manipulates it. For example, database files
are made up of a series of records. Word processing files contain a continuous
flow of text.
File Management: Software used to manage
files on a disk. It provides functions to delete, copy, move, rename and
view files as well as create and manage directories. The file managers
in Windows 3.x and Windows 95 are File Manager and Explorer.
File Server:
High-speed machines that hold programs and data shared by network users;
the workstations (clients) are the users’ personal computers, which perform
stand-alone processing and access the network servers as required.
Firewall: The computer file system of a
site's inner network that is protected against unauthorized access by Internet
users
Floppy Disk/Diskette: A reusable magnetic
storage medium. Invented by IBM and introduced in the early 1970s in an
8" square format, floppies have been the primary method for distributing
personal computer software up until the mid 1990s when CD-ROMs became a
competitive medium. Floppies are widely used for backup and to transfer
data between users that are not attached to a network.
Folder: In
the Macintosh and Windows 95, a simulated file folder that holds data,
applications and other folders. A folder is the same as a DOS or Windows
3.1 directory, and a folder within a folder (subfolder) is the same as
a DOS or Windows 3.1 subdirectory.
Format: The structure, or layout, of an
item.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A way of
moving files across networks. With FTP you can login to another Internet
site and download or send files. Some sites have public file archives that
you can access by using FTP with the account name "anonymous" and your
e-mail address as password. This type of access is called anonymous ftp.
Function Key: A set of keyboard keys used
to command the computer (F1, F2, etc.). F1 is often the help key, but the
purpose of any function key is determined by the software currently running.
Hard Disk: The primary computer storage
medium, which is made of one or more aluminum or glass platters, coated
with a ferromagnetic material. Most hard disks are fixed disks, which are
permanently sealed in the drive.
Hard Drive: Primary storage device that
computer uses to store data, generally not removed from the computer and
can store large amounts of information; normally drive C on computer.
Hardware:
Physical equipment used to perform computing tasks (i.e., machinery and
equipment such as CPU, disks, tapes, modem, cables, etc.); in operation,
a computer is both hardware and software.
Homepage: The first page retrieved when
accessing a Web site
Host: A computer that acts as a server.
HTML ( Hypertext Markup Language): the
coded format used to create WWW documents. html commands control how a
piece of text will appear. Files in html format
are viewed with a World Wide Web Client program.
Hyperlink: These are links in HTML documents
that you can click on to go to other Web resources.
Icon: In a graphical user interface (GUI),
a small, pictorial, on-screen representation of an object, such as a document,
program, folder or disk drive.
Input: Input
devices provide a way of communicating with a computer; these devices enter
information and issue commands (i.e. keyboard, modem, scanner, and mouse).
Internet:
A group of networks worldwide, (but mostly in North America and Europe)
using a common protocol, the Internet Protocol (IP), such that data can
be transmitted seamlessly. In particular the Internet supports facilities
such as e-mail and World Wide Web (WWW).
IP address: The Internet Protocol address
- the numeric address that is translated into a domain name by the DNS
LAN (Local Area Network):
A communications
network that serves users within a confined geographical area; it is made
up of servers, workstations, a network operating system and a communications
link.
Laptop: A portable computer that has a
flat screen and usually weighs less than 12 pounds. It uses AC power and/or
batteries. Most have connectors for an external monitor and keyboard transforming
them into desktop computers. Most laptop computers today fall in the notebook
computer category.
LCD Panel (Liquid Crystal Display): A projection
device which displays images from the computer monitor (screen) to a larger
screen for large group viewing.
Logging In:
Accessing the network by keying in name and password.
Logging Off: Coming off the network
Maximize: In a graphical environment,
to enlarge a window to full size.
Memory: The
computer's workspace (physically, a collection of RAM chips). It is an
important resource, since it determines the size and number of programs
that can be run at the same time, as well as the amount of data that can
be processed instantly.
Minimize:
In a graphical environment, to hide an application that is currently displayed
on screen. The window is removed and represented with an icon on the desktop
or taskbar
Modem: A device
that lets computers communicate through telephone lines (may be internal
or external).
Mouse: The most popular pointing device
called a mouse because of its resemblance to one, with the cord being the
mouse's tail; graphical interfaces (GUIs) are designed to be used with
pointing devices, but key commands may be substituted.
Multimedia: Disseminating information
in more than one form. It includes the use of text, audio, graphics, animated
graphics and full-motion video.
Multitasking: The running of two
or more programs in one computer at the same time. The number of programs
that can be effectively multitasked depends on the type of multitasking
performed (preemptive vs cooperative), CPU speed and memory and disk capacity.
Network: Two or more computers wired together
which share information.
Notebook computer:
A laptop computer that weighs from approximately five to seven pounds.
Operating System: The master control program
that runs the computer. It is the first program loaded when the computer
is turned on, and its main part, called the kernel, resides in memory at
all times.
Password: A secret combinations
of letters and other symbols needed to login to a computer system.
PC: Personal
Computer.
Peripheral:
Hardware attached to a computer, such as printer, scanner, speakers, and
microphone.
Port: A socket
on the back of the computer to which peripherals may be attached.
Protocol: A specification that describes
how computers will talk to each other on a network.
RAM (Random Access Memory): Temporarily
stores date inside a computer; this data is lost if not saved before turning
off computers.
Reboot: To reload the operating system
and restart the computer
Recycle Bin: In Windows 95, an icon of
a waste can used for deleting files. The icon of a file or folder is dragged
to the trash can and released.
ROM (Read Only
Memory): A memory chip that
permanently stores instructions and data. Its contents are created at the
time of manufacture and cannot be altered.
Router: Hardware (or software) that can
connects a local network to the Internet. Routers spend all their time
looking at the destination addresses of the packets passing through them
and deciding which route to send them on.
Server: A host computer on a network that
answers requests for information from it. The term server is also used
to refer to the software that makes the process of serving information
possible.
Scandisk: A utility in Windows 95 and DOS
(as of Version 6.2) that detects and repairs errors on disk. In Windows
95, the ScanDisk Standard option searches for files that have been corrupted.
Scanner: A device that reads a printed
page and converts it into a graphics image for the computer
Search Engine: Software that searches for
data based on some criteria
Shortcuts for Windows 95:
Windows 95 allows
you to create pointers, or Shortcuts, to your program and data files. The
Shortcut icons can be placed on the desktop or stored in other folders.
Double clicking a Shortcut is the same as double clicking the original
file. However, deleting a Shortcut does not remove the original. Shortcut
icons have a small arrow in their lower left corner pointing
Software:
A series of instructions for the computer that perform a particular task,
called a program; the two major categories of software are system software
and application software.
Spreadsheet: Software that simulates a
paper spreadsheet, or worksheet, in which columns of numbers are summed
for budgets and plans.
Telecommunications: Communicating information,
including data, text, pictures, voice and video over long distance.
Toolbars: A row or column of on-screen
buttons used to activate functions in the application.
Unix: A multi-user,
multitasking operating system that is widely used as the master control
program in workstations and servers.
URL (Universal Resource Locator): An address
you use to tell your browser where to find a particular Internet
resource. For example, the URL for the WorldWide Language Institute is
http://wwli.com.
Videoconferencing:
A video communications session among several people that are geographically
separated
Virus: Software used to infect a computer
which could cause serious to infected computer.
WAN (Wide Area Network): A communications
network that covers a wide geographic area, such as state or country. A
LAN (local area network) is contained within a building or complex, and
a MAN (metropolitan area network) generally covers a city or suburb.
Web Page: A page in a World Wide Web document
Webmaster: The
person responsible for administering a Web site.
Word Processing: The creation of text documents.
Except for labels and envelopes, it has replaced the electric typewriter
in most offices, because of the ease in which documents can be edited,
searched and reprinted
Windows: A
multi-user windows operating system for personal computers and small shared
machines, released by Microsoft. It is a true operating system, running
directly on the hardware and so effectively replacing both MS-DOS and MS-Windows,
and offering significant improvements over both.
Windows 2000: An
upgrade of Windows 98, designed to run on Pentiums. Includes integration
of Internet Explorer onto the desktop and through Microsoft programs.
WWW (World Wide Web): A hypermedia-based
system for accessing Internet sites by clicking on hyperlinks
Zip Drive: A
drive that can be external or internal; it uses a zip disk that holds 100
MB of data.