Computer Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

benchmark To test aspects of computer hardware or software against known standards.

bookmarks User definable lists that allow a person to easily display a certain location within a document or a page on the WWW.

browser An application that allows users to download WWW pages and view them on their own computers. Graphical browsers can display pictures and text and allow you to navigate from one page to the next with a mouse.

cathode-ray tube (CRT) The display screen used in most televisions and standard computer monitors. An electron beam moves across the back of the screen lighting up phosphor dots on the inside of the class tube, which causes an image to be displayed on the outside of the screen.

clipboard A memory feature in several operating systems, including Windows, where the last information that was copied or cut is stored.

dots per inch (DPI) A measure of printer resolution that indicates how many ink dots the printer can place in one square inch.

file fragmentation A situation in which parts of a file are scattered around many sectors of a diskette or disk drive. A computer keeps track of the location of all segments, but tracking them down can slow read/write operations.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) A standard way to transfer files between computers. The method has built in error checking. It is frequently used as a way of transferring many types of files over the Internet.

firewall Software or hardware that limits certain kinds of computer access from a network or other outside source. Firewalls are used to thwart would be hackers from infiltrating computer systems.

flat-panel display Lightweight, thin screens used in portable computers. Liqiud crystal display (LCD) technology is used for flat panel displays.

hyperlink An icon, graphic, or word in a file that, when clicked with the mouse, automatically opens another file for viewing. WWW pages often include hyperlinks that display other WWW pages when selected by the user.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) A language used to create electronic documents, especially pages on the WWW, that contain connections called hyperlinks.

Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) The standard bus modeled after IBM's original 8-bit PC bus.

internet protocol address (IP) the address of a computer on a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCT/IP) network. IP addresses are written as four groups of up to three digits each separated by periods.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) A system that allows real-time text chatting between multiple participants aroundn the world over the Internet.

liqiud-crystal display (LCD) A flat, lightweight display technology used in calculators and portable computers. Special molecules in the screen have the ability to bend and twist light to create desired images.

object linking and embedding (OLE) A method of sharing information between applications within an operating system. Objects can be most any type of data, such as a graphic or a text document.

optical character recognition (OCR) The process in which the images of letters, entered into a compter with a scanner, are translated into characters the computer handles as text, not an image.

small computer system interface (SCSI) A standard for parallel interfaces that transfers information as a rate of 8 bits per second. Up to seven peripheral devices can attach to a single SCSI port on the systems's bus.

transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) Developed by the Department of Defense, TCP/IP is a language governing communication among all computers on the Internet.

universal serial bus (USB) A port designed to be compatable with all USB peripherals. With USB, you are able to plug in any peripheral into one port. You can daisy-chain several peripherals together and plug all of them into the same port.

virus A program designed to destroy data or halt operation on systems by copying itself into files and executing when those files are located.