COMPUTER GLOSSARY

A 

 Access  time  -  The  amount  of  time  it  takes  for requested information to be delivered from disks and memory. 
 Antivirus software -  A program designed to look for and destroy viruses that may infect the  memory  of a computer or files stored on a computer. 
 Artificial intelligence (AI)  -  Computer systems  that attempt to imitate human processes for analyzing and solving problems. 
 Accumulator  -  A local storage area called a Register, in which the result of an arithmetic or logic operation is formed. 

B 

 BIT -  It is basic unit of computers .It has two values 1 & 0 only. 

 BYTE - Combination of 8 Bits. 

 Basic Input Output System (BIOS)  -  Also known as ROM  BIOS.  It  provides  a  abstraction  layer  for  the hardware,  i.e.,  a  consistent  way  for  application programs  and  operating  system  to  interact  with input/output devices. 

 Bug -  A software bug is an error, flaw, failure, or fault in  a  computer  program  or  system  produces  an incorrect or unexpected result. 

 Bus -  A pathway along which electronic signals travel between the components of a computer system. 

C 

 Cookie - A packet of information that travels between a browser and the web server.  

 Crash  -  Your  computer  or  application  no  longer works  correctly  and  so  you  “loose”  all  the  work you’ve done since the last time you saved. 

 Command  -  An instruction that causes a program or computer to perform a function. 

 Cache  -  It  is  a  memory  storage  area  that  keeps frequent use data readily available to the computer so that  the computer does  not  retrieve them from slow storage devices. 

 Clock Speed -  The speed of computer is measured in clock  speed.  High  clock  speed  is  synonymous  with high  processing  capability.  It  is  measured  in Megahertz (MHz). 

 Column  -  A  vertical  block  of  cells  in  a  table  or spreadsheet. 

D 

 Delete  -  To remove an item of data from a file or to remove a file from the disk. 

 Debugging  -  Locating  and  eliminating  defects  in  aprogram. 

 Desktop  -  The  electronic  work  area  on  a  display screen. 

 Dots Per Inch (DPI) -  It is defined as the measure of the resolution of a printer and scanner, or monitor. 

 Domain  Name  -  A  unique  name  that  identifies  a particular  website  and  represents  the  name  of  the server where the web pages reside. 

E 

 Edit - To make certain changes in existing data. 

 Ethernet  Card  -  A  network  adapter  that  enables  a computer to connect to an ethernet. 

F 

 Fax  -  A shortened form of the word facsimile. A copy of  a  document  transmitted  electronically  from  one machine to another. 

 File transfer protocol (FTP)  -  A set of guidelines or standards that establish the format  in which files  can be transmitted from one computer to another. 

 Firewall  -  A  security  system  usually  consisting  of hardware  and  software  that  prevents  unauthorized persons  from  accessing  certain  parts  of  a  program,  database, or network. 

 Flash Memory -  It is a type of non-volatile computer storage  chip  that  can  be  electrically  erased  and  reprogrammed. It was developed by EEPROM. 

G 

 Gateway  -  A  machine that links two networks using different protocols. 

 Gigabyte  -  A measurement of the storage capacity of a device. One gigabyte represents 1024 megabytes. 

 Google – search engine on the web. 

 Gopher  -  A  protocol  used  for  locating  and  transferring  information  on  the  internet.  It  is  an  internet  search  tool  that  allows  users  to  access textual information. 

 GUI  -  Graphical User Interface uses icons and menus to  carry  out  commands  such  as  opening  files  ,delete files , move files etc.. 

 Graphic  Interchange  Format  (GIF)  -  A  simple  file  format  for  pictures  and  photographs,  that  are  compressed so that they can be sent quickly. 

H 

 Hard copy  -  Text or graphics printed on paper; also  called a printout.  

 Hard disk - A rigid type of magnetic medium that can store large amounts of information. 

 Hyperlink - An image or portion of text on a webpage which is linked to another webpage. 

 Hub  -  A  network  device  that  connects  multiple computers  on  a  LAN  so  that  they  can  communicate with another network and the internet. 

 Header  -  Repetitive  information  that  appears  at  the top (the head) of every page of a document. 

 Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)  -  The protocol used  on  the  World  Wide  Web  that  permits  Webclients  (Web  browsers)  to  communicate  with  Web servers 

I 

 Icons  -  In  a  graphical  user  interface  (GUI),  a  small,  pictorial, on screen representation of an object, such  as a document, program, folder or disk drive. 

 Instant  messaging  (IM)  -  A  chat  program  that  lets  people communicate over the Internet in real time. 

 Internet  protocol  (IP)  address  -  A  unique  set  of  numbers that identifies a computer over a network. 

 Internet  service  provider  (ISP)  -  An  organization  that provides access to the Internet for a fee. 

 Intranet  -  A  private  network  established  by  an  organization for the exclusive use of its employees. Firewalls prevent outsiders from gaining access to an organization’s intranet 

O 

 Offline  -  Refers  to  the  state  in  which  a  computer  is temporarily  or  permanently  unable  to  communicate with another computer. 

 Online  -  Refers  to  the  state  in  which  a  computer  is  ready to communicate with other computers. 

 Open  source  software  -  Software  that  makes  the  underlying  source  code  available  to  all  users  at  no charge. 

 Operating system (OS)  -  Software that manages the internal  functions  and  controls  the  operations  of  a computer. 

P 

 Palmtop  computer  -  A  portable  computer  smaller  than a notebook (or laptop) computer that fits on  the palm of your hand. Also called a handheld computer. 

 Password  -  A  user’s  secret  identification  code, required  to  access  stored  material.  A  procedure  intended  to prevent information from being accessed  by unauthorized persons. 

 Piracy  -  The  illegal  copying  of  software  or  other  creative works. 

 Peripherals  -  A  connectable  device  that  has  an auxiliary  function  outside  the  permanent  system configuration  such  as  plotters,  printers  and  graphicdisplays. 

 Phishing - A type of computer fraud that tries to trick users  into  revealing  their  passwords  and  other confidential information. 

 Pixel  -  A smallest picture element of a digital image.  The smaller the pixels, the higher the resolution.  

 Port  -  An electrical connection on the computer into  which  a  cable  can  be  plugged  so  that  the  computer  can  communicate  with other  devices  such  as  printer  or modem. 

 Protocol  -  A  set  of  rules  and  regulations  that coordinates  the  exchange  of  information  over  the network. 

 Portrait  orientation  -  Positioning  paper  so  that  information is printed  across the short dimension of the paper. 

Q 

 Query  -  An alternate pipe form of operating system,  which  handles  data  in  the  form  of  messages  rather  than bytes. 

 Qwerty  -  It  is  one  of  the  standard  computer  keyboard,  with  the  character  Q,  W,  E,  R,  T,  Y  on  the  top row of letters on the keyboard. 

R 

 Response  time  -  The  time  a  computer  takes  to  execute a command. 

 Retrieve  -  To  call  up  information  from  memory  or storage so that it can be processed in some way. 

 Record - A collection of all the information pertaining  to a particular subject. 

 Row  -  A  horizontal  block  of  cells  in  a  table  or  spreadsheet. 

 Resolution  -  Measurement  of  the  degree  of sharpness  of  a  displayed  image.  It  is  defined  as number  of  pixels  per  square  inch  on  a  computer generated display. 

 Register  -  A temporary storage unit for quick, direct  accessibility of a small amount of data for processing. 

S 

 Save As –  Give the file a name and/or store the file in  a certain place. 

 Save  -  Tell the computer to create a file on disk that  has the information you’ve put into the document. 

 Scroll bar  -  Allows you to move around through your  document. 

 Shut down  -  To quit all applications and turn off the  computer. 

 Spam  -  unwanted  repetitious  messages,  such  as  unsolicited bulk e-mail. 

 Scanner  -  An  input  device  that  can  copy  a  printed  page  into  a  computer’s  memory,  thus  doing  away  with the need to type the copy. 

 Screen  saver  -  A  program  that  changes  the  screen  display while the user is away from the computer. 

T 

 Trash - Place where you put files and folders that you want to delete or get rid of. 

 Topology  -  The  structure  of  the  network,  including  physical  connections  such  as  wiring  schemes  and logical interactions between network devices.  

 Track - A ring on a disk where data can be written. 

 Telnet  -  A  protocol  for  remote  computing  on  the  internet  that  allows  a  computer  to  act  as  a  remote  terminal  on  another  machine,  anywhere  on  the  internet. 

 Touchpad  -  The  device  on  a  laptop  computer  that  takes the place of a mouse. 

 Touch  screen  technology  -  The  technology  that  permits  a  user  to  perform  a  function  simply  by  touching the screen on an appropriate spot. 

U 

 Uninterrupted  Power  Supply  (UPS)  -  A  Battery  powered  backup  system  that  provides  enough  electricity  to  a  computer  during  a  power  outage  so  that  a  user  can  save  files  before  shutting  down  the  computer. 

 Universal Serial Bus (USB) - A common standard for  connecting  multiple  peripherals  to  a  computer  as  needed. 

 Upload  -  To  transfer  information  from  a  client  computer to a host computer. 

V 

 Virus -  A piece of computer code designed as a prank  or  malicious  act  to  spread  from  one  computer  to another by attaching itself to other programs. 

W 

 WAP - Wireless Application Protocol is a specification for  a  set  of  communication  protocol  used  to  allow  wireless  devices  to  access  the  internet  and  other utilities. 

 Web  browser  -  Software that  permits  a user  with a click of a mouse to locate, display, and download  text, video, audio, and graphics stored in a host computer on the Web. 

 The  most  common  Web  browsers  now  in  use  are  Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. 

 Web site -  One or more related pages created by an  individual  or  an  organization  and  posted  on  the  World Wide Web. 

 Wi-Fi  (Wireless  fidelity)  -  A  process  that  permits  high-speed wireless transmission of data. 

 Word  processing  -  The  electronic  process  of  creating,  formatting,  editing,  proofreading,  and  printing documents. 

 Workstation  -  A  desktop  computer  that  runs  applications  and  serves  as  an  access  point  in  a  local  area network. 

Z 

 Zombie  -  A  computer  that  has  been  hijacked  by  a  cracker  without  the  owner’s  knowledge  and  used  to perform malicious tasks on the Internet.