A

ActiveX
A Microsoft technology that allows web browsers and other programs to have additional functionality. These are usually called “Plug-Ins” and they are little extra programs. These programs can do many different things. An example is the Shockwave plugin that displays certain kinds of animated graphics directly in your web browser.

ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A way of using conventional phone lines to deliver high-speed internet access. Also allowing voice communications on the same line so that you can talk and be on the internet at the same time.

Applet
A short program executed inside of another program that runs on the client (the user?s computer).

AGP
Accelerated Graphics Port. Inside of all desktop/tower computers are slots that allow cards to be plugged in. These cards can be cards for modems, sound, scanners, etc. A standard slot in most new computers is the Accelerated Graphics Port which allows for the installation of a video card that talks to the rest of the computer much faster. This makes for better output to your monitor.

ASCII
(pron as’-key) American Standard Code for Information Interchange. When teletypes were invented, the inventors wanted to have a standard set of codes to represent each possible letter ( A, B, C) or symbol (!, %, $) that may be transmitted. The ASCII code was that standard set and computers still use it to this day. The letter “A” is represented by the number 65 and “z” is 122.

ATAPI
AT Attachment Packet Interface . A standard way to hook up things like CD-ROM drives and tape backup drives to the inside of a computer.

Attachment
See E-mail attachment.

AVI
Audio / Video Interleave. A file format that contains video that is playable on a computer. See MPEG and Quicktime for comparison.

B

Bandwidth
Generally, the amount of data that can be passed through any point on the internet at a specific time. Usually measured in bps (Bits Per Second)

Baud
Used to indicate the speed of a modem. Not equal to bits per second but for all intents and purposes, the phrases are now interchangeable. Bits per second (or just BPS) is a much more accurate phrase, though.

BASIC
Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
A simple but powerful computer language that can act as a good introduction to more powerful languages like C, C++, et al. Has been adapted as a scripting language for use in automating parts of web pages.

BIOS
Basic Input/Output System
The bare bones software that is on your computer’s motherboard that tells the motherboard how to talk to things that are plugged into it like hard disks, CDROM drives, etc. Generally, this software can be upgraded to allow the motherboard to talk to new hardware (bigger hard disks, faster processors), but care must be taken when doing so. Failing to upgrade the BIOS correctly could render your computer inoperable.

Bits
Binary digITS. All computer information can be broken down into smaller parts. The smallest part is a binary digit or bit. A bit is a single digit made up of either a 1 (on) or 0 (off). Group eight bits together and you’ve got a byte and that’s enough information to represent a single character like the letter “A”. Everything sent to you through the internet is a stream of binary digits. Information is stored on hard drives and floppy disks as a series of bits as well.

Browser
A web browser. A program that allows your computer to view web pages and other HTML documents. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Lynx, and Mozilla are just a few of the more powerful and popular web browsers on the market.

Byte
A collection of 8 bits. Enough information to represent any one of 255 letters, symbols or numbers. The letter “A” requires 1 byte to transmit through the internet. See Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte

C

Cache
Cache is a block of memory that holds frequently used data or data that is waiting for another process to use it.

CAD
Computer Aided Drafting (or Design). A software tool that allows for rapid design of everything from houses to office blocks and cars to computers. AutoCAD, CADKEY, Rhino, and Microstation are some of the more popular CAD programs on the market today.

CD
Compact Disc. A round flat disk, 5″ in diameter, used to store data and/or music in a digital form. Originally proposed by Phillips, the current CD standards were laid out by both Phillips and Sony. Information is stored in microscopic pits etched into thin aluminum layer sandwiched between two pieces of clear plastic. These pits are read by bouncing a very small laser off of the aluminum layer and sensing the flat and pitted areas. Data, music, video and combinations of all of those can be stored on CD. See DVD.

CD-R(RW)
Compact Disc - Recordable (Re-Writeable). A CD made in such a way that a low power laser can cut pits in the surface allowing the user to create their own CDs. Data, music, and video CDs can all be created in this way. Requires a CDR / CDRW drive.

CD-ROM Drive
A device that can store more than a half gigabyte of pre-recorded information that can used to transfer data on a CD (Disk).

CMOS
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. A small, very low power, chip used to hold information about your computer and it’s hardware. Used by the motherboard’s BIOS to hold information about the hard disks, CDROM drives, and other devices plugged into it.

Cookie
A small file, created by your web browser when you visit certain web sites. This file can be used as a reference to see if you have visited a site before or a marker to allow the web site to remember you in some way. This can greatly speed the ability of a web site to gear particular information just for you. Cookies can, however, also be used to track your web browsing habits without your knowledge. See Spyware.

CRT
Cathode Ray Tube. A standard (non LCD) monitor. CRT monitors are like very accurate television sets. The image that you see is painted on the other side of the glass with a small gun shooting electrons at some particles that glow when you hit them with electrons. This gun scans across and down the screen very quickly, usually 60 times a second. Changing the rate that the screen refreshes itself can make the picture appear more stable and clear. Windows users can change their refresh rate in the “advanced” section of the “display settings”.

CPU
The Central Processing Unit. The processing chip that is the “brains” of your computer. CPU is what is being referred to when you hear terms like “Pentium 3 450MHZ.”

D

Database
A generic term for any large, organized amount of data. Generally databases are organized into tables which contain records which contain fields. A field is a blank space for keeping a single piece of data. “Name: Jim” would be a single field. A collection of fields (i.e. Name, address, phone number, etc.) are saved in a record. A collection of records is a “Table” and a collection of tables is a Database. A relational database is a database that makes connections between fields in different tables. A table containing all the sales of a company may be related to a table of all the people who bought that item.

Defragmentation
As computers get used and data and programs are written, moved, and deleted from the hard drives, the information on those drives can become fragmented. Fragmentation occurs when (for example) a file that is 20,000 bytes long is written at the front of a hard drive. Then a second file 30,000 bytes long is written. Then a third file of 10,000 bytes is written. The user then modifies the first file and it ends up being 40,000 bytes long. This will require the system to write the 2nd half of the file after file #3. The person then deletes file #3 and writes a long file of 100,000 bytes to the drive. The drive fills the empty space where #3 was and then continues after the end of the second part of file #1. Files #1 & #3 are fragmented. These files will take longer to load because the hard drive has to keep track of where all the bits are. Defragmentation rejoins all the fragments and makes them all contiguous, reducing the loading time.

Device driver
Sometimes just called a “Driver”. Drivers are (normally) small pieces of software that allow the operating system (Windows) to talk to the hardware in your system (like your video card or digital camera). Windows has a standard way of talking to these devices but each device requires talking to it in a particular way. A driver works as a translator between the OS and the device. Drivers are usually being upgraded by the manufacturer to allow for greater compatibility and functionality or to fix errors in previous versions. Checking with the manufacturer of your hardware’s web pages can help you keep your drivers up to date. This is highly recommended.

DIMM
Dual Inline Memory Module. Computer RAM organized on a small card about 5.5″ long. Different from a SIMM in that it has connectors on both sides of the card allowing for greater speed in talking to the RAM. See SIMM, RAM

DLL
Dynamic Link Library. Computer program are not usually completely self contained single files. They are usually constructed of one (or more) main files that borrow functionality for many different places. Some of these functions are built into the operating system itself. Printing, displaying certain graphics, and the like are functions that the program may use directly from the OS. These functions are contained in libraries that are linked to by the calling program. Hence the name. When a program is installed on a computer, these DLL files may be installed in various different places on your hard drive. In order to remove a program correctly, always use the Add/Remove Programs function of the control panel as it keeps track of where all the components were placed on your system.

DNS
Domain Name System. All locations on the Internet are assigned a numerical internet address (IP number). This number is in the form of 111.222.111.222. At the time of writing, one of the IP addresses assigned to the YourTechOnline web site was 64.141.9.19. Obviously, remembering these numbers just to go to a web site would be difficult at best. So, each of the numbers is linked to a name (www.microsoft.com in this case). The system of links is known as the Domain Name System. When you type “www.yourtechonline.com” into a web browser, your internet service provider looks up that name in it’s DNS list and directs you to that particular IP address.

Domain name
A domain name is the part of the internet E-mail address after the @ symbol. YourTechOnline.com is our domain name. Domain names are regulated by ICANN and can be purchased at any one of their Accredited Registrars.

Driver
See Device driver

DVD
Digital Video (or Versatile) Disk. A CD with a much higher storage capacity, approximately 4700Mb compared to the 660Mb of a CD. Using the disks requires having a drive capable of reading a DVD. Some computers, with the correct hardware, have the ability of viewing DVD movies on screen.

E

Ethernet
(pron. EE-ther-net)A way of linking computers together in a network.The term has become synonymous with networks in general. Network cards are commonly called ethernet cards. The most common for of an ethernet is called 10-Base-T which is an indication of it’s speed - 10mbps (megabits per second). Generally, you need an ethernet card to connect your computer to a high speed internet connection.

E-mail
Electronic Mail. Mail messages transmitted through the internet or by an inter company type network.

E-mail attachment
An extra bit added on to an E-mail that usually includes a file of some kind. This is currently the way that most viruses are distributed. Some of these files are safe to open while others are not. Please read How Not to Get an Email Virus for more information.

Emoticon
A way of getting across an emotion using a few characters in a chat session or e-mail. The simplest form being a colon and a right parenthesis. [ :) ] When viewed from the side it appears to be a smiling face. There are many others:

    :)  Happy
    :(  Sad
    ;)  Wink
    :)-  Sticking tongue out
    :O  Surprise
    :]  Very happy
    :\  Uncertain
~(8(l)  Homer Simpson

F

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions. Usually a small list of questions and andswers about a particular topic that addresses questions that seem to come up often. Websites use them to talk about what/who/why they are, newsgroups use them to explain the topic that the newsgroup is about.

FAT
File Allocation Table. An area set aside at the front and back of a hard drive (floppy too) that contains a map of the drive and an index of the files on the drive. This vitally important section of your hard drive must be kept in good health. If the FAT gets corrupted access to your data may get lost. Running a hard drive scanning utility (such as Scandisk) can keep this area in good shape. FAT can also refer to the filesystem and how the files are stored. FAT32 was created to be a more efficient use of the hard drive.

Fibre (Fiber) Optic Cable
A thin (usually less thick than spagatinni), long peice of semi-flexible glass that can carry information down it in a series of light pulses. Lasers are positioned at either end of the glass and digital information (1s and 0s) are sent down the cable by having the laser either on or off. Because the information is being sent via light, it can be sent very quickly.

File extension
A (usually) 3 letter code placed after the end of a filename to denote the type of file it is. A .TXT file is a plain text file, a .JPG file is a picture file.

Firewall
Named for the protection put between pilots and their engines in fighter planes, a firewall is either a device or some software that stops intruders from getting into computer systems. Anyone with a high speed internet connection should have some kind of protection against outside invasion. Firewall software can work well or using a router as a firewall can work as well.

Floppy Disk Drive
A small storage device used to transport or save smaller amounts of data (1.4 megabytes). Floppy drives take a floppy disk, a plastic square measuring about 9cm (3.5″) a side and 3mm (1/8″) thick. Inside the plastic case is a flimsy plastic coated with magnetic material that is used to store the data.

Freeware
Software that is released for people to use at no cost. See Shareware.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol. An internet protocol specifically designed for the transfer of files. FTP sites are commonly depositories of files of one kind or another. SimTel is one of the largest shareware archives in the world. It used to be only accessable via FTP but it now has a Web interface as well.

G

GIF
Graphics Interchange Format. Pron. Jif - like “gin”. A picture file format used for pictures that either don’t need a lot of colors or for animations. Gifs are limited to a total of 256 colors meaning that photos can come through appearing grainy. Photos are best made into JPGs for the internet or TIFFs for printing. Pictures that are only one color, like line drawings, look very good in Gif format. See JPG, TIFF.

Gigabyte (Gb)
1 billion bytes or more accurately 1,073,741,824 bytes. Hard drives are commonly measures in this amount.

GUI
Graphical User Interface. A way of controlling a computer using graphics rather then text based input. Windows and MacOS are two examples of GUIs. You activate programs and manipulate them using graphical representations of the program. Icons, mouse pointers, and buttons are all graphical elements that make up GUIs.

H

Hardware
The physical components of a computer including things like monitors, keyboards, mice, and printers.

Hard Drive / Disk
A metal “disk” inside your computer where you store large amounts of computer data, including programs and documents. The hard drive and data on the drive need to be maintained and organized on a regular basis.

Hexadecimal
A way of counting that uses 16 digits rather than the conventional 10 numbers. Can be referred to as Base 16. Where we would normally count 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10… - counting in hex looks like this 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,a,b,c,d,e,f,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,20… All computer information is stored in binary numbers (1 and 0), then these bits are grouped together in 8s they can represent any number between 0 and 255. With hex, these numbers are represented by the numbers 00 to FF. Hex is an efficient system of representing these numbers using only two digits.

Home Page
Generally, the web page that comes up when you first open your web browser. Can also be used to represent the first page in a website. If you type in only the web address into a browser you will come to that web site’s home page.

HTML
Hyper-Text Markup Language. The programming language of the web. Hypertext was created as a way of presenting documents that connect to one another via links embedded in the document. A history of HTML can be found at w3.org. The “w3.org” link is a hypertext link that will allow you to jump to another document by clicking on it.

HTTP
HyperText Transfer Protocol. The protocol used to show web pages in your web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, et al.)

Hub
A connecting point for computers in a network. Computers will generally be connected to a hub that will in turn connected them all to some kind of server. A hub will also allow multiple computers to share a high-speed internet connection but offers no protection or firewall capabilities. See Router.

Hyperlink
A Hypertext Link. See HTML

Hypertext
See HTML

I

Icon
A small, usually square, graphic that represents a link or a symbolic notation of the data it points to. More simply, a graphical link to something. If you have a picture with the words “My Computer” underneath, you are looking at an icon. Double-clicking an icon will usually activate the program that it represents.

Internet
Essentially, a pipe through which information flows. Created in the late 60’s as a way for the military (and later, universities) to share information quickly. Now run by large commercial concerns and telecommunication companies. The Web is only a part of the internet. Email, the Usenet, and a host of other types on information flow through the pipe.

IP
Internet Protocol - the language by which information is transmitted through the internet.

IP Address
A collection of 4 numbers that uniquily identify every computer connected directly to the internet or an internal network. The numbers consist of four numbers between 0 and 255 separated by decimal points and looks like “64.128.32.45″

IRC
Internet Relay Chat. A way of chatting with others over the internet. Connecting to a IRC server requires a IRC client program. There are many IRC clients out there, one of the most popular being mIRC. Once the client is set up you can connect to the IRC server and download the list of chat channels. Each channel is talking about a specific subject of some kind. There can be upwards of 30,000 channels running on some IRC servers at any one point in time. You can choose one or more channels to chat in. Typing into the channel allows everyone in that channel to see what you are talking about. IRC is not for the feint hearted, It can be very daunting, but the rewards of the people you can meet on it can outweigh the learning curve.

IRC
Interrupt Request. When your computer is working, some of the time that it’s ticking along it’s stopping to check things attached to it. Has the mouse moved, keyboard been typed on, printer doing anything, modem doing anything? The CPU interupts itself to ask each device if there’s anything going on. The CPU has 16 channels in which to ask each device and each device must communicate through one (or more) of these channels. If you end up with more than 16 devices, the computer won’t have any free IRQs available to talk to the devices. This is when you run into an IRQ conflict and some hardware may stop operating. Choosing devices that connect to the computer via USB, SCSI, Firewire, and others gets around this limit and is a generally faster way of communicating with these new devices.

ISP
Internet Service Provider

J

Java
Compiled object-oriented language used to write applets, servlets, and stand-alone applications, or software.

Javascript
A scripting language that adds dynamic functionality to Web pages.

JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group. A graphical image file that is saved using compression techniques to reduce the file size. JPEG?s are excellent for downloading on the Web.

K

Kbps
Kilobits per second. The term commonly used to describe data transfer rates. For example, the speed of a new dial-up modem is 56 Kbps.

Kernel
The core of the Operating System. It is responsible for managing memory, files, and devices. The kernel is also responsible for starting applications and assigning the computer?s resources.

Kilobyte (Kb)
1024 Bytes. Commonly referred to as a “K” of information.

L

LAN
Local Area Network. A network that connects computers in a limited geographical area, such as an office building or a residential home. LANs are extremely popular today because they make it very easy to share information between computers, including sharing an Internet connection.

LCD
Liquid-Crystal Display. LCD?s create images on the screen by blocking light, rather than emitting it, and therefore use much less power. LCD?s are super-thin displays that are commonly used in laptop computers, handheld computers, digital watches and calculators.

Linux
An Operating System that was created by Linus Torvalds and many other developers. It is Unix-based and is freely distributed in the Open Source market.

Local ISP
Your Local Internet Service Provider who provides you with access to the internet.

Low-Level Format
The first formatting step for a hard disk drive (HDD). It involves organizing both sides of each platter, on the disk, into tracks and sectors to define where items will be stored on the disk. This is not to be confused with High-Level Formatting, which is performed by an Operating System to define the file system structures on the disk.

Login
Usually the combination of your username and password, but is any information that authenticates your identity in “computerland”.

M

Megabytes (Mb)
1 million bytes or more accurately 1,048,576 bytes.

Megahertz (MHz)
The clock speed of the CPU is measured in Megahertz. One Megahertz is equal to one million ticks of the system clock. For example, a 1.4 MHz processor can handle 1,400,000,000 cycles per second.

Memory
Physical microchips on the motherboard that hold data and programming.

MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface. A serial port designed to connect the system unit to a musical instrument, such as an electronic keyboard or synthesizer. You need MIDI-compatible software or hardware to record and playback MIDI files.

Modem
A modem (modulator/demodulator) converts the digital information in your computer to sounds that can be sent over the telephone line. A modem is the device that allows one computer to “communicate” with another.

Motherboard
The main board in the computer where components such as the CPU, ROM chips, RAM, and interface cards are plugged into. It is also know as Mainboard and System board.

Mouse
A small hand-held device that one rolls around to point and click on objects on the computer screen.

MP3
A compressed audio file. See MP3 for more information.

MPEG
Moving Pictures Experts Group. A file format that contains video and audio that is playable on a computer. Read MP3 for more information. See AVI and Quicktime for comparison.

N

Netiquette
Short of Internet etiquette, it's the code of acceptable behavior on the Internet.

Network
Any collection of computers or devices connected together via communication devices and media, allowing users to share resources. The Internet is the largest network.

NIC
Network Interface Card. An expansion card on the motherboard that makes the connection between a computer and the network cable, and ultimately a network. The most common types today are PCI and integrated NIC’s.

O

OCR
Optical Character Recognition. Technology usually found in scanners that converts characters on a page into a text document. It allows you to scan a document that you can now edit in a word processing program.

OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer. This refers to the company that produces hardware, but markets it under another company name. For example, the OEM of a Dell monitor could be Sony.

Operating System (OS)
System software that contains the instructions for coordinating all of the activities of hardware devices and other software programs. Windows XP, Linux, FreeBSD, and MAC OS X are all types of Operating Systems.

P

Packet
A very small amount of data sent over a network. In addition to carrying the data, it also carries the destination address.

Partition
A section of the hard drive created by issuing a special operating system command. The computer will recognize each partition as a separate drive. For instance, if your hard drive has 3 partitions, then your computer may see them as 'C', 'D', and 'E' drives.

PCI Bus
Peripheral Component Interconnect Bus. a hardware bus, situated on the motherboard, used to connect add-on cards such as NIC's, Audio Cards, and USB Controllers.

PDA
Personal Digital Assistant. A handheld computer often supporting personal information management applications, such as Memos, Contacts, and Appointments.

PDF
Portable Document Format. Developed by Adobe Systems, it is a file format that captures document text, images, and the formatting of documents from various applications.

Ping
Sending a packet to a specific IP address and waiting for a reply. It is a great tool for troubleshooting Internet connections.

Plug-in
A small add-on program that plugs into a larger program, giving it more functionality. For example, Macromedia Flash is a plug-in that enables you to view multimedia files within your browser.

Power Supply
A Power Supply converts wall outlet AC power into DC power, which is the type of power required by a computer. Examples are 350W and 400W.

Protocol
A series of communication rules that permit two devices (like computers) to talk to one another. HTTP is the protocol used to show web pages. FTP is the protocol for sending files over the internet. There are many others.

Proxy Server
A server that sits between a client application and a real server. It is the ?middle-man? for requests, but will forward any requests that it can?t handle to the real server. Proxy Server?s are used to improve performance and filter request, and are commonly used by most large businesses, organizations, and universities.

Q

Quarantined File
When an antivirus program places an infected file in a separate area of the computer, this is the quarantined file. It is placed here until it can be repaired or until the user can remove it.

Queue
A list of jobs that are waiting to be processed. An example is the printer queue: when you send multiple documents to your printer, all the documents wait in the queue until the one that proceeded has been printed.

R

RAID
Redundant Array of Independent Disks. A group of integrated hard disks that act like a single large hard disk. RAID is becoming increasingly popular with home users, as it allows for a form of data backup in the event of a failure, and it increases performance by reading more data in a shorter period of time.

RAM
Random Access Memory. RAM describes memory chips in a computer that hold certain Operating System files and various other programs in storage ONLY while the computer is running.

Registry
In Windows, a database that is used to store configuration information about individual profiles, and the software and hardware installed on the computer. It is never recommended that a novice computer user edit the registry because deleting the wrong registry key could be catastrophic to your Operating System.

Router
A hardware device that connects multiple networks (or computers), providing the fastest available path for communication traffic. Routers also act as hardware firewalls, securing the ports and disguising IP addresses of everything behind it.

S

SATA
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. SATA is a newer type of technology used to increase the speed of data transfer in hard drives. It is much faster than IDE, which has been the standard for many years.

SCSI (pronounced “skuzzy?)
Small Computer System Interface. SCSI is a technology that allows up to 7 computer devices to connect to a computer at one time. The devices connect in a daisy-chain setup, meaning that all the devices can connect to one cable.

SDRAM
Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. SDRAM is a type of ram used in your computer. See RAM.

Search Engine
Typically, the term search engine refers to a web page that you can use to search for pages and sites on the internet, that contain keywords that you specify.

Server
In its most basic form, a server is nothing more than a computer. This computer actually ?serves? information to computers connected to it. Different types of servers include Web Servers, Mail Servers, and File Servers.

Servlet
A short program executed inside of another program that runs on the Web Server.

Shareware
Software that you can use for a trial period. There are many different types of trials, ranging from time period evaluations, or limited versions of the software which only allow you to use certain features. Shareware is usually a lot cheaper than commercial software, but also typically does not offer the comprehensive features that commercial software does.

Skin
This is a term that refers to the actual look of a program. For example, if you are using a program that has black text, and yellow buttons, you may be able to change the skin, and have these colors change to blue and orange.

SMART
Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology. This technology is used to monitor the health of hard drives. It provides you with warnings that your hard drive is about to fail. This allows you to make backups before it's too late.

SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. This protocol is used specifically to send electronic mail across the internet. Popular email clients, such as Outlook Express and Eudora use SMTP in order to send email messages directly from your computer to other computers on the internet. Spam, unwanted or undesirable email, postings, or bulletins that are sent to you without your consent.

Sound Card
Sound cards enable your computer to output sound through speakers connected to your computer, to record sound from a microphone connected to your computer and to play sound stored on a disk.

SQL (pronounced SEE-KWILL)
Structured Query Language. SQL is a programming language used to add, delete or manipulate information in databases (See Database). SQL is a fourth generation programming language, meaning that it is much easier for programmers to learn. SQL follows many of the same rules as the English language, rather than cryptic, and often meaningless terms that other programming languages use. For example, terms such as ?Insert?, or ?Delete? are used to insert or delete information into a database.

Streaming
Usually, when you download something, you have to wait for it to finish before you can open or use the file. Streaming refers to the ability to start to use the information being downloaded, before the download has completed. For example, internet radio uses streaming, as the flow of music from the radio station never ends.

System Tray
This term refers to the ?System Tray?, that is located in the bottom right hand corner of your desktop (Where the time is). Usually, you will see icons in this area, which are there to provide quick access to programs that are currently running. If you see more than 4 or 5 icons in your system tray, it may be time to get your computer serviced. When you have a lot of icons in your system tray, you will probably notice longer boot times, and a sluggish system all around.

T

Task Bar
The task bar is usually located at the very bottom of your screen in Windows (See Windows). The task bar contains the ?Start? button, the applications you currently have open, and the system tray (see system tray).

Tape Drive
A tape drive looks similar to a CD-Rom drive, but instead you use tapes. Tape drives are popular for backing up data, as tapes can generally hold much more data than other types of removable storage.

TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP/IP are the core protocols used on the internet. Every time you send or receive information across the internet, your computer uses TCP/IP. TCP/IP allows you to find other computers, establish connections, and verify the information being sent and received.

Telnet
A protocol used to connect to other computers, through a command line interface. This protocol allows you to establish a connection with another computer, and issue commands, and run programs. This protocol usually comes packaged with the TCP/IP protocol suite.

Template
A template is something that already has a pre-defined structure. For example, some word processing software comes pre-packaged with resume templates. When you want to create a new resume, you can open this template, which can serve as a guideline in creating and formatting your resume.

Terabyte
1 trillion bytes or more accurately 1,099,511,627,776 bytes.

Text Editor
A program that allows you to edit, type, and save text files. A text editor works similarly to word processors (See Word processor). It differs in the fact that usually, it is not a very comprehensive editor, and really only provides the functionality to edit text ? hence the name ?Text Editor?.

TIFF
Tagged Image File Format. A TIFF file is a graphics file, which was invented in the 1980?s. It was created to offer a standard picture format for everyone. In other wards, whether you use windows or not, you should be able to view TIFF files.

TWAIN
A standard used in computers, which digital imaging companies use to create drivers (see Device driver). Basically, TWAIN allows programmers to write code that can be understood by your computer, and therefore make it easy for your computer to communicate with devices such as scanners, and other digital imaging devices.

U

Upload
When you upload, you are sending a file from your system to another system, as opposed to downloading, where you retrieve a file from another system.

URL
Uniform Resource Locator. Essentially, this is an address, which specifies the location of a resource on the internet. URL?s cannot have spaces, and cannot contain some types of characters. An example of a URL is http://www.yourtechonline.com.

USB
Universal Serial Bus. A technology that allows you to connect computer devices, such as keyboards, a mouse, printers, scanners, digital cameras (just to name a few) to your computer, through a USB port.

Username
A name or an alias to identify who you are. Generally, usernames help to conceal your identity, and add extra security to your personal information.

V

VGA
Video Graphics Array. VGA supports a maximum resolution of 640 x 480. VGA is generally the lowest resolution your computer will display.

Video Card
A card inside your computer that gives it display capabilities. Video cards allow the computer to “talk” to your monitor so it can display what the computer is doing.

Virus
A program or utility that can affect the performance or health of your computer, or even render it completely inoperable. Most viruses are spread through email attachments. Once a virus has been executed on your computer, it may have the ability to spread on its own, by sending copies of itself to any email addresses found in your computer (depending on the type of virus). A virus is defined as a program that can replicate itself.

W

Web Page
A web page is a document on the World Wide Web (See WWW). Typically, you use a web browser, such as Internet Explorer, or Netscape to view web pages (you?re using one now to read this).

Web Master
The individual that is in charge of maintaining, developing and organizing a web site.

Web Site
Basically, a website is a collection of web pages working together to form a site. Websites are typically owned by a company or individual, and generally represent a topic, or category.

White Paper
This is a document that explains how a certain technology or product works. White papers are usually written so that most people can understand them, but usually they still require a basic knowledge of the topic of discussion.

Wi - Fi
Wireless Fidelity. Wi-Fi is a general term that refers to a standard in wireless networking components, such as a wireless router, or wireless adapter, that is based on the Wi-Fi Alliance?s 802.11 standard. Basically, when a wireless product has a certified seal from the Wi-Fi alliance, it is saying that it has the ability to communicate with other products that also have the same certification.

Windows
The most popular Operating System for personal computers. Windows is developed and sold by Microsoft. There are many different versions of Windows, such as Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, and XP.

Wizard
When you install or configure devices and software, certain settings must be made to customize your needs, or the needs of your computer. A wizard asks you all of the settings that you wish to make, in an organized, step by step process, so that you do not miss any important settings or configuration. You will recognize wizards by their ?Back?, ?Next? and ?Finish? buttons.

Word Processor
Software for creating letters, resumes, and other documents. One of the most popular word processors is ?Word?, which is created and distributed by Microsoft.

WWW
World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is a general reference to the collection of all of the websites (See website) on the internet, or on the web.

Y

Y2K
Acronym for the year 2000.

Z

Zip File
A file that works like a filing cabinet. It contains many different documents, pictures and files all in one cabinet, or file. Zip files also have the ability to compress and organize files within it much more efficiently in order to free up space.