Glossary Of Computer and Internet Terms ( A-I )

click on any of the terms below to see a breif explanation

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AGP: Advanced Graphics Port. A type of slot interface that is used inside your computer to connect add-in video cards. A new standard, there is only one AGP slot inside the computer, and the major improvement over the "PCI" interface is AGP's ability to process 3-D images.

AMD: A highly successful producer of computer processors that is attempting to challenge Intel's dominance in the PC market. Maker of the K6-2, K6-3, and K-7 processors.

Application: A computer program. A piece of software that runs on your computer to let you perform some task, i.e. do your taxes, write a letter, browse the Internet.

Binary: The two digit ("0" and "1") number system that allows your computer to read and process data. Your computer is electronic, so like a light-switch, it only understands "on" (1) or "off" (0). Every bit of data is stored as a 0 or 1.

BIOS: Basic Input / Output System. A computer program that is stored on your computer's motherboard. This program is responsible for turning all the components of your computer on when you flip the "on" switch. It then turns over the computer to the "operating system".
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Bit: The basic unit of information in a computer. A bit is one binary digit, either a "1" or a "0".

Boot: The process by which your computer starts. This includes the loading of the BIOS, and the initial startup of your operating system.

Byte: A set of 8 bits.
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CD-R: A recordable Compact Disk. Requires a CD-R drive to write information to the disk. Any CD-ROM can read the disc.

CD-ROM: A Compact Disc that is used to store computer data/information. Requires a CD-ROM drive to read the information.
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CD-RW: A Compact Disc that allows you to write information on it many times, as opposed to a CD-R, which only allows you one chance to write data to the disc.

Client/Server: A term that describes the relationship between two computers in which one unit (the client) requests a file or service from another unit (the server). When you visit Help2Go, your computer (client) requests to see the web pages available on a computer (server) at our offices in Washington DC.

Cyber: A prefix used to describe some element of the high-tech or information age. Examples include cyberspace, cybersex, and cybercitizen.
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Cyrix: A producer of computer processors that specializes in low-cost products. Maker of the MII processor.

Database: Data that you collect and organize into tables and columns. For instance, you may create a database with address information, having columns for name, address, city, state, phone number, birthday, etc.

Desktop: A term used to signify the basic view used in Windows 95/98/NT and the MacOS. Your computer desktop usually includes a collection of icons, including the "My Computer" icon.

Diskette: A medium for storing information. A diskette may be a "hard drive", which resides inside your computer. Or it may be a "floppy disk", which is a small (3.5") plastic square that holds magnetic information.
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DOS: Disk Operating System. The major operating system used by most computers until the advent of Windows 95. In fact, Windows 95 is still heavily based in the roots of the old DOS.

DVD: Digital Video Disc. The new standard in video, designed to replace the Compact Disc (CD). DVDs can hold between 8,000 and 17,000 megabytes, whereas CDs can only hold 640 megabytes. Full-length movies can be stored digitally on these discs. You need a special DVD-ROM drive to read these discs on your computer.

E-mail: Shortened form of electronic mail, describes the transmission of messages over a public or private network. The majority of traffic over the Internet is in the form of e-mail.

Encryption: A way to jumble up data by a set of rules so that no one else can read it. Then, by using a decryption key, you can un-jumble the data as to make it readable. This is only done to very private information.
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FAQ: Frequently-Asked Questions is usually a file or web page dedicated to answering the basic questions about any topic covered on the Internet. New users are strongly encouraged to read through the FAQ section whenever one is made available to you. It can often save you time and confusion when visiting a new site or trying new software or a new Internet-based service.

File: A collection of data on your computer. When you write a letter on your computer, you save the information as a single file. This web page you are reading is a file. Even programs on your computer are made up of hundreds of files.

Floppy Disk: A 3.5" square holding a flexible magnetic disc that holds information or data. You need a floppy drive (usually called an A: drive) to read the floppy. Can hold 1.44 megabytes.

Freeware: Software that is available to anyone in the public domain without cost or copyright restrictions.
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Hard Disk (Hard Drive): A magnetic disc or set of discs that reside inside your computer and holds a large amount of information. New hard disks can hold as much as 20,000 megabytes.

Hardware: The physical parts that make up your computer. Examples of hardware are your keyboard, your monitor, your mouse, your hard disk, your CD-ROM drive, etc.

HTML: The Hypertext Markup Language is a set of formatting codes which allows documents to be transferred and viewed by remote computers over the Internet through web browser software (i.e. Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer).

Icon: A small image that represents something on your computers. Icons can represent your hardware, like a hard disk icon. Or it can represent a file. Or it can represent a way to start an application on your computer.
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Internet: Now known simply as "the Net", the Internet is the conglomerate of physical resources that allow for the transfer of data from one remote location to another. The Internet comprises all the wiring, computers, and other hardware involved in these transfers.

IP Address: The 32-bit number that identifies each sender or recipient of data transfers over the Internet. IP addresses are in the form of XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX with each segment having a numerical range of 1 to 256.

ISA: Industry Standard Architecture. The first type of slot connection used inside the PC to interface with internal add-in cards. The ISA-type slot has eventually enhanced (EISA), and then replaced by the PCI bus architecture.

ISP: An Internet Service Provider is a private company that offers clients access to the Internet through dial-up or dedicated network connections and hosts or builds client's web pages. An ISP owns the hardware needed to connect individual computers to the wider Internet.

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