Glossary of Computer Terms
- ASCII
- American Standard Code for Information Exchange
- BIOS
- Basic Input/Output Sytem Built into computer ROM
- Bit
- Binary Digit - can be either 0 or 1
- Boot
- Bootstrap, Loading the Operating System at start up
- Bug
- - Software problem
- Bus
- - The Data Highway in the computer - see ISA/VESA/PCI
- C / C++
- - Hardware independent Computer Language
- Cache
- - Small amount of very fast memory
- CD ROM -
- A CD disc with computer data on it, like an audio CD
- CPU
- - Central Processing Unit - the 486/Pentium in the computer
- Crash
- - Common term for when the computer freezes
- Device Driver
- - Software that drives a perhipheral or device
- DLL
- - Dynamic Link Libary
- DOS
- - Disk Operating System - usually by Microsoft
- DRAM
- - See RAM
- E-Mail
- - Electronic Mail used on the Internet
- EIDE
- - Expanded IDE - see IDE
- EMS
- - Expanded Memory System
- Expanded Memory
- - Memory paged into Upper Memory from Extended Memory
- Expansion Card
- - Circuit Board that fits inside a PC eg Internal Modem
- Extended Memory
- - Memory above 1Mbyte. aka XMS
- Floppy Disk Drive
- - Standard is now 3 1/2" 1.44Mb capacity
- Font
- - Style of characters displayed on screen
- FTP
- - File Transfer Protocol - transmission of files over phone
- GPF
- - General Protection Fault - When things go really wrong
- Graphics Card
- - Expansion Card that drives the Monitor
- GUI
- - Graphical User Interface - See Windows
- Hard Disc
- - Fast storage device where programs are stored
- Hardware
- - The physical parts of a computer that you can touch
- HTML
- - HyperText Markup Language - used on the Internet
- Hypertext
- - A way of allowing user to jump between places in document
- I/O Port
- A cable connector to a computer
- IBM Compatible
- A PC capable of running Windows and/or MS DOS
- IDE
- - Intergrated Drive Electronics - refers to Hard Discs
- Internet
- - Millions of interconnected computers in a global network
- IP
- - Internet Protocol - used with TCP
- IRC
- - Internet Relay Chat - real time 'talk' on the Internet
- IRQ
- - Interupt Reqest - Hardware calls to the CPU
- ISA
- - Industry Standard Architecture - The original bus
- ISDN
- - Intergrated Services Digital Network - Expensive!!!
- ISP
- - Internet Service Provider - your link to the Internet
- Java
- - Hardware Independent Computer Language
- JPEG
- - Graphics compression type
- Jumpers
- - Device to alter settings on an expansion card/Motherboard
- Kbit
- - 2 to the power 10 bits = 1024 bits
- Kbyte
- - 2 to the power 10 bytes(8 bits) = 1024 bytes
- Kernal
- - Lowest level of an Operating System
- LAN
- - Local Area Network
- Local Bus
- - See VESA / PCI - newer and faster than than ISA
- Macintosh
- - Non-IBM compatable type Personal Computer
- Maths Co-processor
- - Used for Floating Point calculations - usually built into CPU
- Mbit
- - 2 to the power 20 = 1048576 bits
- Mbyte
- - 1024 Kbytes
- Memory
- - Normally refers to RAM - see RAM
- MIME
- - Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions - E-mail format
- Modem
- - Modulator Demodulator - allows computer to talk on phone
- Monitor
- - The computer screen
- Motherboard
- - Main PCB in a computer, holds other components
- Mouse
- - Hand operated Pointing device
- MPEG
- - Moving Picture Expert Group - compression standard
- Multimedia
- - Sound, Video, Animation on computers
- Multithreading
- - Running several computer tasks at the same time.
- Network
- - A number of computers connected together - see LAN
- OLE
- - Object Linking and Embedding
- Operating System
- - Provides services to the system e.g MS-DOS
- Parallel Port -
- The connection to the Printer
- PCI
- - The latest type of Local Bus
- Pixel
- - Picture Element - smallest dot on the monitor display
- PoP
- - Point of Presence - ISP node
- Port
- - Expansion plug at rear of Computer
- PPP
- - Point to Point Protocol - Internet standard
- Processor
- - The chip that does most of the work - see CPU
- Programs
- - Computer software e.g. Word Processor
- RAM
- - Random Access Memory - Main computer memory
- ROM
- - Read Only Memory
- SCSI
- - Small Computer System Interface
- Serial Port -
- The connection to a Mouse / Modem / Printer
- SIMM
- - Single Inline Memory Module - RAM Memory
- SLIPP
- - Serial Line Interface Protocol - Internet standard
- Swap File
- - Portion of Hard Disc used by operating system.
- TCP
- - Transmission Control Protocol - used with IP
- Telnet
- - Telephone Network
- Track Ball
- - Hand operated Pointing device
- Upper Memory Area
- - RAM between 640Kb and 1024Kb
- VESA
- - A Local Bus, superceded by PCI
- Virtual Memory
- - Portion of Hard Disc used by operating system.
- Virus
- - Rogue computer program - usually damaging
- VRAM
- - Video Random Access Memory - special type of DRAM
- Winsock
- - Windows Sockets - used for Internet access
- XMS
- - Memory above 1 Mbyte. aka Extended Memory