Glossary "A" Page

The s

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*acceleration*		See mouse acceleration.
access time		The time it takes for a computer to get data from a disk. Compare seek time.
active matrix display		Single scan color LCD that utilizes over 900,000 thin film transistors (TFT's) to drive individual pixels. Better quality than passive matrix displays.
ActiveX^tm		A standard that enables software components to interact with one another in a networked environment, regardless of the language(s) used to create them. Most World Wide Web (WWW) users will experience ActiveX technology in the form of ActiveX controls, ActiveX documents, and ActiveX scripts.
*adapter*		An expansion card, especially one that communicates with peripherals.
ADC		Analog-to-Digital Converter. A device that converts analog information such as sound or voltage into digital signals that can be dealt with by a computer. Commonly found on cards that record sound in a digital format. See sample.
address		A hexadecimal number that represents a location in storage or memory. Also used to identify communication ports. To communicate with a storage device.
algorithm		Any set of instructions to be followed in order. See process.
Alt key		One of three shift keys on a computer keyboard. The effect, or meaning, of a key pressed with the Alt key held down may vary depending on what software is running.
Alpha		RISC-based, 64-bit processor series developed by Digital Equipment Corp. Digital's Alpha AXP computers support several operating systems including Windows NT, OpenVMS and OpenOSF.
analog		Anything whose behavior corresponds with the behavior of something else, especially if the correspondence varies continuously rather than in steps. For example, the height of the liquid in a thermometer is an analog of the temperature. The signals that go from a computer to a composite monitor are analog voltages.
ANSI.SYS		A system file that allows you to control the appearance of the screen and the functions of the keys on your keyboard. ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute.
answering machine		A fax/modem card that can be set up to act as an answering machine for your phone, answering it and storing the messages on the PCs hard drive.
anti-aliasing		Making jagged edges look smoother by filling in the jags with an intermediate color. Usually used in reference to the edges of shapes, especially letters, on a computer screen.
application		A software program designed to perform a specific task or group of tasks, such as word processing, communications, or database management.
architecture		A general term for the design and construction of computer systems, particularly hardware, but also operating systems and networks. The circuitry within a chip is called its architecture; for example, Intel architecture refers to a computer based on the Intel 80x86 CPU chip.
archive		Long-term data storage, especially for backup and security purposes. Also to store data in an archive.
arrow key		Any of four to eight keys on a keyboard with arrows imprinted on them. Generally used for moving the cursor.
artificial intelligence		Using computers in the attempt to imitate human intelligence. This field has shown more success in specialized areas, such as engine diagnosis or chemical analysis, than in general areas, such as common sense or natural language. Usually called AI (ay-eye).
ASCII		(ask-ee) American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A standard code or protocol for displaying characters and transferring data between computers and associated equipment. ASCII codes are numbers from 0 to 255. The first 32 numbers are nonprinting control codes (such as line feed, carriage return, and bell); the numbers 33 to 127 are for letters and punctuation; and the remaining 128 numbers called extended characters, can vary. They are usually used for accented letters, graphic, and other special characters.
ASIC		(ay-sick) Application Specific Integrated Circuit. A chip designed for use on a particular circuit board, or for a very narrow range of use. The digital signal processor chip on a modem is an ASIC.
ASPI		Advanced SCSI Programming Interface. An interface that provides "generic" drivers for many SCSI devices other than hard drives.
asterisk		Often referred to as a "star". This keyboard function allows you to specify a range of files (wildcard) using several commands, for example, the "Find" command in Windows 95 or the "Dir" command in DOS. An example of its use might be to find all of a certain filename. *.exe will find all the executables in the specified directory.
asynchronous		Refers to operations that do not require the clocks of communicating devices to be coordinated. Instead, the devices send signals to each other indicating readiness to receive or send. Compare synchronous.
asynchronous cache		The slowest, most inexpensive type of secondary SRAM cache, running at speeds of 15 to 20 ns.
ATA		Advanced Technology Attachment Interface. Official name for the disk drive interface standard commonly known as Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE).
ATA-2		Advanced Technology Attachment Interface with Extensions. Extends the AT Attachment interface while maintaining compatibility with current IBM PC BIOS designs. Also called "Fast ATA" or Fast ATA-2" since the main changes are increased interface speed.
ATAPI		Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface. A standard for IDE CD-ROMs.
AT bus		(ay-tee bus) A 16-bit expansion bus found in IBM AT and compatible computers. See expansion bus.
AT command		One of a set of modem control commands in common use developed by Hayes Microcomputer Products. They all start with the letters AT (for ATtention), except if two or more such commands appear on a single line, the AT only has to appear once, at the beginning of the line.
attenuation		The tendency for signals to become weaker and more distorted the farther they travel. This is why cables should be as short as possible. Sometimes signals are deliberately attenuated to prevent reflection, as with a SCSI terminator.
ATX form factor		An improved motherboard layout design (over the previous XT standard) that rotates the motherboard orientation by 90°, allowing for less clutter and a more logical design, including drive cable connectors near the drive bays and the CPU positioned closer to the power supply and cooling fan.
AUTOEXEC.BAT		A batch file that a DOS/Windows 3.X system looks for when it first boots up. The file contains instructions or procedures for the computer to carry out. when it starts up. To see an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, enter sysedit in the Run command in the program managers File menu. A window appears that displays this and three other important system files.
AVI		Audio Video Interleave. An audio-video standard designed by Microsoft.

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