The s

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T-1		A digital carrier facility used to transmit a DS1 formatted digital signal at 1.544 megabits per second.
T-3		A digital carrier facility used to transmit a DS3 formatted digital signal at 44.736 megabits per second.
TAD		Telephone Answering Device. A device integrated into your modem that allows your computer to act as an answering machine for your telephone.
*tape backup unit*		A large-capacity storage device used mainly to back up hard disks. They store data on magnetic tape contained in cassettes that are superficially similar to audio cassettes.
TBU		See tape backup unit.
TCP/IP		Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol. Communication protocol used by all Unix systems and the Internet. It encompasses FTP and SMTP.
techie		A person with advanced technological skills and interests.
telephony		Communication of spoken information by way of electrical signals over a wire or by radio waves. Emerging Internet technologies are allowing this to occur over the Internet, bypassing the telephone companies.
terminal		A combination of monitor and keyboard used to communicate with a remote computer. Terminals are generally unable to do processing; they are communications devices.
terminal software		Software that enables a computer to communicate via modem as if it were a terminal.
terminator		A resistor at the end of a SCSI chain that prevents the signal from reflecting back along the chain.
text character		A character whose shape comes from a character generator rather than directly from software.
text mode		When only pre-defined characters (letters, punctuation, and graphics characters) can appear on a computer screen. Characters are represented in the computer by single bytes, and the computer thinks in terms of the bytes, not in terms of the shape. Since graphics mode uses more than one byte to describe a character, text mode is faster, especially on slow computers. See graphics mode, character generator.
TFT		Thin Film Transistor. Used in active matrix displays to drive individual pixels using a type of silicon.
.TIF		Tag Image File. The customary filename extension for a popular bit-map graphic file format.
toggle key		A key that changes its state each time you press it. The Caps Lock key is a toggle. Compare shift key.
token		A signal used in a token ring (and token bus) network that coordinates the transmission of data among the nodes. The token travels around the network, and a node can transmit data only when it has the token.
Token Ring		A network communication architecture developed by IBM in which nodes are connected in a closed loop. Data travels in one direction around the loop.
toner		The powdered ink used in laser printers.
topology		The physical arrangement of cable connections in a network.
tpi		Tracks Per Inch. A measure of storage capacity on disks.
track		Any of many concentric circular regions on a disk for storing data. Tracks are divided into sectors. One measure of storage density of a disk is TPI.
trackball		A stationary pointing device that uses a rotating ball to control the location of the pointer. Looks somewhat like an upside down mouse.
tracking		See mouse tracking.
traffic		Data being communicated, especially on a network.
traveling weight		The combined weight of a portable computer, its battery, and its charger.
trick		See joke.
TSR		Terminate and Stay Resident. A type of software, usually a utility and usually simple, that is usually loaded automatically at boot time, but doesn't run until you activate it by pressing a key combination. For example, you might have a TSR that puts a simple calculator on the screen when you press Shift + Alt + C.
twisted pair		A type of network cable that consists of two thin wires wrapped around each other to keep them together.
type family		A type style including all related sizes and weights. For example, Palatino.
typeface		A particular style of character, regardless of the size. For example, Palatino bold. See font.

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