An Essential e-Glossary:A drive - The floppy disk drive on a PCAccessories - Mini-programs, such as Calculator or Notepad, built into Windows to perform simple tasks. Active window - The one window that is currently selected. A new window automatically becomes the active window. Make a window active by clicking inside it with your mouse. Address bar - A text area in a window telling you the window's location in your computer or on the Internet - like a street address tells you the location of a building. Alt key - A key on the keyboard that gives commands when pressed in combination with other keys. Application - Software designed for a particular purpose. Also called a program. Microsoft Word is an example of an application. Attachment - A file or picture linked to an e-mail message. Also called an enclosure. Back up (verb) - To copy important files from your hard drive to another storage medium, such as a CD or floppy disk. Backup (noun) - A copy of a file or folder that is stored on a portable medium such as a disk. Usually kept separate from your computer and used when the original file is lost or corrupted. BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) - Instructions that control the computer's hardware at the most basic level. The BIOS tells the operating system which hardware to expect to come into operation and how it is arranged. Bit - The smallest unit of computer information, consisting of a 0 or 1. Short for binery digit. Bookmark - To mark a Web page so you can return to it quickly. Bookmarking creates a link to that site in a browser menu. Boot - To start or switch on your computer. Also boot up. Browser - A software program that allows you to view Web pages and navigate the Internet. The most popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Bug - A problem or error in a software program that causes it to run imperfectly or to crash. Button - An on-screen image that can be clicked on using the mouse. Clicking on a button performs a function, such as opening a dialog box or confirming an action. Bulletin board - An electronic message center existing on the Internet, where you can post and read notices or online conversations. Also called a forum or discussion group. Byte - A measure of computer memory, equal to one character, such as a letter or number. Also equal to eight bits. Short or binary term. C drive - The main storage area in your computer, containing your operating system and programs. Also called hard drive or hard disk drive. Cache - A section of high-speed memory that stores data recently used by the PC's processor, thereby increasing the speed at which that data can be accessed again. Case sensitive - The ability of a program to recognize the difference between lower case (small) and uppercase (capital) letters. CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) - A hard, round plastic disk that holds a large amount of computer data - the equivalent of about 700 floppy disks. You can access the information on this CD, but you can't erase or put new information on it. CD-ROM drive - A special disk drive on your computer that can read CDs. CD-RW (Compact Disk-Rewritable) - A compact disk you can put information on, erase, and reuse. Cell - A single box in a spreadsheet, found at the intersection of any row and column. You can store numbers, formulas, or text in a cell. Chat Room - An area on the Internet where people type messages to each other in real time. Check Box - An element within a dialog box. Click in the small, square check box to either selecr or clear it. This turns an option or or off. You can select more than one check box at a time. Chip - A device that processes information at the most basic level within a computer. A processor chip carries out calculations and a memory chip stores data. Click (on) - To move your pointer to an object on your computer screen and press and release the left mouse button once. Clip Art - Drawings or other images designed to be used in computer programs, like word processing and desktop publishing. Clipboard - A special memory area used to store data temporarily. Information that you can cut or copy from one location automatically goes onto the behind-the-scenes clipboard until you paste it to another location. Close button - The small ox with an "X" in the upper right corner of a window. Click on the Close button to exit a document, dialog box, or other window. CMOS - Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. A type of memory chip that stores the computers configuration settings and the date and time. To protect its data, this memory is maintained by battery. See Configuration. Command - A direction or instruction to your computer. Command button - One of the rectangular buttons in a dialog box that you click on to carry out an action. Examples are: OK, CANCEL, and APPLY. Compression - Formatting a file so it needs less space for storage but doesn't lose any information. Configuration - The settings used to ensure that hardware or software runs as the user wants. Control Panel - Any adjustments made to your system or its settings are made via the Control Panel. For example, you can change the way your desktop looks, add new hardware or alter your PC's sound output. Copy - To make a duplicate of a file, image or section of text. Cookie - A tiny piece of text that Web servers place on your hard drive to track information about your computer and your surfing preferences. CPU (Central Processing Unit) - The part of your computer that processes all instruction and information. Crash - A serious computer hardware or software malfunction. Usually when a program crashes it simply closes down without warning. Cursor - A symbol that indicates the place on your screen where your next mouse click or keystroke will occur. Cut and paste - Usually within a software program, to move a section or text or an object from one place to another. Cyberspace - A term for the imaginary place containing the Internet and World Wide Web. Also called virtual space. Database - A collection lf information organized and stored on your computer. A database helps you search for and retrieve quickly and easily. Default - An automatic setting on computer hardware or software. You can manually change defaults, if you choose. Defragment - To reorganize the information on your hard drive so that all the pieces of each file are stored together. This makes your system run more quickly and efficiently. Most operating systems come with a Disk Defragmenter program. This process is also known as defragging. Desktop - A metaphor for the background on your computer screen that appears to "hold" your icons and windows. Desktop Publishing - Using specialized software on a personal computer to produce high-quality, printable documents - like books, newsletters, or brochures - that may contain both text and graphics. Dial-up - A specific kind of Internet service where your computer uses a modem to dial a telephone number to gain access to the Internet. Dialog box - A window or box that appears on your computer screen asking for information. It usually disappears after you have typed input. Digital - Data that exists in binary number form as "zeros" and "ones." Computers process digital data Digital image - An image stored in number format, which can be transferred to hard disks or removable storage disks, displayed on screen or printed.. Discussion group - An electronic message center existing on the Internet, where you can post and read notices or online conversations. Also called a forum or bulletin board. Document - A file created by a word processor that usually contains test, charts, pictures, or graphics. DOS (Disk Operating System) - Originally the Microsoft operating system for IBM-compatible personal computers. Now a more generic term for any operating system. Dot-com - a Slang term for the Internet or to describe Web-based companies. Refers to the last four characters (.com) in most commercial Web addresses. Double-click - To press the left button on your mouse (or other pointing device) twice - quickly enough for your computer to recognize it as a single action. A double-click is necessary to perform certain commands. Download - To move data from the Internet or another computer to your computer. When you request a document from the Internet and then copy it to your computer's hard drive, you have downloaded a file. Drag and drop - To select an object on your computer screen (usually by clicking on it with your mouse), move it to another location on your screen (by holding down your mouse button and moving your mouse), and place the object in its new location (by releasing the mouse button). Drive - The part of your computer that reads programs and data off a disk. Many drives can also put data onto a disk. Examples are: floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive, and C drive. Driver - Software that translates instructions from Windows into a form that can be understood by a hardware device such as a printer. Drop-down menu - A type of menu that reveals more options after you click on its title. The options appear below the title like a window shade. Also called a pull-down menu. DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - High-speed technology that allows you to talk on your phone and access the Internet through your phone line at the same time. DVD (Digital Video/Versatile Disk) - A disk similar to a CD, but capable of storing up to 25 times more information. DVD's are usually used to view movies. E-mail (Electronic Mail) - Typed messages sent from one computer to another. Both sender and receiver must have an e-mail address and a connection to the Internet. Emoticons - Short for "emotion icons," these keystroke combinations create images in your e-mail or chat room messages that indicate mood or appearance. Encription - Coding information so that it cannot be read without special software. Error message - A notice from your computer that something has gone wrong with a program or your system. Expansion card - An add-on piece of hardware that fits into the system unit and expands the functions of the PC - for example, a sound card. Export - To send data to another program in a format it can read and use. External hardware - Additional computer equipment, such as a printer or scanner, attached by cable to the system unit. Extension - The letters or numbers following a period (dot) in a file name. These tell you what kind of information is in that file or what type of program created it. Field - An area on your screen (in a program or on a Web page) for entering and/or storing specific information. Some fields require data and some are optional. File - One or more computer documents storing information or programs. File extension - A three-letter code that appears at the end of a file name to indicate its format (what type of file it is). File format - The way in which files created by different programs are saved. This differs from program to program, so that one program may have a difficulty reading files created by another . Common file format extensions are:
File Manager - A windows program that enables users to organize all the items stored on a disk. Users can copy, rename or delete files, move them from one folder to another and create new folders. Find - A program that searches a PC for a file, if given information such as the file name or creation date. Floppy disk - A magnetic disk that stores computer information. Most floppies are 3 1/2 inches and fit into a floppy disk drive (A drive) on your computer. They are cheap and portable, but don't hold much data. Folder - An electronic storage compartment used to keep related files and relevant documents in the same place on the hard disk. Font - A specific point size, style and set of characters for a typeface (e.g., 12 point Arial Bold.) A typeface is a particular type design (e.g. Sabon.) Format - To establish the appearance of a document - for example, its typography, layout and so on. Fragmentation - The condition of your hard disk after saving, changing, and deleting many files and thereby creating scattered chunks of free memory, rather than long continuous blocks. This means a new file can't be stored all in one space and must be split - or fragmented. Fragmentation slows down your computer as it looks for the pieces of each file. Freeze - When suddenly nothing will move on your computer or respond to input from your mouse of keyboard. To get out of a freeze, you usually must reboot. Function keys - These are the 12 keys (labeled F1, F2, and so on) situated at the top of the keyboard. They perform special operations, depending on which program is being used. For instance, Shift + F7 in Word will call up the Thesaurus. .gif file - Graphics interchange Format. A common format extension, used for storing images and bitmapped color graphic, especially on the Internet. Gigabyte (GB) - A unit of memory capacity. A single gigabyte is 1,000 megabytes which is equivalent to almost 200 copies of the Bible. Graphics - Pictures, photographs, illustrations, ClipArt and any other type of image. Hard copy - A paper printout of any electronic document. Hard disk (or Hard drive) - A computer's high-speed storage device. It contains the operating system, the programs and all created files. The Hard disk is is referred to as the "C drive." Hardware - The physical parts of a computer, including the system unit, monitor, keyboard, printer and mouse. Help key - Usually the F1 key. Pressed to access advice and information on how to perform the task the user is currently engaged in. Highlight - To select a word, a section of text or a group of cells, by clicking and dragging over them using the mouse. This tells the computer you are about to do something with the selection, like move, reformat it, etc. Highlighted text is often blocked in gray or another color. Home page - The main or introductory page of a Web site. Hot Link - If you hover your mouse pointer above a Hot Link, it will change to the shape of a hand. If you left mouse click on the Hot Link, it will take you to the referenced location. It could be a web page or another location in a document. Hover - To leave the pointer sitting on an object on your computer screen for a moment. Sometimes, hovering over an object displays a brief description of the object in a small box next to the pointer. Hyperlink - The text or graphic providing an instantaneous connection between Web pages. Access a hyperlink by clicking on it with your mouse. Also called a Link. Icon - A graphic representation of a file or a function, which is designed to be easily recognizable as the item it represents. For example, the printer icon on the toolbar accesses the print function. IM (Instant Messaging) - A computer communications service that allows you to send and receive typed messages in real time. All parties must have the same IM service and be online at the same time. Import - To bring in and use an element, such as text, a picture or ClipArt image, from another file into the active document. Install - To copy a program onto the hard disk and then set it up so it is ready for use. Programs are usually installed from a CD-ROM. Internet - Millions of computers throughout the world linked together via telephone and cable lines. Computer users can communicate with each other and exchange information over the internet with a phone connection to their internet service provider (ISP). ISP - Internet service provider. A company that provides a connection to the Internet (compare OSP). JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) - The most common type of electronic image, used especially for photographs. Keyboard shortcut - A method of issuing a command using a combination of keystrokes. To the practiced user this is quicker than manipulating the mouse. Kilobyte (K or Kb) - A unit of memory capacity. A single kilobyte is equivalent to 1,000 bytes. A short letter created in Word uses about 20 Kb. See Gigabyte, Megabyte. Log on (Log off) - To connect (or disconnect) to a network, like the Internet, usually with a user name and a password Also to log in (or out). Mailbox - Where your computer stores your e-mail messages, either on your hard drive or on the network. Maximize - To increase the size of a window so that it fills the entire screen. The Maximize button is the middle button of three in the top right-hand corner of a window. Once used, this button becomes a Restore button. Click on it to restore the window to its original size. Megabyte (Mb) - A unit of memory capacity. A single Megabyte is 1,000 kilobytes, which is equivalent to a 400-page document. Memory - A computer's capacity for storing information. See also RAM and ROM. Menu bar - The line of menu options that runs along the top of a window. When a menu is selected, its entire list of options (a drop down menu) will be displayed. Minimize - To reduce a window to a button on the Taskbar. The Minimize button is the left button in the set of three in the top right-hand corner of a window. To restore the window to the screen, click on its button on the Taskbar. Modem - A device that allows computers to communicate over telephone lines. Short for modulator-demodulator Monitor - The part of your computer that displays text, images, and othe video output on a viewing screen. Motherboard - The main circuit board of a computer, containing the central processing unit. Mouse - A pointing device that controls the location and action of the cursor on your computer screen. Newbie - Slang term for someone who is new to the world of computers or the Internet. Numeric keypad - A set of keyboard keys containing the numbers 0 through 9 and often a decimal point and operation symbols like + and -. Online (& Offline) - The status of a computer that is actively connected via a modem to the Internet. Also used as a general term for people who are able to connect to the Internet. Operating System (OS) - A software program that coordinates all the parts of your computer, helping the software and hardware work together. Microsoft Windows is an operating system. OSP (Online Service Provider) - An Internet provider that may also package services and extra content for its users. Examples include AOL, Prodigy, MSN and CompuServe. Password - A secret series of characters that a user must type in to get access to a file, program, computer, or account, and which guards against unauthorized access and computer crime. Paste - The insertion into a document of text or other data that has previously been cut or copied. PC (Personal Computer) - Technically, any computer that's used by one person at a time. Peripheral - A device, such as a scanner, that can be connected to a PC, but is not vital to its function. Pixel - An individual dot on a computer screen. The number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen determines the level of detail and quality of image that can be displayed. This can be set and altered by the user. Point - To place your cursor on an object on your computer screen either with your mouse, arrow keys, or other pointing device (like touchpad, trackball or stylus). Port - An external socket on the system unit that allows users to connect a monitor, printer or a peripheral device, such as a modem. Print driver - A piece of software that helps Windows communicate with the printer. See Driver. Power surge - A sudden rush of voltage lasting up to several seconds. Power surges - also called spikes - can damage computers and other electronic devices. Processor - The central processing unit (CPU) of a PC. Program - Software that allows the user to interact with the computer's hardware to perform a specific type of task. For instance, a word-processing program allows the user to direct the computer in all aspects of handling the presenting text. Prompt - A symbol on your computer screen that indicates the system is waiting for you to enter something. Properties - The attributes of a file or folder, such as its creation date and format. Some properties, such as the author's name, can be altered. To access the Properties window, right-click on an item and select Properties from the pop-up menu. Purge - To remove old and unnecessary data from your computer, often via an automatic command. Quick Launch toolbar - A section of the Taskbar that contains shortcut icons to often-used programs. Quit - To close and exit a program. RAM (Random Access Memory) - The "working" memory of the computer where programs and information are kept while the computer is using them - the current active file. Reboot - To shut down your computer then restart it. Record - A group of fields containing data in a database. Recycle bin - In Windows, an icon that looks like a trash can and represents the place where you temporarily store deleted files. Refresh - To update a Web page so it shows the latest information. Or the button on a Web browser that allows you to update the current page. Also reload. Reset button - A button on the system unit that allows users to restart a PC if it "freezes" and refuses to respond to any commands. The Reset button should only be used as a last resort. Resolution - Describes how sharp and clear an image is. The higher the resolution, the better the image. Resolution can refer to computer monitors or printers. Restore - To return a window to its original size, usually by clicking on the Restore button. Retrieve - To find and access data stored in your computer. Right-click - To press and release the right button on your mouse or other pointing device. ROM (Read-Only Memory) - Memory chips used by the computer for storing basic details about the PC, such as BIOS. Run command - A Windows feature that allows you to type in the name of the program you wish to use, or the DOS command you wish to execute. To enter a command, go to the Start menu and click on Run. Save - To store a copy of your data onto a permanent storage medium like your hard drive or a floppy disk. In most programs, the Save command automatically stores your file right back into its original location, with the same name. Save as - A command, usually under the File menu for your program, that lets you change the name, format, or location of a file before you save it. Scanner - A device for converting images on paper into electronic images that can then be manipulated and reproduced by a PC See Digital, Digital image. Screen saver - A moving image you program to automatically appear on your computer screen when you have your computer turned on, but aren't using it. Screen savers were designed to prevent images from being burned into the now mostly obsolete monochrome monitors. Scroll bar - A vertical bar on the right or a horizontal bar on the bottom of your screen or window. A scroll bar appears when the viewing area is too small to show all the window's contents. Click on one of the scroll arrows or drag the scroll box to see the information outside the viewable area. Search engine - A tool to help you find information on the Internet. You activate this type of program by typing in keywords. The search engine then locates documents or Web sites that match your query. Select - To make an object (such as an icon, window, or menu option) active. This tells the computer you are about to do something with the selected object, like move, rename, open it, etc. Sometimes pointing at an object on the screen selects it, but generally you must click on an object to select it. Shareware - Programs, or reduced versions of programs, that can be sampled for free for a limited period. Users must then purchase the program to continue to use it. Shortcut - A quick way to access a file, folder, or program. You can place an icon that represents a shortcut onto your desktop or in a folder. Software - Programs that allow users to perform specific functions, such as to write a letter. Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook are examples of software. Software suite - A collection of programs that come in a single package, often supplied when a PC is bought. For example, Microsoft Works is a software suite that includes word-processing, database and spreadsheet programs. Shut down - To quit all programs before turning off the computer. Spreadsheet - A document for storing and calculating numerical data. Spreadsheets are used mainly for financial planning and accounting. Snail mail - Regular postal service mail. Spam - Unsolicited e-mail sent to multiple addresses at one time. Also called junk e-mail. Start button - In Windows, the small, square graphic you can click upon to open the Start menu and gain instant access to many of the programs and files in your computer. Status bar - The area at the bottom of a window that displays basic information about the objects in the window. Surf - To jump from Website to Web site in a relatively random way, using hyperlinks. System tray - A section of the Taskbar that houses the clock and several icons that provide quick access to parts of your computer system such as the printer, modem, and volume control. System unit - The box shaped part of the PC that contains the hard disk, the CPU, memory and sockets for connections to peripheral devices. Taskbar - A bar usually situated along the bottom of the screen in Windows that displays the Start button and buttons for all the programs and documents that are currently open. The Taskbar can be moved to any of the four sides of the screen by clicking on it and dragging it to a new location. Template - A pre-designed document for an application - like a word processing or spreadsheet program - that is already formatted. Use a template as a starting point to create your own documents. Text box - A rectangular area on your screen you can type into. Title bar - The strip along the top of a window that shows the program or document name. Toolbar - A bar or window containing clickable buttons used to issue commands or access functions. For example, spreadsheet programs have a toolbar that contains buttons that are clicked on to perform calculations or add decimal places. Other toolbars include ones for dealing with pictures or drawing. See also Taskbar. Tower - The piece of a computer that houses the CPU, disk drives, slots for peripherals, etc. Shaped like a small suitcase, a computer tower usuall7y is designed to sit on the floor. Also called. Also called "System unit." Undo - A function in some programs that allows you to reverse the task (or last three tasks) most recently carried out. Go to the 'Edit menu and click on Undo. Uninstall - To remove programs from the PC's hard disk. Software is available for uninstalling programs that do not contain an inbuilt uninstall option. Upgrade - To install new components onto your computer to improve performance. Also, to install a more current version of a software program you are already using URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - A standard style used for all Internet addresses on the World Wide Web --. The first part of the URL (such as "WWW.yahoo.com".} indicates the location of a computer on the Internet. Anything that follows - such as "myhome/mypage.htm" - gives a location of a particular file on the computer. USB (Universal Serial Bus) - A hardware connector that allows users to add devices such as mouse, modems and keyboards to a computer without having to restart. See Device, Hardware. Utilities - Software that assists in certain computer functions, such as uninstalling and virus scanning. Videoconference - Where two or more people chat online using both video and audio. View - A menu in many programs through which users can change the way a file is displayed on screen. For example, in a Works database, users can choose to see a document in List, Form or Form Design View. Virus - A program or piece of code loaded onto your computer without your knowledge, usually via a shared disk, a downloaded file, or over cable or telephone lines. Generally, viruses are intended to cause harm to your computer. Wallpaper - The background pattern or picture on your computer screen. Most operating systems come with several wallpapers to choose from, or you can download or create your own. Web page - An electronic document on the World Wide Web containing text, graphics, audio, or video. Web site - An area or the Internet that contains one or more electronic documents, called Webpages. Each Web site is owned and managed by a company, organization, or individual. Window - Each program or file on your PC can be viewed and worked on in its own self-contained area of screen called a window. All windows have their own menu bar, through which users can issue commands. Several windows can be open at once on the Desktop. Windows - The most popular operating system for PC's, which allows users to run many programs at once and open files on screen enclosed by frames called "windows." See Operating System. Windows Explorer - A program that allows users to view the contents of a PC's hard disk in a single window. See Hard Disk Wizard - A computer help file that gives you step-by-step instructions to complete a process. Word processing - Text based operations on the PC, such as letter writing. World Wide Web (WWW) - The part of the Internet, composed of millions of linked Web pages, that can be viewed using Web browsing software. Other functions of the Internet, such as e-mail, are not part of the World Wide Web. See Internet. Worm - A malicious computer program that makes copies of itself and causes computer problems. Worms are often built to spread to as many computers as possible through e-mail address books. Zip disk - A storage disk that holds from 100 to 250 Mb of data. They are slightly larger and thicker than floppy disks. You can access information on a sip disk with a zip drive. Zip Drive - A device for putting data on and retrieving data from a zip disk. Zip file - A single file that contains the compressed data from several files. It usually has the file extension .zip. You need special software to decompress or "unzip" these files. Zoom - To change the view of an image on your computer screen - more distant (zoom out) or close up (zoom in). Compiled by Art Phillips (who takes no responsibility for errors)
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