The world of computer technology has a language of its own! Following is a list of computer terminology used in this book that you might find helpful to reference. For definitions not located in this glossary, refer to Webopedia (www.webopedia.com) or TechWeb (www.techweb.com), which are online encyclopedias for computer technology terms.
backup A secondary location of original data. A backup can be stored on external media, such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, or another interal or external hard drive.
CD-ROM A type of disc media that can store data and is commonly used for recording music or computer files. This disc is read-only, and the data cannot be manipulated after it’s recorded onto the CD.
CD-RW A similar media to CD-ROM, except that after data has been recorded, it is rewritable. This means the data on the CD can be saved, or written, over.
contact management software Software that is specifically designed to manage contact information. This software usually also performs the functions of calendar, task list, and email communications.
cookie A file automatically stored on a user’s hard drive, it is created by website servers to remember the user and his preferences when he returns to the website.
customer relationship manager (CRM) Software that is designed to manage a large volume (over 5,000) of contacts; it’s primarily used in sales industries.
desktop The operating system’s working area screen that holds icons for shortcuts, programs, and files stored on the computer.
drop-down button/arrow An onscreen feature included in many types of software that enables you to display a list of options that accompany a command. It is most commonly used with a state-based field, where when you click in the field, a drop-down list of states appears.
DVD A disc media that is similar to the CD-ROM but holds a larger amount of data (up to 5GB). It is most commonly used for recording movies and to back up hard drives.
Ethernet A cord that is a little bigger than a standard telephone cord and is used to transfer data between equipment. It is most commonly used to network computers and connect to the Internet.
file allocation table (FAT) The FAT directs where files are to be stored and accessed on the hard drive. It is commonly used to describe the type of file system on a computer.
floppy disk A type of disk medium that is 3 1/2″ square in size. It can store up to 1.4MB of memory. This was the standard disk medium used to carry and store data from computers before the CD-ROM was developed.
freeware Software that is available on the Internet to download for free.
gigabyte (GB) A computer measurement of information equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes. Gigabytes usually refer to the size of a computer hard drive.
handheld A common term used to describe the small, handheld devices such as PDAs. Popular handhelds are Palm Pilot, Treo, and BlackBerry.
hard drive A card-type device that reads and writes a large amount of data that is usually stored inside your computer (although removable hard drives are becoming more common). The hard drive is commonly where software programs and electronic documents are stored inside your computer.
Internet An international network of computers that provides access to data and information. To gain access to the Internet, you must have an Internet service provider.
ISP An acronym for Internet service provider, which is a service that provides access to the Internet and World Wide Web.
IT (information technology) Relates to the management of information within technology systems. IT is most commonly referred to as the computer department within a company or an organization.
kilobyte (KB) A computer measurement of information equal to 1,024 bytes. This measurement is commonly used to describe the size of electronic documents and files.
Mac (Macintosh) A type of computer produced by Apple Computers. This was the first computer to introduce the window and mouse technology. It is the computer most widely used in schools and marketing and graphic arts industries.
media A data storage device; this term most commonly refers to portable media such as CD-ROM, DVD, jump drives, and tapes.
megabyte (MB) A computer measurement of information equal to 1,048,576 bytes. This measurement is typically used to describe the size of media and large graphic files.
operating system An underlying program that operates the basic functions on a computer and enables software programs to run.
optical character recognition (OCR) Software technology that translates scanned characters into readable text. The software is commonly used for document scanning.
personal computer (PC) Generally, a computer equipped with a Microsoft Windows-based operating system and software.
personal digital assistant (PDA) A small, handheld device that syncs with a contact manager or personal information manager and typically can be used as a phone, fax sender, web browser, and personal data organizer.
personal information manager (PIM) A type of software that is used as an electronic time-management tool. The software is an all-in-one tool that tracks an individual’s appointments, tasks, contacts, notes, and email. The most commonly used PIM today is Microsoft Outlook.
Portable Document Format (PDF) A document format developed by Adobe Systems, it enables a document to be viewed by others in its original form, without needing to have the original software in which it was produced. A PDF document can be opened only with Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free from the Adobe website (www.adobe.com).
RAM An acronym for random access memory. This is referred to as short-term memory because the data is forgotten after the computer or other device is turned off. This is the memory typically used with printers and operating programs on your computer.
reboot The function performed to restart the computer.
ROM An acronym for read-only memory. This is referred to as hard drive memory and is the permanent memory of a computer. With ROM, you can turn off the computer and it retains the data and does not erase it.
scanning The electronic process of using a scanning device to create an electronic file that contains a reproduction of a paper-based document. Most copy machines function as scanners.
server A computer that acts as a master computer and is the one computer that manages a network of computers. A server usually has a very large hard drive and is the main storage device for a company’s data.
shareware Trial-based software that can be downloaded for free, initially. If the user decides to continue using the software, she must pay a small fee and register.
shortcut A type of file that points to another file or document stored in another location on a computer. Shortcuts are most commonly used on the desktop to quickly open files and programs.
spam Unsolicited email that is the electronic version of paper junk mail. Spam email is generally used for marketing purposes and sent to a large volume of email recipients.
sync An abbreviated term meaning the act of synchronization between two computers or programs. When synchronization is performed, the computers exchange data so that both files will be exactly the same.
third-party software Software developed to interact with operating systems or software designed by other manufacturers.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) A standard type of connector used to plug removable devices into a computer.
USB jump drive A popular keychain-type of data storage device that plugs into the computer using a USB port. This type of storage device does not require a driver or software to use it.
virus A program distributed from computer to computer via the Internet for the purpose of harming the computers’ operation. The program is usually an attachment to an email that is not a recognized type of file or document. The attachment must be opened or launched for the virus to become active in your computer.
window Refers to the functionality on your computer that opens another program or shows a different set of data on your screen. With today’s technology, multiple windows can be displayed on a computer screen.
Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) A wireless method of connecting to the Internet or other computers.
wireless Internet service provider (WISP) A company that provides service to the Internet without the use of telephone or Ethernet cords, by using wireless technology.