Term or Acronym

Definitions and Descriptions

Application

The generic name for a particular item or suite of software. All software is essentially an application because it has a specific purpose to which its functions are applied, hence the generic name, application.

Software tends to be indentified in groups by function, e.g. operating systems, utilities, games, business, accounting etc, but they are all applications.

Archive

A means of storing data to afford it greater protection. Archiving can also serve as a back up system for data.

Archiving can be achieved by using archiving software that will make the data to be archived inaccessible and reduce the disk space required for storage. The archived data has to be un-archived to be accessible by the applications that created it.

Archiving can also mean copying data to a storage medium and physically storing the media (e.g. tapes, disks etc) it in another location. Many companies use off-site secure storage for maximum protection of the data.

Back up (Backup)

Making a copy of data for storage so it is available to replace any lost data in the event of, for example, an accidental deletion or a hard disk failure.

Also see Archive.

Boot, Booting or re-boot

This is jargon for turning on a computer. It is a variation on the “kick starting” that applies to some mechanical devices where one process starts another.

This process is similar in computers where one program will start another program to eventually prepare the computer for use when all the essential programs are running.

Bus

Integrated parts of the computer’s circuit boards that transmit data from one part of the computer to another.

Byte

The base unit of measure for the size of files stored on a computer. Although 1 Byte equals 8 Bits of information, each character stored in memory takes up 1 Byte of storage.

Cache

Pronounced caysh – from the French word cachier meaning to hide.

This is an area of storage allocated for storing key parts of programs or data for quick retrieval to increase the processing speed of a computer.

CD-ROM

Compact Disk – Read Only Memory

Crash

Jargon for a computer hardware or software failure no matter how minor (just requires a restart) or serious.

Data Processing

The manipulation of data (raw details) to produce information, i.e. the finished product. For example, entering timesheet details, which after the correct processing, can produce payroll bank transfers.

Database

A collection of related information stored on a computer in an organised manner. For example, the payroll details for each employee are stored in a database.

Device Drivers

These are operating system and component specific command files (programs) that work between the items of hardware that they belong to and the application that needs to use that hardware, to produce the required communication.

For example a printer must have a driver so that a word processor can send a document to it for printing. Without the driver the printer and word processor cannot understand each other.

Download or Downloading

The processing of passing data from one computer to another computer when the data is coming from its source to the computer you are using.

Drive letters

A and B drives are reserved for Floppy Disk drives, which are rarely used now and are not fitted to new PCs unless specifically requested.

C is always the primary hard disk drive. If you have a second hard disk drive, this will take the letter D. If not D is allocated to the optical drive.

If you have two optical drives the second is allocated the letter E.

The drive letter allocation is done automatically by the PC. If you plug in any type of external storage device the next available drive letter is allocated to it.

DVD-ROM

Digital Video Disk – Read Only Memory. The ROM suffix is generally not used when referring to DVDs.

Also known as the Digital Versatile Disk.

Executable files

These have the file extension exe after the dot (e.g. abcdefg.exe) in the file name. These files are run to start programs and processes and are specifically designed to do something tangible with computer hardware to make the computer function and to allow you to interact with it.

FAT

File Allocation Table

File Allocation Table

A protected data file on a hard disk detailing the location of all the files that are stored on the hard disk. If the FAT cannot be read for some reason, the files on the hard disk cannot be found.

A FAT can be roughly compared to the table of contents or an index in a book. These facilities allow you to find quickly the information you want.

Flash memory, USB flash drive, RAM stick etc

This is non-volatile computer memory, which means that it doesn’t need power to retain the data stored in the chip. It is a solid-state device, which means that it doesn’t have moving parts. It is a type of EEPROM, which is an acronym for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory.

Gateway

Any link between two data communications networks.

Gigabyte (GB)

A unit of measure for memory capacity.

1 GB = 1024 MB (Megabytes)

Graphical User Interface

This is the use of graphics based (pixel based) images for the monitor’s display rather than text based images, which are still used on some older business systems.

The Windows Operating System and software developed for Windows are GUI applications.

GUI

Graphical User Interface

Hard disk or hard drive

See Mass storage device

Hardware

All the physical components of a computer system, i.e. all the items you can see and touch whether they be internal or external to the computer component.

HDD

Hard Disk Drive

See Mass storage device

Hidden Files

A hidden file cannot be listed in Windows Explorer. Critical system files are generally hidden to protect them from accidental changes or deletion because if this occurs the PC may stop working.

Files can be hidden for security reasons if their content is considered sensitive.

The hidden function can be turned off for all files; however, this option may require a password for some files.

Hot Plugging or Swapping

This means you can unplug and plug in devices in a PC without the need to power off the PC first.

Housekeeping

The term used to describe maintaining and care for the hard disk, e.g. checking for hard disk errors and viruses, and deleting unwanted files and records.

HTML

Hyper Text Markup Language

HTTP

Hyper Text Transport Protocol

Hyper Text Markup Language

This is the programming language that is used to format web pages on Servers so that PC Internet Browsers can display the web pages.

Hyper Text Transport Protocol

This is used by Internet Browsers and Servers to send the web pages across the Internet.

Icon

Small symbol in many Windows functions and applications that can start the process, linked to that icon, when the mouse is used to click the icon.

Information Technology

This is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.

Input

The process of entering data into a computer. This can be manual by a range of input devices or automatically by other processes or other computers.

Input devices

Typically refers to any hardware that can be used to enter data into a computer. The more common items are, keyboard, mouse, scanner, barcode readers etc.

Interface

See Port

IT

Information Technology

Kilobyte (KB)

A unit of measure for memory capacity.

1 KB = 1024 Bytes

Laptop

When technological advances reduced the size of the original portable computers they became known generically as Laptops. Firstly, to distinguish them from the old and larger portables and secondly, because they were considered to be small enough and light enough to be comfortable sitting on your lap.

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display

Liquid Crystal Display

This type of monitor display technology is used for Computers and televisions. It’s a better quality display than the larger CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors and requires less power.

Mainframe

A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously.

Mass storage device

Allows a computer to retain permanently large amounts of data. Common mass storage devices include hard disk drives in the computers (primary storage) and external devices (secondary storage), e.g. hard disks, tapes and optical disks.

Megabyte

A unit of measure for memory capacity. Mega typically means one million. However, in computer teams Bytes are multiples of 8, hence the following conversion.

1 MB = 1048576 Bytes

Memory

A generic term used to describe any data storage area in a computer. Broadly there are two types of memory.

Primary memory (e.g. RAM) - Requires a power source to retain the data, which is lost when a computer is turned off.

Secondary memory (e.g. optical disks) When the data is written it is considered permanent, but not forever.

Minicomputer

A multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to hundreds of users simultaneously.

Modem

The name is derived from the type of communications function it performs, i.e. MOdulation – DEModulation.

This means that the modem at the sending end converts computer digital signals to analogue signals for transmitting through the available communications cabling (e.g. phone lines) and the modem at the receiving end converts the analogue signals back to digital signals so the computer at the receiving end can process them.

Notebook

The current generic name for the latest range of portable computers because they are generally lighter and thinner than the Laptops – more like a notebook. However, they are not necessarily smaller due to the introduction of the wide screen formats on portable computers.

The Notebook is considered to be the next generation of portables following the Laptop.

OCR

Optical Character Recognition

Off-line

See Online

Online

Describes any computer hardware component that is connected to another computer hardware component and is accessible and available for its function. For example, a printer connected to a Pc that is ready to print is online. If the printer is turned off or out of paper, it would be off-line because it’s not accessible for printing.

Operating System

This is the software component of a computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the resources of the computer. It acts as a host for application programs and manages the necessary hardware interactions for the applications.

Any electronic device that has computer type functions has an operating system to run and control its operation.

Optical Character Recognition

Specialised software that uses pattern recognition to produce editable text from a scanned document. The software recognises each character in a document that is essentially just a picture of text and converts it to text that a word processor can recognise.

Optical media

All variants of the data storage disks capable of being read and written to by laser technology, e.g. CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disks.

OS or O/S

Operating System

Output devices

Typically refers to any hardware that can be used to supply you with requested information from a computer database. The most common items are a monitor and a printer.

Port or Interface

Any connector on computer equipment that provides for data exchange with other computer equipment, e.g. USB, serial, parallel, PS2, card readers etc.

Software

All the programs that make up the different types of functions and applications that make a computer work and to be a useful tool for a myriad of uses.

Supercomputer

An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second.

Terabyte

A unit of measure for memory capacity.

1TB = one million megabytes

Uninterruptible Power Supply

A back up power source into which items of electrical equipment can be connected to prevent them losing power if the mains power is cut off.

The UPS will only maintain power to the equipment for a short time, usually only several minutes. If a computer is connected to the UPS, it will give you sufficient time to correctly power off the computer.

Universal Serial Bus

Standard interface device for connecting most peripherals that is suitable for plug and play devices. It can provide power for low consumption devices and can be hot swapped, i.e. plugged and unplugged when the computer is running.

Upload or Uploading

The processing of passing data from one computer to another computer when you are sending the data from the computer you are using to another computer.

UPS

Uninterruptible Power Supply

USB

Universal Serial Bus

User

A person or organisation that is using a computer system.

It is only the illicit drug industry and the computer industry that refers to its clients as users.