I have devised this page as a help page for those who don't understand much of the Jargon used in everyday
computing so i hope you find this A - Z of jargon busting helpful.
A
AVCHD = (ADVANCED VIDEO CODING HIGH DEFINITION) A format for recording and playing back high definition (see H) video
B
BOT = Short for ROBOT. A program that operates as an agent for a user
or another program, or simulates human activity.
BLU-RAY = A disc that can contain data or High Defintion (see H) films
C
CPU = (Central Processing Unit) The brain of a computer
D
DESKTOP = The main screen of your computer that displays your program and file icons
DLL FILE = (Dynamic Link Library) File. Contains a library of functions and other information that progams
can call on to perform certain tasks.
DUAL-CORE PROCESSOR = Two processors on one chip. This enables them to do more than one task
at a time
E
ETHERNET = A common method for networking computers and a lead from your modem/router to your
computer. Also known as an RJ45 lead or port
F
FIREWALL = Software and hardware that blocks unwanted communication from and often to the internet.
FLASH = A common method of placing animations or video onto a web page
G
GB (GIGABYTE) = A measurement of data storage i.e hard drive size (see TB)
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) = The GIF image format was developed for and is widely used on the Internet due to its high compression and subsequent small file size.
GPS (Global Postioning System) = Technology that pinpoints your location to within a few meters. GPS
devices use a radio link to communicate with GPS satellites orbiting
the earth which work out your position.
H
HD (High Definition) = Video that has more detail than standard video
I
INTEL CORE = The brand name of some processors
INTERFACE = The part of a program that you see on screen and interact with.
IP ADDRESS = The numerical address used to identify computers that are connected to the internet
ISP = Internet Service Provider e.g BT, Virgin Media, Talk Talk, whomever supplies your internet
J
JPEG/JPG = A common image file that compresses image data
K
KB (KILOBYTE) = A measurement of data storage (see TB)
KEYLOGGER = A spyware program that notes the keys you press on a keyboard
M
MB(MEGEBYTES) = measurement of data storage (see TB)
MBIT/SEC = Megabits Per Second
MEGAPIXEL(MP) = One million pixels.The more pixels a camera can capture, the higher the resolution
and the more detail the image will contain
MFT(MICRO FOUR THIRDS) = Offers the digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) quality in a compact case
N
NOTIFICATION AREA = A portion of the task bar in Windows 7 that provides a temporary source for
notifications and status
O
OS (OPERATING SYSTEM) = The software that manages your pc, i,e Vista Windows 7
P
PDF (PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT) = Lets you open a document independently from the application
it was created in
PHISHING = A scam where, to trick you into giving away your credit card details, a criminal sets up a
spoof website that resembles that of an official organisation
Q
QUAD-CORE PROCESSORS = Like having several processors on one chip. This helps them to handle
multiple tasks simultaneously
R
RAM (RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY) = The short term memory inside a computer
ROUTER = A devoce that directs traffic (data) between computers and other equipement
S
SPYWARE = Software that secretky installs on your computer and is able to track your internt behaviour and
send details to a third party
T
TB (TERABYTE) A measurement of data storage. Eight bits make up a byte, 1024 bytes a kilobyte, 1024
kilobytes = 1 megabyte 1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte and 1024 gigabytes = 1 terabyte
THUNDERBOLT = Interface technology for computer peripherals,developed by Intel and Apple. They are
twice as fast as USB 3.0
TIFF = An image file format
TOOLBAR = An onscreen bar made up of small images,click one of these to perform commands or goto
pre arranged internet sites
TRANSITION = Video editing technique for moving from one shot to another or for joining two shots together
U
USB (UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS) = A plug and play interface between a computer and add on devices
USB 2.0 = A high speed connection similar to the firewire that allows you to transfer data at the rate of
480Mbits/sec
USB 3.0 = The lastest major revision of the USB, also known as SuperSpeed USB is 10 times faster than USB2
V
VPN (Virtual Private Network) = A VPN (Virtual Private Network) refers to a secure network connection that uses the internet to transmit data.
Virus = A program that runs on your computer without your knowledge and can cause damage to your files. It usually attaches itself to other programs, a common way to receive a virus is through an attachment via email
W
WI-FI = Wi-fi enabled devices link to the internet when within range of wireless network
This page will be updated as and when so if anyone has any additions they would like to have added or has any jargon(computer speak) they don't understand then please feel free to post below
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Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:38 am
