| A | B |
|---|
| application program | Software tool that allows a computer to be used for specific purposes. |
| data | Information in a form that can be read, used, and manipulated by a computer. |
| electronic mail (email) | Allows Internet users to send mail messages, data files, and software programs to other Internet users and to users of most commercial networks and online services |
| embedded computer | A computer that is embedded into a consumer product, such as a wristwatch or game machine, to enhance those products. Also used to control hardware devices |
| firmware | A program, usually for special-purpose computers, stored on a ROM chip so it cannot be altered. |
| hardware | Physical parts of the computer system. |
| hypertext link | A Web connection to another document or site, like the many that loosely tie together millions of Web pages. |
| information age | The current era, characterized by the shift from an industrial economy to an information economy and the convergence of computer and communication technology. |
| information appliance | Network computer or other Internet-capable device used in offices and homes. |
| input | Information taken in by the computer. |
| integrated circuit | A chip containing hundreds, thousands, or even millions of transistors. |
| Internet | A global interconnected network of thousands of networks linking academic, research, government, and commercial institutions, and other organizations and individuals. Also known as the Net. |
| Internet appliance | Non-PC devices such as set-top boxes that are connected to the Internet. |
| intranet | A self-contained intraorganizational network that is designed using the same technology as the Internet. |
| laptop computer | A flat-screen, battery-powered portable computer that you can rest on your lap. |
| local area network (LAN) | Multiple personal computers connected on a network. |
| modem | Modulator/demodulator. A hardware device that connects a computer to a telephone line. |
| network | A computer system that links two or more computers. |
| network computer (NC) | A computer designed to function as part of a network rather than as a PC. |
| output | Information given out by the computer. |
| program | Instructions that tell the hardware what to do to transform input into output. |
| server | A computer especially designed to provide software and other resources to other computers over a network. |
| software | Instructions that tell the hardware what to do to transform input into output. |
| Web browsers | Application programs that enable you to explore the Web by clicking hyperlinks in Web pages stored on Web sites. |
| wide area network (WAN) | A network that extends over a long distance. Each network site is a node on the network. |
| World Wide Web (WWW) | Part of the Internet, a collection of multimedia documents created by organizations and users worldwide. Documents are linked in a hypertext Web that allows users to explore them with simple mouse clicks. |
