| A | B |
| eCommerce | Business which takes place between companies using services such as the Internet, two companies, one the supplier & the other the customer can transmit orders, payments, etc. directly through their computer systems. |
| download | To copy files from another computer to your own PC via a network or modem. |
| fiber optics | A technology by which data is transmitted using light through glass fiber cable. |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions. A term used in magazines and by software companies to provide user with answers to those questions that we all have to ask. |
| World Wide Web | Internet facility that allows you to browse linked webpages. |
| Uniform Resource Locator | The global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web. |
| star network | A network where all PCs are attached to one central device. |
| directory | An area or structure in which information is stored. Also called "folders" in windows |
| dial-up | A temporary connection between two computers via a telephone line normally using a modem. |
| memory | Internal data storage areas in the computer. |
| LAN | Computer Network that spans a relatively small area. |
| cookie | A small file stored on your computer by a web page for the purpose of identifying you when you log on to the page again. |
| baud rate | Number of signaling elements that occur each second. |
| webmaster | Person who is responsible for looking after a web site. |
| Real Audio | Software which allows sound files to be transmitted from the Internet back to the users PC in streams. |
| virus | Piece of a programming code that infects part of your computer, spreads and destroys data. |
| RAM | Temporary storage area that the processor uses to execute Programs & hold Data. |
| T-1 | A leased line Internet connection. The speed at which data can be transmitted is 1.45 megabits per second. |
| port | An interface on a computer to which you can connect a device. |
| thumbnail | A small version of an image. |
| toolbar | A bar which contains icons that allow the user to perform certain tasks (such as opening a file) by clicking. |
| menu bar | A bar across the top of the current window which contain the headings of a number of available menus. |
| password | A code known only by a user to ensure that the individual who is trying to login to the computer is the actual person that the userid being used belongs to. |
| analog | The use of variable voltage to represent data (telephone) |
| digital | The use of binary digits (0,1) to represent data (computer). |
| email | A way of sending other people messages from your PC over a network. |
| DPI | A measure of the quality of the output from a printer. |
| Domain Name | A unique name that represents each computer on the Internet. |
| file format | Defines or categorizes files based on the way that the data is stored and presented. |
| file extension | Letter extensions to a file name that tell what file format a file is saved in (.gif, .doc, .htm). |
| protocol | A standard process, a set of rules & conditions that perform a particular function. |
| FTP | A standard for moving files from one computer to another. |
| HTTP | A protocol that computers on the Internet use to communicate with each other. |
| icon | A small picture that is displayed on the screen. It is intended to depict pictorially a task. |
| processor | The brain of the PC which carries out all of the low level "processing" that the PC needs to do. |
| TCP/IP | A standard set of protocols that govern the basic workings of the Internet. |
| scanner | A peripheral device that is used to transfer a picture, photograph, image into a file on your PC. |
| ring network | A local area network in which all of the PCs and printers are all connected in closed loop. |
| network | A series of wires and cables that connect a number of computers. |
| home page | The page by which a user normally enters a web site. |
| netiquette | Generally accepted rules of behavior associated with sending e-mails and posting messages to newsgroups. |
| modem | A device that enables a computer to transmit data over the telephone lines. |
| intranet | An internal or company internet that can be used by anyone who is directly connected to the company's computer network. |
| com port | 1 of up to 4 serial ports on your PC - normally used for a mouse or a modem. |
| graphic | A picture or non-text item within a document. |
| driver | A piece of software which controls a hardware device such as a printer. |
| byte | Made up of eight bits; it's the number used to store a single alphanumeric character. |
| bookmark | A link set up by the user to a particular Web page - the URL is stored. |
| img src | HTML tag used to insert an image onto a web page. |
| a href | An HTML tag used to create a hyperlink. |