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Computer Terms and Definitions

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If you cannot find what you are looking for: email me and I'll get back to you and add it to this list

Patrick Mills, pmills@webspan.net


I

I-beam
The shape the cursor takes in the area of a window where text can be entered.

I/O address
Input/Output address. Many I/O devices, such as COM ports, network cards, printer ports, and modem cards, are mapped to an I/O address. This address allows the computer and operating system to locate the device, and thus send and receive data. Such I/O addresses don't tie up system memory RAM space. However, there are a limited number of I/O addresses. You can access an I/O port in one of two ways: either map it into the 64K I/O address space, or map it as a memory-mapped device in the system's RAM space.

Icon
A small graphic symbol used to represent a folder, program, shortcut, resource, or document. The little pictures that you see on the screen, usually representing folders and files - icons can be dragged onto other icons, onto applications, and into folders. Icons usually get a double-click, while buttons get a single left-click.

IDE
Integrated Device Electronics - an electronic device that has control electronics built into the device

IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)
An open community of networkers who manage and shape the Internet.

image color matching (ICM)
Image Color Matching (ICM), a technology developed by Kodak, creates an image environment that treats color from the screen to the printed page. Microsoft licensed ICM from Kodak to be able to repeatedly and consistently reproduce color matched images from source to destination.

import
An OLE term. In Object Packager, you can import a file into a package and later embed it into a destination document.

in place editing
A feature of OLE 2. With in place editing, you may edit an embedded or linked object WITHOUT that object being placed into an additional window (the way it was in OLE 1.0). Instead of creating an additional window, the tools for the object you want to edit appear in the toolbar for the container object, (see container object). Also, the menus for the object you want to edit replace the menus of the container object. In place editing is less disruptive; it is much simpler to ensure that the changes you make to an embedded or linked object are updated to the original complex document.

In box
Inbox holds incoming and outgoing messages and Faxes that are sent or received over Microsoft Exchange.

inactive
An open window that is not currently in use. On the task bar, the active window looks like a pressed button, inactive windows are represented by unpressed buttons.

incremental backup
See differential backup.

Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)
This term describes the design of the 8/16-bit AT bus (sometimes called the "classic bus") developed by IBM in the original IBM PC.

insertion point
A flashing vertical line showing where text will be inserted.

instance
A copy of an object that maintains the original object's properties (such as relative location, color, or rotation) throughout transformations

Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE)
A later drive design that incorporated an embedded controller on a smaller (3 1/2 inch) disk drive. IDE drives can be connected together, but the second drive must be a slave to the first, using the primary disk controller and not its own embedded controller. This type of drive is interfaced to a computer bus with an IDE host adapter, not a controller.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
A special phone line that supports modem speeds up to 64Kbps. However, these phone lines can be quite expensive to acquire. Many ISDN adapters support two-channel access.

interface
The visible layer enabling a user to communicate with a computer. In DOS, the interface consisted largely of typed commands and character-based feedback, Windows 95 is an entirely graphical interface, using a mouse, menus, windows, and icons to allow the user to communicate his instructions and requirements to the computer.

interframe compression
A technique that achieves compression of a video file by eliminating redundant data between successive compressed frames

internal command
A command embedded in CMD.EXE, the command interpreter for Windows 95, or in COMMAND.EXE, the MS-DOS equivalent. Internal commands don't require additional support files.

Internet
The Internet is a "network of networks," a global linkage of millions of computers, containing vast amounts of information, much of it available to anyone with a modem and the right software... for free. The Internet is an aggregation of high speed networks, supported by the NSF (National Science Foundation) and almost 6,000 federal, state, and local systems, as well as university and commercial networks. There are links to networks in Canada, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, and more than 30,000,000 users.

Internet appliance
a name given to the system (cost $500) which is designed to connect to a large host computer system to run all kinds of different applications

Internet Explorer
A web browser bundled with the Windows 95 Plus kit. It takes advantage of features in Windows 95, such as shortcuts and long file names.

Internet Protocol (IP)
A network protocol that provides routing services across multiple LANs and WANs that is used in the TCP/IP protocol stack. IP packet format is used to address packets of data from ultimate source and destination nodes (host) located on any LAN or WAN networked with TCP/IP protocol. IP provides routing services in conjunction with IP routers, which are incorporated into many computer systems and most version of UNIX. IP Packet format is supported in NetWare 3.11 and 4.0 operating systems, and is used throughout the Department of Defense Internet--a network of thousands of computers internetworked worldwide.

interoperability
Compatibility, or the capability for equipment to work together. Industry standards are agreed upon or used by vendors to make their equipment work with other vendor's equipment.

interrupt request line (IRQ)
A line (conductor) on the internal bus of the computer (typically on the motherboard) over which a device such as a port, disk controller, or modem can get the attention of the CPU to process some data.

Interrupt
A method by which a piece of hardware communicates with the processor. It's called interrupt, because the device (such as a sound card) interrupts the computer to carry out a function (such as playing a sound). See IRQ. (more information)

intraframe compression
A technique that compresses the video by removing redundancy from individual video images.

Intranet
a network that uses standard TCP/IP services within a corporate network

inverse kinematics
A method by which a parent object (such a a forearm) inherits motion from a child object (such as a hand) to more easily simulate linked motions. The reverse process is known as forward kinematics

IPX Internetwork Packet Exchange
(IPX) is a network protocol developed by Novell to address packets of data from ultimate source and destination nodes located on any LAN networked with NetWare. IPX also provides routing services in conjunction NetWare and third-party routers. An IPX packet has information fields that identify the network address, node address, and socket address of both the source and destination, and provides the same functionality of the of the OSI Network layer in the OSI model.

IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
The live-chat area of the Internet in which real-time conversations among two or more people take place in virtual "rooms."

ISA
Industry Standard Architecture - the design standard for performance and construction of components which include motherboard parts and bus connections

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
Digital telephony scheme that allows two simultaneous connections over the same wire; can include audio or data.A digital system which uses telephone lines to achieve 128,000 bits per second of data transfer.

ISP
Short for Internet Service Provider; these are the folks who bill you for access to the Internet. If you have free Internet access through a university, then the university is your ISP. Tip: look for an ISP that doesn't charge by the hour!

J

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
An algorithm for compressing still images. Motion-JPEG, a variation of JPEG, is used to compress moving images.

jumpers
jumpers are small devices that complete a circuit between two pins of a multi-pin header, specifying various aspects about a card--for example, which IRQ, base memory address, or I/O port address to use. Jumpers are not normally used on a card that is compliant with Plug and Play, but were common on "legacy" (pre Plug and Play) cards.

K

KB
An abbreviation for Kilobyte. Kilobyte One thousand bytes, or more precisely, 1,024 bytes.

kernel
The core of an operating system, usually responsible for basic I/O and process execution.

kernel driver
A driver with direct access to hardware. A hardware driver.

keyboard buffer
Memory set aside to store keystrokes as they're entered from the keyboard. Once it's stored, the keystroke data waits for the CPU to pick up the data and respond accordingly.

keyboard equivalent
See keyboard shortcut.

keyboard shortcut
A combination of keystrokes that initiates a menu command without dropping the menu down, or activates a button in a dialog box without clicking the button.

keyword
A word by which subjects can be searched on online services and databases.

KHz
Kilo Hertz. The speed at which a device takes to complete one cycle of an event or change states. For example a modem can have a speed of 28.8KHz if it can modulate its transmitted signal 28,800times per second.

kiosk
In the Microsoft Network, a download-and-run document that contains additional information about a forum. Kiosks are usually found in forums.

L

L1 Cache
a CPU internal cache

L2 Cache
a CPU external cache

LAN (Local Area Network)
A network that connects computers in a small area (like a room, a building, or a set of buildings).

LCD
Liquid Crystal Diode - a device that responds to small electrical charges that, when applied, cause the device to illuminate.

legacy
Refers to pre-Windows 95 software or hardware. Legacy cards don't support Plug and Play, and legacy software is older software (although you may have just purchased it!) typically designed for Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

license
Refers to the agreement you are assumed to have acceded to when you purchase slftware. As with much other computer software, you don't own your copy of the program, but instead, just license the use of it. You own the diskette. As such, there is a long list of legalese-type things you supposedly agree to when you open the envelope containing your copy of software. These legal agreements are part of the license. They are generally not supportable in courts by the software vendors.

line by line
When using terminal emulation (see terminal emulation), some primitive terminals only allowed you to edit text on the single line on which you were working. Once you pressed Enter to move to the next line, you couldn't go back and change something on the previous line(s)--because those lines had already been sent to the host computer that the PC emulates a terminal of. In line by line editing, there is a line length limit as well, so you can't simply type an entire paragraph before pressing Enter.

linked object
In OLE terminology, data stored in a document that originated from another application. Unlike an embedded object, this type of object has its own file on the disk. The source application is run for editing when you double-click it. For example, a Paint drawing linked to a Word document. Linking saves space over embedding when a particular object must be included in more than one other document, since the data does not have to be stored multiple times. Additionally, you can directly edit a linked file, and all the documents that the link to the file update automatically.

list box
A dialog box item that shows all available options.

LISTSERV
A software program for setting up and maintaining discussion groups. Many LISTSERV discussion groups are gatewayed to Usenet newsgroups.

local area network (LAN)
A limited-distance, multipoint physical connectivity medium consisting of network interface cards, media, and repeating devices designed to transport frames of data between host computers at high speeds with low error rates. A LAN is a subsystem that is part of network.

local printer
A printer connected directly to your computer.

local reboot
The ability of Windows 95 to close down a single misbehaving application. When you use the Alt+Ctrl+Delete key sequence, Windows 95 queries you for the application to shut down. In this way, you can close down only the application you want, without affecting other running applications.

logical block addressing (LBA)
A type of addressing scheme for IDE disk drives that allows the drive to exceed the original 512 megabyte (1/2 gigabyte) IDE size limit. With logical block addressing, an IDE drive can hold up to 8.4 gigabytes.

logical drive
A drive that isn't a physical drive, as in the floppy drive A or B. Instead, a logical drive is a drive created on a subpartition of an extended partition and given an arbitrary letter such as C, D, or E.

long file name
A reference to Windows 95's ability to use file names up to 256 characters long.

lossy compression
Compression techniques that lose some of the data when compressing the file. Although lossy compression isn't acceptable for compressing application file and certain types of data files (for example, database, word processing), it is often acceptable to have a low degree of loss when compressing video or graphic files, since you likely won't notice the missing data. Also, lossy compression can gain considerably higher compression ratios than "lossless" compression. However, when using lossy compression, you don't want to decompress the file, then use the result to recompress, as the loss of data gets worse with each cycle.

Lost Chains
Pieces of files that are no longer being used, but are still taking up disk space. Use Scandisk (see Fine-Tuning Windows95 for more info) to clean up your lost chains and delete them. If you convert them to files, they will have the CHK extension - these files will be useless to you unless you know how to retreive your data from them.

LPT
The parallel port (used for printing). Most computers have a single parallel port (labeled LPT1), but some may have two. The parallel port transmits data one byte (8-bits) at a time. This parallel transmission of all 8 bits gives the port its name.

luminosity
When working with colors, indicates the brightness of the color.

Lycos
A database of more than 3.5 million Web sites. This widely used search engine has answered over 9 million queries to date. You can set custom search configurations to help you find what you're looking for. Lycos is found at http://lycos.cs.cmu.edu.

M or F (Male or Female)
When someone asks if you're male or female, you've been "MorFed!."

M

M or F (Male or Female)
When someone asks if you're male or female, you've been "MorFed!."

macro
A sequence of keyboard strokes and mouse actions that can be recorded so that their playback can be activated by a single keystroke, keystroke combination, or mouse click. Unlike Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95 does not come with a Macro Recorder.

Mailing List (Internet)
An email discussion group focused on one or more topics. The Mailing List is made up of members who subscribe that mailing list.

map network drive
The act of associating a network drive makes the drive available in My Computer. Windows 95 uses the next available drive letter, and you can access the network drive just like any other hard drive.

Marketing
The only way a company with a customer satisfaction rating as low as Microsoft's could be so successful.

maximize button
A button in the upper right corner of a Window with a square in it. When clicked, it enlarges the window to its maximum size. When the window is already at its maximum size, the maximize button switches to the restore button, which returns the window to its previous size.

MB
An abbreviation for Megabyte. Megabyte One million bytes, or more precisely, 1,024 kilobytes (totalling 1,048,576 bytes).Used to define the amount of storage space a device is capable of achieving. Generally speaking, the more the better. This applies to both RAM or Hard Disk Drives.

media control interface (MCI)
A standard interface for all multimedia devices, devised by the MPC counsel, that allows multimedia applications to control any number of MPC-compliant devices, from sound cards to MIDI-based lighting controllers.

Memory
Also known as RAM, this is what allows your applications to run. The more memory you have, the more windows you can have open, and the more applications you can run simultaneously. Memory, while not the same as disk space, is also measured in bytes, kilobytes, and megabytes.

menu bar
Located under the title bar, the menu bar displays the names of all available menu lists.

menu command
A word or phrase in a menu that, when selected, enables you to view all the commands.

Menu
A list of things that an application does. In Windows95, nearly every application has a menu along the top of its window, usually containing the items File, Edit, View, and Help - when clicked, additional subordinate menu items are displayed. A list of available command options.

MHz
Mega Hertz. The speed at which a device takes to complete one cycle of an event or change states. For example a CPU can have a speed of 100 MHz if the clock cycle of the chip can execute a change in state (clock cycle) 100 million times per second.

Micro-Channel Architecture (MCA)
A proprietary 32-bit computer and bus architecture designed by IBM to improve bus bandwidth and facilitate bus mastering. MCA is not backward compatible with ISA and requires exclusive use of MCA devices.

microprocessor
A miniaturized processor. Previous processors were built in integrated circuit boards with many large components. Most processors today use high-tech, silicon-based technology that improves performance, reduces heat generation, increases efficiency.

Microsoft Client for Netware Networks
Windows 95 Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks allows users to connect to new or existing NetWare servers. It permits you to browse and queue print jobs using either the Windows 95 network user interface or existing Novell NetWare utilities. The Microsoft Client for NetWare interfaces equally well with both NetWare 3.x and 4.x servers.

Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange provides a universal Inbox that you can use to send and receive electronic mail (email). In addition, you can use the Inbox to organize, access, and share all types of information, including faxes and items from online services.

Microsoft Fax
Microsoft Fax is a program included with Windows 95 that enables you to send and receive faxes directly within Windows 95.

Middleware
middleware provides a set of services that are specifically geared towards supporting distributed computing.  These services ensure that any distributed application whether it is built over the Internet or not - is scalable, reliable, gives high performance, is secure and available. Over the Internet, middleware can provide services that  - ensure a message cannot be read or removed, such as encryption  - make messages smaller and faster, such as compression and buffer optimization  - improve the speed connection, such as address caching and optimal address resolution  - increase availability, such as retry connect and automatic fault handling  - synchronize events over the network, such as distributed time services.

MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface.
Originally a means of connecting electronic instruments (synthesizers) and letting them communicate with one another. Computers then came into the MIDI landscape and were used to control the synthesizers. Windows 95 can play MIDI files.

MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension)
An extension that lets you transmit non-text data (like graphics, audio, video) via e-mail. An encoding system supported by many internet email packages to send binary files over the internet. Necessary since internet computers can only transfer text files.

Minesweeper
A game of chance and skill included with Windows 95. When playing Minesweeper, you are presented with a mine field, and your objective is to locate all the mines as quickly as possible. minimize button The button in the upper right corner of the window that has an line in it. When clicked, it reduces the window to display the task bar only.

MIPS
Millions of instructions per second- a unit of speed measure for CPU design

mission-critical application
An application program considered indispensable to the operation of a business, government, or other operation. Often, these applications are transaction-based, such as for point-of-sale, reservations, or real-time stock, security, or money trading.

MMX
Multimedia extension- a proprietary CPU design from Intel which incorporates instructions into the CPU for handling multimedia presentations, speeding up the process

modem (Modulator/Demodulator)
A device, usually attached to a computer through a serial port or present as an internal card. A modem makes it possible to use ordinary phone lines to transfer computer data. In addition to a modem, a communications program is required. "Modem" is short for modulator/demodulator the processes whereby a digital stream of data is converted to sound for transmission through a phone system originally designed only for sound (modulator) and the conversion of received sound signals back into digital data (demodulator). A device which uses telephone lines to convert digital data to analog frequencies and transmit them at high speeds. Usually measured in terms of baud, this device can modulate the digital data, transmit it over a phone line where a device on the receiving end will demodulate this data back into the digital form in which it was sent.

moire
On CRT's, the wavy pattern cause by interference. Results from the pixels produced by the video card not aligning precisely with the screen phosphors.

Monitor
A device, CRT or LCD, used to view the output of the computer. Needless to say, the computer is useless without one.

Motherboard
a printed circuit card upon which all of the components for the computer resides

Motion JPEG
Developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group, motion JPEG is a compression and decompression scheme (Codec) for video files. It is a variation on JPEG, this group's codec for compressing still pictures. It uses only intraframe lossy compression (see intraframe compression, lossy compression), but offers a tradeoff between compression ratio and quality.

mounting a compressed drive
When you are working with removable storage media--such a diskettes--that are compressed, you must mount the compressed drive if it wasn't present when the computer was started. Mounting a drive links a drive letter with a compressed volume file (CVF). This enables your computer to access the files on the compressed volume files. Mounting a compressed drive is done using DriveSpace.

mouse pointer
The symbol that displays where your next mouse click will occur. The mouse pointer symbol changes according to the context of the window or the dialog box in which it appears.

MPEG
Motion Pictures Expert Group - the industry professional standard for displaying motion video on a computer. This is only one standard generally used with PC's, Apple computers use a standard of their own called MOV. An algorithm for compressing audio and video; not to be confused with Motion-JPEG.

MPEG Layer 3
a compression technique that drastically reduces the file size in comparison with the standard compression commonly used today. You must have a special program or CODEC in order to view/hear files compressed with this method.

MS-DOS-based application
An application that normally runs on a DOS machine and doesn't require Windows 95. Many MS-DOS-based applications will run in Windows 95's DOS box, but some will not.

MUD (Multi-User Dungeon)
Role-playing games that were originally modeled on "Dungeons and Dragons" games, but are now used as conferencing tools and educational aids, and in other contexts.

multimedia
A combination of various types of media, including (but not necessarily limited to) sound, animation, and graphics. Due to the generally large size of "multimedia" files, a CD-ROM is usually necessary to store files. Of course, a sound card and speakers are also necessary.

Multitasking
An operating system performs multitasking when it runs more than one application simultaneously. See Preemtive Multitasking, Cooperative Multitasking, and Multithreading.

Multithreading
The method by which an operating system is able to run different parts of the same application simultaneously. A process allowing a multitasking operating system to, in essence, multitask subportions (threads) of an application smoothly. Applications must be written to take advantage of multithreading. Windows 95 supports multithreading. See Multitasking.

My Briefcase
An icon present on the Windows 95 desktop. My Briefcase is the way that portable computer users can take data with them as they travel. When they return to the office, Windows examines the files in My Briefcase and updates the contents of their desktop computer.

My Computer
An icon present on the Windows 95 desktop that enables you to view drives, folders, and files.

N

NetBIOS
An IBM protocol (and packet structure) that provides several networking functions. NetBIOS was developed by IBM and Sytek to supplement and work with BIOS in PC-DOS-based, peer-to-peer networks. NetBIOS protocol provides transport, session, and presentation layer function equivalent to layers 4,5, and 6 of the OSI model. The NetBIOS software that is used to implement this protocol is the NetBIOS interface.

Netiquette
Etiquette for the Internet.

Netware Core Protocol (NCP)
A NetWare protocol that provides transport, session, and presentation layer functions equivalent to layers 4,5, and 6 of the OSI model.

NetWare
A trademarked brand name for the networking operating systems and other networking products developed and sold by Novell.

Netwatcher
A tool included with the Windows 95. Net Watcher allows you to monitor and manage network connections, as well as create, add, and delete shared resources.

network
A group of computers connected by a communications link that enables any device to interact with any other on the network. The "network" is derived from the term "network architecture" to describe an entire system of hosts, workstations, terminals, and other devices.

Network Interface card (NIC)
Also called a network adapter, an NIC is an interface card placed in the bus of a computer (or other LAN device) to interface to a LAN. Each NIC represents a node, which is a source and destination for LAN frames, which in turn carry data between the NICs on the LAN.

Network Neighborhood
An icon which Windows 95 displays only if you are connected to a network and Windows has been installed for a network. Double-clicking the Network Neighborhood icon displays all the resources available on any network to which you are connected.

non-Windows program
A program not designed to be used specifically in Windows. Most non-Windows applications or programs are character-based in nature (for example, DOS programs).

Non-volatile RAM
RAM memory on a card that is not erased when power is cut off. Cards that don't use jumpers often store their resource requirements (IRQ, I/O Base address, I/O port, DMA channel, etc.) in non-volatile RAM. Non-volatile RAM is not normally used on a card that is compliant with Plug and Play, but was common on "legacy" (pre Plug and Play) cards.

NOS
Network operating system.

Notepad
A program that comes with Windows 95 and enables you to view and edit text files.

NT
software of Microsoft that is fully 32 bit in nature. Stands for New Technology

null modem cable
A serial cable link between computers. Standard modem software is often used to transmit information, but because there are no actual modems in the connection, very high transfer rates with good accuracy are possible. The cable must be different from a regular serial cable, however, because several of the wires in the cable must be cross connected to simulate the modem's role in acknowledging a transmission.

O

object linking and embedding
see OLE

Object
A general term used to describe almost everything on the screen. In a stricter sense, objects are used in an object-oriented design. Object-Oriented An overused term, originally used to describe an advanced method of computer programming. For example, the interface in Windows95 is considered to be sortof object-oriented, because files and most of the controls are treated as strict objects, each having its own property sheet.

OCR
Optical character recognition- software which can read scanned pages and turn the scan into editable text

ODBC
Open Database Connections- a method fo connecting client-servier databases

OEM Fonts
OEM fonts are provided to support older installed products. The term OEM refers to Original Equipment Manufacturers. This font family includes a character set designed to be compatible with older equipment and software applications

offline
A device that is not ready to accept input. For example, if your printer is off-line, it will not accept data from the computer, and attempting to print will generate an error.

OLE
Short for Object Linking and Embedding; a method by which applications can share information. Basically, it allows you to Cut something from one application and Paste it into another, and then edit the object in place. This second-rate technology (invented and pushed by Microsoft) has been known to cause Pentium-class systems to behave like 286's, is responsible for erratic drag-drop behavior, and is completely outclassed by competing technologies such as OpenDoc. See DDE and Marketing. A data sharing scheme that allows dissimilar applications to create single, complex documents by cooperating in the creation of the document. The documents consists of material that a single application couldn't have created on its own. In OLE, version 1, double-clicking an embedded or linked object (see embedded object, and linked object) launches the application that created the object in a separate window. In OLE version 2, double-clicking an embedded or linked object makes the menus and tools of the creating application available in the middle of the parent document. The destination document (contains the linked or embedded object) must be created by an application which is an OLE client, and the linked or embedded object must be created in an application that is an OLE server.

OLE automation
Refers to the capability of a server application to make available (this is known as expose) its own objects for use in another application's macro language. online Indicates that a system is working and connected. For example, if your printer is online, it is ready to accept information to turn into a printed output.

Open Data Link Interface (ODI)
A Novell specification that separates the implementation of a protocol and the implementation of the NIC hardware driver. Novell's MLID specification enables NIC drivers to interface through Link Support Layer with IPX ODI and multiple ODI-onforming packet drivers.

Operating System
The software used to control a computer and run applciations. Windows95, DOS, and Unix are all examples of operating systems.

Operating System
The software used to control a computer and run applciations. Windows95, DOS, and Unix are all examples of operating systems.

option button
A dialog box item that enables you to choose only one of a group of choices. orientation For printer paper, indicates whether the document is to be printed normally (for example, in "portrait" mode) or sideways (in "landscape" mode).

OSI Model
Opens Systems Interconnect 7-layer Model is a model developed by International Standards Organization to establish a standardized set of protocols for interoperability between networked computer hosts. Each layer of the model consists of specifications and/or protocols that fulfill specific functions in a networking architecture. Novell's UNA was patterned against the OSI model. The OSI model consists of specific protocols that are nonproprietary and offered in the hope of unifying networking protocols used in competing vendor's systems.

P

packet
A limited-length unit of data formed by the network, transport, presentation, or application layer (layers 3-7 of the OSI Model) in a networked computer system. Data is transported over the network, and larger amounts of data are broken into shorter units and placed into packets. Higher-layer packets are encapsulated into lower-layer packets for encapsulation into LAN frames for delivery to the ultimate host destination.

Packet Writing
a new approach to writing information to a CDROM that lets the information be written in batches

Paint
A program that comes with Windows 95 that enables you to view and edit various formats of bit maps.

palette
A collection of tools. For example, in Paint, there is a color palette that displays the 48 colors available for use in creating a graphic.

pane
Some windows, such as the window for Explorer, show two or more distinct "areas" (Explorer's window shows two such areas). These areas are referred to as "panes".

Panose
Panose refers to a Windows internal description that represents a font by assigning each font a PANOSE ID number. Windows uses several internal descriptions to categorize fonts. The PANOSE information registers a font class and determines similarity between fonts paragraph

parallel port
A port (usually used for printing) that transmits data 8 bits at a time. This parallel transmission of 8 bits at a time gives the port its name.

parity
An additional portion of data added to each byte of stored or transmitted data. Used to ensure that the data isn't lost or corrupted. In Hyperterminal, parity is used to ensure that the data is transmitted and received properly. Parity is also used in RAM chips to determine if RAM errors have occurred.

partial backup
See incremental backup

partition
A portion of a physical hard drive that behaves as a separate disk (logical drive), even though it isn't.

path
The location of a file in the directory tree.

PC Cards
Formerly called PCMCIA cards, these are small (usually only slightly larger than a credit card) cards that plug into special slots provided in notebook computers. PC Cards can provide functionality for additional memory, modems, sound, networking, hard drives, and so on. PC Cards normally identify themselves to the computer, making configuring them quite simple.

PCI (Peripheral Control Interface)
A data bus capable of tranferring information much faster than the older ISA and EISA busses. ISA (8.33 MHz, two clock cycles), EISA (8.33 MHz, one clock cycle), PCI transfers data at the rate of 132 Mbytes per second. These faster rates equate to more enjoyable games and video capture.

PCL
Printer Control Language- generally associated with Hewlett Packard as a standard set of instructions to the printer for printing documents from application software.

PCMCIA
The old name for PC Cards (see PC Cards).

peer-to-peer
A type of networking in which no workstation has more control over the network than any other. Each station may share its resources, but no station is the sole resource sharer or file server. Typically less expensive than client/server networks, peer-to-peer networks are also more difficult to administer and less secure because there is no central repository of data.

Pentium Processor
A CPU chip designed/manufactured by Intel Corporation which was preceded by the 486 CPU. Originally named to thwart competition which had been adopting their chip numbers, it is generally referred to as a 586 chip in the x86 family of processors.

Personal Information Store
The Personal Information Store is Exchange's term for the file that contains the structure of folders that make up your In box, Out box, sent files, deleted files, and any other personal folders you may choose to create.

Phone Dialer
Phone Dialer is a program that is included with Windows 95 that enables you to place telephone calls from your computer by using a modem or another Windows telephony device. You can store a list of phone numbers you use frequently, and dial the number quickly from your computer.

picon
Picons are small bitmapped images of the first frame of your video clip. They can be used to represent the in and out source of your video segments.

PIF
A file that provides Windows 95 with the information it needs to know in order to run a non-Windows program. Unlike earlier versions of Windows, there is no PIF editor in Windows 95. Instead, you set up a PIF file from the properties for the file. Access the file properties by right-clicking the file from My Computer.

Ping
A network utility that determines if TCP/IP is working properly. Simply executing the Ping command (from a DOS prompt) and specifying the IP address should produce a response (the response will depend on how the remote machine has been programmed to respond to a Ping), but virtually any response that references the remote machine's identity indicates that the Ping was successful and TCP/IP is working correctly.

pixel
a pixel is the area which is targeted in a monitor by an electron gun for display. Pixels are illuminated by one or a mixture of the green, blue or red electron guns. Illuminating all three will produce the color white.

Play List
In CD Player, a list of tracks from an audio CD that you want to play.

Plug and Play (referred to sarcastically as Plug N Pray)
An industry-wide specification supported by Windows 95 that makes it easy to install new hardware. Plug and Play enables the computer to correctly identify hardware components (including plug-in cards) and ensures that different cards don't conflict in their requirements for IRQs, I/O addresses, DMA channels, and memory addresses. In order to fully implement Plug and Play, you need an operating system that supports it (as stated, Windows 95 does), a BIOS that supports it (most computers manufactured since early 1995 do) and cards that identify themselves to the system (information from these cards stored in the Windows Registry). If you have hardware, such as modems that aren't Plug and Play ( so called "legacy hardware"), then Windows 95 will prompt you for the information necessary for setup, and store such information in the Registry.

pointer
The on-screen symbol controlled by the mouse. As you move the mouse on the desk, the pointer moves on-screen. The pointer changes shape to indicate the current status and the type of functions and selections available.

polygon
A multisided shape, in which each side is a straight line.

port
A connection or socket for connecting devices to a computer (see I/O address).

port replicator
On portable computers, a bus connection that makes all bus lines available externally. The port replicator can be used to plug in devices which, in a desktop computer, would be handled as cards. Port replicators are also the connection used to connect a portable computer to its docking station.

Postoffice
This machine will be the place in which all mail messages are stored for the workgroup.

Postscript
A special description language, invented by Adobe. This language is used to accurately describe fonts and graphics. Printers which can directly read this language and print the results are termed "postscript printers".

PPTP
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol - technology that promises to permit secure access to private networks

pre-emptive processing
In a multitasking operating system, multiple tasks (threads) are generally controlled by a scheduler that preempts or interrupts each process, granting processor time in the form of a time slice. This enables multiple tasks to apparently run at the same time. However, each task runs for a time slice and is then preempted by the next process, which in turn is preempted--rotating processor time among active threads. In preemptive multitasking, the operating system is empowered to override (or pre-empt) an application that is using too much CPU time, as opposed to cooperative multitasking, where the application is responsible for relinquishing the CPU on a regular basis.

Preemtive
A type of multitasking where the operating system Multitasking assigns processor cycles to applications depending on how much power they need. Preemtive multitasking is used in Windows95, and is better than the less efficient cooperative multitasking found in Windows 3.1. However, only 32-bit applications can take advantage of this feature.

primary partition
A portion of the hard disk that can be used by the operating system and that can't be subpartitioned like an extended partition can. Only primary partitions are bootable.

printer driver
A Windows 95 program that tells programs how to format data for a particular type of printer.

printer settings
A window that displays all the printers for which there are drivers present. You can select the default printer from the installed printers, as well as configure each printer using the shortcut menu and the options dialog box.

printer window
For each installed printer, you can view the printer window. The printer window displays the status of each print job in the queue, and enables you to pause, restart, and delete the print job.

Processor
This is the chip in your computer that does all the calculations - for Windows95 users, it's based upon Intel's x86 architecture, which includes the 386, 486, and Pentium series. This is also referred to as the CPU.

program file
A program that runs an application directly (not via an association) when you click it.

program window
A window that contains a program and its documents.

property sheet
A dialog box that displays (and sometimes enables you to change) the properties of an object in Windows 95. To access a property sheet, right click the object to view the shortcut menu, and select Properties from the shortcut menu. Property sheets vary considerably between different objects.

proportional-spaced fonts
Proportional-spaced fonts adjust the inter-character space based on the shape of the individual characters. An example of a proportional-spaced font is Arial. The width of a character is varied based on its shape. Adjusting inter-character spacing is really a function of kerning, which is a similar but not exactly the same. For instance, the letter 'A' and the letter 'V' are typically stored in each font as a kerning pair where they will be spaced differently when appearing next to each other. Where in a mono-space font vs. a proportional-font you will see a difference in the width of the letter 'i'.

protected mode
A memory addressing mode of Intel processors that allows direct "flat memory" addressing (linear addressing) rather than using the awkward "segmented" scheme required by real mode, which was pioneered on the Intel 8088 and 8086 processors. Protected mode derives its name from the fact that sections of memory owned by a particular process can be protected from rogue programs trying to access those addresses.

protocol
Rules of communication. In networks, several layers of protocols exist. Each layer of protocol only needs to physically hand-off or receive data from the immediate layer above and beneath it, whereas virtual communications occur with the corresponding layer on another host computer.

Q

QIC
A formatting standard for tapes used by various tape backup devices. The amount of information that can be stored on a tape varies by the QIC number. Windows 95's Backup program supports QIC 40, 80, 3010, and 3020 formats. It also supports QIC 113 compression format.

queue
Documents lined up and waiting to be printed, or commands lined up and waiting to be serviced. Use the Printer window to view the print queue for a printer.

quick format
A quick way to format a floppy disk, quick format doesn't actually wipe the whole disk, nor does it test the media for bad sectors. It just erases the FAT.

Quick View
A program included with Windows 95 that enables you to view files stored in 30 different file formats without needing to open the application that created the file. Quick View is available from the File menu of Explorer if a viewer is available for the selected file type.

QuickTime
Developed by Apple, QuickTime is a compression and decompression (codec) scheme for animation files. It is unique in that versions are available for both Windows and Macintosh, enabling software designers to provide their data in a format compatible for both platforms.