NFIB

Repeat That Word: Computer Terms You Should Know
04/ 15/ 2002

The High Tech Age has ushered in a whole new vocabulary. Less than a generation ago, the average person would have known a mouse only as a small furry animal and a monitor as someone who watched over study hall at school. In today's Workshop, Edith Helmich discusses some other technological terms to help you become more proficient in the computer world.

Although some of the jargon is used only by the inner-sanctum of computer technicians, many of the less commonly used terms are essential to understanding your computer. Whether you are discussing a computer problem, trying to figure out a new application or contemplating the purchase of a new computer, you should add the following words to your personal dictionary:

Bandwidth is the amount of information that can be transmitted by a computer in a given period of time. Bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second or bytes per second. The greater the bandwidth, the greater the amount of information that can be sent.

Bit is short for binary digit (language code that allows computers to communicate: 1 or 0, on or off).

Byte is the basic unit of storage on a computer. One byte holds approximately one letter, number or other character.

Bug is a company's unintentional programming error in a software program, resulting in undesired and unpredictable behavior.

Cyberspace, Internet, the Net and the World Wide Web all refer to the global system that links small networks of computers together to form the collection of computers, software and cables that allows any computer in the world to communicate with any other computer in the world. The terms are used interchangeably.

A crash occurs when the computer malfunctions, possibly deleting files.

Cursor is the movable icon (usually an arrow) on a computer screen that serves as a placeholder.

Hyperlink or link is an underlined word (often colored blue) or graphic image on a Web page or email that can connect your computer to another web page or website. The cursor is placed over the hyperlink and clicked to activate the connection.

ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are companies that provide access to the Internet for a monthly fee. ISPs provide a local phone number to call to connect to their computers that are connected to the Internet.

Modem is the internal or external mechanical device that enables your computer to communicate over wires, cables or other electronic connections with other computers.

Reboot means to restart your computer, either by pushing the power button off and then on, by choosing the option Restart from the Start menu or by hitting the keys Alt+Control+Delete.

Reload means to recopy a web page (or program) from the Internet.

Software refers to special purpose computer programs that can be installed on your computer with a compact disk or floppy disk. Software programs can usually be deleted from your computer without affecting other computer operations.

Trojan Horse refers to a program that appears to do something benign, useful or entertaining, but contains code that is destructive to the computer, i.e., a virus.

Virus refers to a downloaded program that runs on your computer without your permission, causing malfunction of files and possible irreversible damage to your computer's ability to retrieve or process information.

Getting familiar with the technical terms that are integral to using your computer is part of the learning process. The vocabulary is constantly updating, so be alert to new terms. Above all, don't be shy about asking for assistance. Many of the answers can be found in the "Help" program that came already loaded on your computer.

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