flash drive an electronic device that stores digital data.
flat screen an alternative to cathode ray tubes, any video display employing liquid crystals or electroluminescence, as in laptop and notebook computers. Also known as flat-panel display.
floppy disk a small disk of magnetic film used for storing computer data.
flowchart a chart composed of characters and words to help guide a user through an algorithm.
font a group of type characters in one style, such as boldface or italics.
FORTRAN Formula Translation, a programming language developed in the 1950s.
fuzzy logic a form of computer intelligence that recognizes partial truths and variabilities, as a human brain does.
GIGO acronym for garbage in, garbage out, referring to the fact that poor information fed into the computer always results in poor information coming out.
GPF general protection fault; a crash of a Windows program caused by one application attempting to use another application's memory.
Graffiti software that recognizes handwriting.
graphene an electrically conductive, one-atom-thick sheet of carbon, which is currently being developed to replace copper and silicon in a vast array of electronics applications.
grid computing a network of large computers pooled together to supply power and storage capability to smaller computers.
hacker originally a computer programming wizard, but now more often one who breaks through security systems and infiltrates other systems or networks with criminal or mischievous intent.
Hal Arthur C. Clarke's mad computer in the novel and movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
hang to crash so that the keyboard and mouse fail to respond to new inputs, requiring rebooting.
hard card a hard disk in the shape of a card.
hard copy a paper printout of computer data.
hard disk an information storage medium in the form of a built-in, nonremovable platter. Also known as a Winchester disk.
hardware the physical components of a computer system, such as the terminal, the monitor, and the integrated circuits, as distinguished from software.
hash useless information.
homeshoring in business, the growing practice of having contracted workers perform computer tasks at home on their home computers, saving on insurance and equipment costs.
host a master unit in a computer network.
icon a symbol or small graphic representation designating a specific function or file on a computer program, as a tiny typewriter representing a word processing program.
import to retrieve and display files or information from another application.
ink-jet printer a printer that forms type characters with dots of ink.
integrated circuit a conglomeration of tiny transistors and other components on a silicon wafer less than %-inch square. Also known as a chip.
intranet a company's in-house network of computers.
ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network, an all- digital telephone line that transmits digital data and voice without a modem.
IT information technology.
joystick a stick-like controller used with games, instead of a mouse.
K short for kilobyte, the equivalent of approximately 1,024 bytes. Each kilobyte memory unit is capable of storing 1,024 characters. Also KB.
kilobyte see k.
LAN local area network; a network confined to a single building, floor, or area.
laptop a portable, battery-operated computer that can be operated on one's lap while traveling.
laser printer a printer that uses a laser beam to produce characters and images that are transferred to paper electrostatically.
LCD liquid crystal display; a system of liquid crystal capsules that when electrified provide lighted displays for digital watches and some computer screens.
letter quality refers to the high-quality type print produced by some computer printers, as distinguished from poorer-quality dot matrix.
light pen an instrument used to manipulate or change pictures on a computer screen.
LISP list processing, a programming language characterized by its prolific use of lists and parentheses and used in handling complex data, such as that involved in artificial intelligence.
load to pass information on a disk to a computer.
Logo a simplified programming language used to familiarize children with computers.
log on to sign in with a computer and identify oneself as an authorized user.
mainframe computer a large computer that can be set up to serve as many as 500 users at one time.
MB megabyte, the equivalent of 1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes. As a unit of memory, it can store over 1 million characters.
memory where data is stored in a computer; the core.
memory chips add-on memory in the form of RAM chips.
menu a list of options appearing on screen in a program.
micro- a prefix standing for one-millionth, as in microsecond, which stands for one-millionth of a second.
microcomputer a small computer intended for one user at a time, as a home computer, and characterized by a central processing unit (CPU) composed of only one integrated circuit called a microprocessor.
microprocessor a computer central processing unit composed of only one chip or integrated circuit.
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface, used to transfer musical data between electronic instruments or between an electronic instrument and a computer.
minicomputer a computer that is smaller than a mainframe but larger than a microcomputer.
modem short for modulator-demodulator, a device that enables computers to communicate with other computers over telephone lines.
monitor the TV-like screen that shows the computer input and output.
Moore's law the observation held for many years that the power available in computers doubled every 18 months while their cost stayed the same.
morphing the transformation of images, such as that of a kitten turning into a pumpkin, by use of special effects software.
motherboard a computer's main circuit board.
mouse a small, external input device connected to a computer by a wire; moving and clicking a mouse moves the cursor on a computer screen, useful for selecting commands without having to type them in.
MS-DOS short for Microsoft disk operating system.
multitasking running more than one program in the same computer at the same time.
nano- a prefix for one-billionth, as in a nanosecond.
nanotechnology collective term for technological components on the scale of molecules, currently being developed for a wide range of applications, from medicine to computers.
network several computers linked together. nibble half of a byte.
number cruncher slang for any computer used largely for carrying out highly complex numerical calculations. Also, the programmer involved in this work.
offshoring in business, the practice of having computer work performed overseas, which saves money because of lower pay and benefits.