Descriptionary

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.

OLEDs organic light emitting diodes; natural car­bon-based molecules or synthetic polymers used in lay­ers between electrodes to create an illuminated, super- thin screen used in cell phones, computers, and TVs.

organizer see pda.

PASCAL a popular, general-purpose programming language for use with microcomputers.

password a secret word that must be logged in to the computer in order to authorize use.

patch a small correction or modification loaded onto a defective program or software.