Descriptionary

PC short for personal computer, a computer designed for a single user, as opposed to a mainframe computer.

PDA personal digital assistant; a handheld, battery- powered computer. Also known as an organizer.

peripheral any device that connects to a computer, such as a terminal, a disk drive, or a printer.

photoshopped named after the Adobe Photoshop program, referring to the touching up of photographs through digital alteration.

plotter a computer-controlled device that draws pictures on paper.

plug-in any software designed to boost the perfor­mance of an application.

port any connection through which information enters or leaves a computer.

program instructions to a computer.

programmer one who writes instructions for a computer.

PROLOG a programming language used for writ­ing logic programs.

PROM short for programmable read-only memory; computer memory that cannot be erased or repro- grammed.

protocol a set of rules for data transfer between computers.

RAM short for random-access memory, a comput­er's main memory store, from which all information can be located roughly within the same amount of time.

reboot to restart a computer.

reverse engineering an engineering process of deci­phering how something works by taking it apart. It is sometimes used to figure out alternative ways to perform certain tasks in order to sidestep established patents.

rip to digitize CDs to MP3 format.

robust of hardware or software, holding up well when another component or application fails.

ROM short for read-only memory, a chip contain­ing manufacturer-installed information that cannot be erased or changed.

scanner a computer device that reads printed or handwritten pages.

screen saver a self-activating program that auto­matically displays a wide variety of moving imagery on a monitor that has been left idle for a set amount of time; the program prevents a static image from being permanently "burned in" to the screen.

scrolling the downward and/or upward movement of text on a computer screen.

semiconductor a material, such as silicon, that is both a poor conductor and a poor insulator. Semicon­ductor devices include diodes, transistors, and chips.

silicon the nonmetallic, silica-based element used in the manufacture of semiconductors.

Silicon Valley the area outside San Francisco where a large number of computer-related firms are located.

sim simulated; simulation.

simulation computer creation of a real-world envi­ronment or event, widely used in games, television reenactments, motion pictures, and in-flight training programs.

software the nonphysical components of a com­puter system, such as programming information.

speech synthesis a computer and program with the ability to read typed words and speak them aloud with a synthesized voice.

spike an abnormal surge of electricity, sometimes caused by a lightning strike, that can damage a com­puter.

spreadsheet a spreadsheet program, specifically any calculations based on rows and columns of numbers.

store to commit data to a computer's memory.

supercomputer a computer with more power or speed than a typical mainframe computer.

surge protector a device that protects a computer from a spike.

tape magnetic tape, similar to that used in a tape recorder, that can be used to store computer information.

tape drive a device that enables data on magnetic tape to be transmitted via signals to a computer.

telecommuting the process by which one may be employed at home and send one's work through a computer modem to a remote employer.

terminal collective term for the keyboard and CRT or TV screen portion of a computer.

timesharing a method of running multiple programs on a computer at the same time.

tractor feed on a printer, the moving, toothed gears that propel paper forward.

trap door a programming gap inserted intentionally as a means of bypassing security and gaining access to the program at a later date.

turtle in some computer graphics systems, an imagi­nary turtle that moves about the computer screen and draws patterns on command.

tutorial any file or menu that displays step-by-step instructions for various applications, for beginners.

unzip to decompress a file.

upload to transfer data from a small or remote computer to a large or central computer.

user-friendly easy to understand and use.

virtual reality realistic computer simulation of a world or environment, often featuring three-dimen­sional and audio effects.

voice recognition a process in which advanced computers can recognize human speech and type out words as the user speaks them into a microphone.

wallpaper slang for any long printout.