Jargon dictionary

To get more information about a word or term, simply find it in the table below, or click one of the letters to jump to the relevant section.

# A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U V W X

403 Forbidden	An error message indicating that the HTTP server is not permitted to read a file.
404 Not Found	Error message indicating that a web address is invalid.
AGP	Accelerated Graphics Port - An interface developed by Intel in 1997 which allows a graphics card to access RAM and the processor directly, rather than using the PCI bus.
Backup	Extra copies of data in case the original is lost or damaged.
BIOS	Basic Input-Output System - A collection of commands stored in a ROM chip on the motherboard that allows the processor to communicate with the PC's connected devices.
Booting or bootstrapping	The process of starting a computer and putting it into a state of readiness for operation.
Browser	A program with a graphical user interface for displaying HTML files, used to navigate the World Wide Web. e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox
Byte	Bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes are all units of measurement for data. 1 kilobyte (kB) = 1024 bytes 1 megabyte (MB) = 1024 kB 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1024MB 1 terabyte = 1024 GB
Cache	An amount of disk space reserved for temporarily storing information for quicker access later.
CMOS	Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semicoductor - A chip that stores basic information required by the BIOS, such as time and date, and configuration options.
Cookie	Small text files that are placed on your computer by websites for various different reasons. For example, some websites use cookies to "remember" some of your information for when you next visit their site.
CPU	The Central Processing Unit or processor can be likened to the brain of the system. It executes commands and controls all the functions of the computer itself.
CSS	Cascading Style Sheets. A series of instructions that tell a browser how to display HTML information.
Defragmentation	As you use your computer, files become broken up into smaller pieces and stored in different locations on the physical hard disk. Defragging assembles all these parts together again, and generally speeds up performance.
Driver	A program that controls the operation of a device such as a printer or scanner.
Encryption	Information that is converted into a code so that people are unable to read it.
Ethernet	A standard of a LAN network. It's the most common form of wired network available.
Firewall	A program designed to block unauthorised connections across a network. A firewall is an essential part of a secure network.
Firewire	A fast digital link for transferring audio and video data between two devices. Firewire ports are found on most modern PCs, and many high-end digital video cameras.
Freeware	Computer software that is free to use and distribute. Such programs are generally supported by advertising on the publisher's website, or will occasionally ask you to install a toolbar into your web browser during the setup process.
FTP client	program that's used to send or retrieve files from an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server.
Graphics card	A Graphics Processing Unit, more commonly referred to as a graphics card, is a piece of hardware that helps your computer to produce 3D shapes for games, editing software and etc. Most graphics cards come with HDMI ports to connect your computer to a High Definition television.
GUI	Sometimes pronounced "gooey", the Graphical User Interface is the way a program displays itself on the screen in a friendly way such as with icons and other images. Roughly 20 years ago, a lot of programs relied solely on text based inputs.
Hardware	Any physical component that goes inside your computer that performs tasks. e.g. A processor, DVD writer.
HDD	The Hard Disk Drive is your computer's main storage device where you'd keep your operating system, programs, pictures, etc.
HTML	HyperText Markup Language is the coding langage for web pages.
Hyper-threading	An Intel technology that allows the processor to process two commands, threads, at once.
Internet Explorer	A popular browser to view web pages which is included in Microsoft Windows®.
IP address	A unique number separated into 4 parts that is assigned to a device when it's connected to the Internet.
ISP	Your Internet Service Provider is a company that provides you with Internet access. e.g. AOL, Orange, Sky
Java	A programming language created by Sun Microsystems that allows for programs to be developed for multiple operating systems.
Javascript	A scripting language for web pages that allows for dynamic content that can't be generated by HTML.
Kernel	The part of an operating system that controls memory and disk management as well as other tasks including process and task management.
Malware	Software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems.
Motherboard	The motherboard or mainboard is where most of your PCs components connect and allows for them to communicate with eachother.
Mozilla Firefox	A popular web browser to view web pages.
Network	A system to allow two or more computers to interface with eachother.
Network switch	A piece of harware which is used to interconnect computers and/or devices on a network.
Operating system	The software that supports a computer's basic functions, such as scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals. e.g. Windows 7, Mac OS X
Parallel port	An interface for older devices. Typically scanners and printers.
PCI	Peripheral Component Interconnect ports are extension sockets on a motherboard that allow for additional devices such as network cards and USB ports to be connected to a computer.
PCMCIA	PCMCIA cards are much like PCI cards, except they're more commonly found on laptops and other portable devices due to their reduced size.
PHP	PHP Hypertext Preprocessor. A scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages.
Plug and play	Devices that are designed to simply plug into your computer and work with little to no setup or configuration.
Processor	See CPU
Product key	Also known as a CD key. A specific software-based key for a certain program or a computer game. It is used to identify that the copy of the program/game is original.
PSU	The Power Supply Unit is what regulates and distributes the 240V electrical current.
RAM	Random Access Memory is where your operating system will temporarily store information while you are running programs. This type of memory is referred to as volatile, which means it's erased every time the computer loses power,
SATA	An interface for hard disks and optical devices such as DVD drives to connect with the motherboard.
Skype	A software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet.
Spyware	Software that enables a user to obtain covert information about another's computer activities by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive.
Thumbnail	A small image of graphics file displayed in order to help you identify it.
Upload	To transmit a file to a central computer from a small computer or a computer at a remote location.
URL	Uniform Resource Locator - The full unique web address, ie http://www.higssolutions.com/jargon.php
User-friendly	Easy for people to use.
Virus	A piece of code that is capable of copying itself and typically has a detrimental effect, such as corrupting the system or destroying data.
Web server	A computer that is permanently connected to the internet, allowing other computers to access information stored within it's hard drive.
WebDAV client	A program that allows computer users to edit and manage files collaboratively on remote World Wide Web servers.
WYSIWYG	An acronym for 'what you see is what you get'. With a word processing program, this means that the appearance of the screen is an exact picture of how the document or text will look when printed.
XHTML	A formulation of HTML as an extension of XML.
XML	XML (Extensible Mark-up Language) a language similar to HTML but designed for transmitting complex data structures of any type, not just web pages.

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