| Address |
An address in memory is a location to
which an application or a piece of hardware
refers. For example, a word processor will store your document in a particular
memory address while you have it open. Problems occur when two things
(hardware or software) try to use the same address. |
| Anonymous FTP |
This is a method of using FTP without a password.
Anyone who wishes to make files publicly available can allow users to use
FTP by specifying anonymous for the user name, and their email address
for the password. (more
information) |
| Applet |
Quite simply, a small application. For example,
each of the windows that appear when you double-click
on an icon in Control Panel are considered Applets,
because while they are small applications by themselves, they require a
larger application (Control Panel) to operate them. |
| Application |
Any program on your hard disk - an application
usually has its own Directory and can be started
by clicking on its icon in the Start
Menu. Most applications have their own Window. |
| BIOS |
Short for Basic Input-Output System; this is a chip (or set
of chips) in your computer that controls how your computer communicates
with some of the basic hardware componentes in
your system, such as the keyboard, floppy drive,
and hard disk. In newer computers, the BIOS
is also what supports Plug-&-Play. A buggy
or incompatible BIOS is a common cause of problems in Windows 98. |
| Boot |
The process of starting up a computer. See Reboot. |
| Browser |
A winsock client (software)
used to navigate the World Wide Web. Netscape,
Mosaic, and Internet Explorer are examples of browsers. |
| Buffer |
The use of part of your computer's memory to
relieve the burden on a specific component, such as your keyboard or printer.
For example, if you press all of the keys on your keyboard at once (on
a slow computer), the letters would appear on the screen slower than you've
typed them. Since the computer isn't able to process keys that quickly,
they keys you've pressed are stored in a buffer and fed to the computer
at a slower rate it can handle - this way, your keystrokes aren't lost.
Note that your computer will beep if the buffer is full, telling you keys
pressed thereafter will be forgotten. Similar to Cache. |
| Bug |
An error in software that causes it to work
improperly or not at all. This term comes from an occurance when an actual
bug made a nest in an early hard-wired (without software) computer, causing
it to malfunction. |
| Button |
A 3-D control on the screen that looks like
it's pushed in when you click on it. This is different from an icon,
although buttons can contain icons. Buttons usually get a
single left-click, while icons get a double-click. |
| Byte |
The smallest unit of storage, either on a disk
or in memory. For example, in a document
created by a word processor, each character takes
up at least one byte. See megabyte, kilobyte,
and gigabyte. |
| Cache |
The use of part of your computer's memory to
improve the performance of a specific component, such as your hard
disk, CD-ROM drive, or even your processor.
By storing recently acessed information in a disk cache, for example,
your computer can respond faster because it is accessing memory, instead
of the slower hard disk. (pronounced "cash") Similar to Buffer. |
| Character |
A letter, number, or symbol - anything that can be typed from the keyboard. |
| Client |
1.) An appliction used over a Winsock
connection, such as an email program or a World
Wide Web Browser. 2.) A computer (hardware)
on a network that isn't a server. |
| Cluster Size |
This is the smallest amount of hard disk space
a file can occupy. Floppies have a cluster size
of 512 bytes and hard disks can have a cluster size
ranging from 1 kilobyte to 16 kilobytes (sometimes
even more). The larger the partition, the larger
the cluster size. See Slack Space. |
| CMOS |
A small bit of memory used by your computer used
to store certain settings while it's turned off, such as the type of hard
disk installed. You can typically change the CMOS settings by
pressing a certain keystroke (such as Del or ESC) during
the system boot. |
| Command Prompt |
One of the simplest ways to control a computer. The user runs applications
and performs other activities by typing commands at a prompt. Unix
and DOS are examples of command prompts. |
| Context Menu |
The menu that appears when you right-click on an
object,
such as a folder or a file. It's
called a context menu because the items in the menu depend on what's
being clicked - the menu is appropriate to the context. |
| Control |
An element of the user interface, such
as an icon, a button, or a window. |
| Cooperative
Multitasking |
A type of multitasking where the operating
system assigns an equal amount of processor
cycles to each application, regardless of how
much power it actually needs. Preemtive
multitasking (used in Windows 98) is more efficient than the cooperative
multitasking found in Windows 3.1. |
| CPU |
Central Processing Unit - this is another name for the processor. |
| database |
A collection of information stored in an organized fashion, suitable
for updating and viewing the information contained within frequently and
easily. A database application is required
to access the information in a database. |
| DDE |
Short for Dynamic Data Exchange; the method by which different
applications
can communicate with eachother. For example, installation programs use
DDE
to communicate with your
Start Menu (or the Program
Manager in Windows 3.x) to add new program icons.
See OLE. |
| Default |
An original, factory setting. For example, the taskbar
in Windows 98 is located at the bottom of the screen by default,
but you can move it to any side of the screen by dragging it with the mouse. |
| Defragment |
Using the Disk Defragmenter application,
you can fix all the files on your hard
disk that have become fragmented . When many
files become fragmented, your hard disk performance is slower, and the
danger of file corruption is greater, so it is a good idea to defragment
often. This is also known as Optimizing your hard
disk. |
| Desktop |
The blank area on your screen behind all the windows. The dekstop
in Windows 98 can hold icons, because it is really
a directory on the hard disk. Right-click on the
desktop
to change its many properties. |
| Directory |
A container for files - it can have any name, but
always has a yellow folder for its icon. Also called
Folder.
Every directory has its own icon, into which
other icons can be dropped. |
| Disk |
A storage device used to hold files and directories.
There are hard disks and floppy
disks. |
| Diskette |
Another name for floppy disk. |
| Document |
This is the file you create in an application
- an example is a letter that you've written in a Word Processor. Every
document
has its own icon. |
| DOS |
Disk Operating System - the first Operating
System available for the PC platform. See Command
Prompt. Easily recognized by the C:\> prompt. |
| Driver |
A piece of software that assists your computer
in using a specific device, such as a printer or scanner. Buggy
drivers cause the majority of problems with a computer. (more
information) |
| Email |
A method of sending and receiving personal messages over a networks,
such as the Internet. Windows 98 comes with Exchange,
a poorly regarded example of Internet email client
software. |
| Explorer |
The interface for Windows 98 - this includes the folders in My
Computer and the items in the Task Bar, as well
as the window with the tree view. |
| Extension |
The part of a filename that follows the period
"." - this allows Windows 98 to determine what type a file is. For example,
a file with the .TXT extension tells Windows 98 that it is a text
file. Extensions are hidden by default; here's
how to display
them. |
| FAQ |
Short for Frequently Asked Questions, a collection of questions
and answers commonly used in World Wide Web sites, newsgroups, and other
discussion forums. Windows 98 Annoyances has a Frequently
Asked Questions section, as well. |
| File |
Files contain data, whether it's a document
you've written, or an application used to create
the document. Every file has its own icon. Files
are stored in folders. |
| Finger |
Finger is a very old way of looking up someone's email address
on the Internet. Assuming a user's ISP
supports it, fingering a user on the internet displays the last
time the person logged in, and whether or not he or she has any mail to
be read. There also may be special information displayed if the user has
set up a Plan file. You need a Finger client
(software) to use this feature of the Internet. |
| Floppy Disk |
This is an inexpensive, removable disk that has
a much lower capacity and speed than a hard disk. Its
capacity can be measured in kilobytes or megabytes. |
| Folder |
Interchangable with Directory, although folder
is a newer term. |
| Fragmented |
When a file has become fragmented, it means
that it is broken up into pieces on your hard disk.
Imagine if you saved a file to your hard disk, and then saved another right
after it. When you go to add more to the first file and then save it again,
it no longer can fit in the space allotted, and must be split apart. When
many files become fragmented, your hard disk performance is slower, and
the danger of file corruption is greater. To fix fragmented files, you
must defragment your hard disk. |
| FTP |
File Transfer Protocol - a method of transferring files from one computer
to another across the Internet. You need FTPclient
software to use FTP. Windows 98 comes with a simple DOS-based FTP
client, FTP.EXE. Anonymous FTP is the most
common use of FTP. |
| GB |
An abbreviation for Gigabyte. |
| Gigabyte |
One billion bytes, or more precisely, 1,024 megabytes
(totalling 1,073,741,824 bytes). Different definitions of this term cause
distrepencies between different manufacturers and applications. |
| Gopher |
Gopher (from the phrase "go for") can be considered an older
version of the World Wide Web, but it's structure
is a more rigid menu system, and doesn't have any graphics. If you'd like
to play with Gopher, try a Veronica
Search. |
| GUI |
Short for Graphical User Interface; a type of user
interface that uses graphics (such as icons and
windows)
to control the computer. Windows 98 uses a GUI. |
| Hard Disk |
This is a disk that is permanently connected to
your computer, and has a much higher capacity and speed than a floppy
disk. Its capacity is measured in megabytes,
and can be divided into several partitions. |
| Hardware |
A general term used to describe the equipment that makes up and is
connected to your computer. To the beginner, software
is what ever you see on the screen, and hardware is everything you
can touch. |
| Icon |
The little pictures that you see on the screen, usually representing
folders
and files - icons can be dragged onto other
icons,
onto applications, and into folders.
Icons
usually get a double-click, while buttons get a single
left-click. |
| Interface |
The method by which you control anything. The screen is the interface
to your computer, just as a dashboard is the interface to your car,
just as a doorknob is the interface to a door. See User
Interface. |
| Internet |
An term used incorrectly to describe the World
Wide Web - the Internet is a WAN, and a superset
of the World Wide Web. Originally connecting a few universities and the
United States government, it was designed to provide a network that could
withstand a war, because of its decentralized structure. See email,
telnet,
and ftp. |
| Interrupt |
A method by which a piece of hardware communicates
with the processor. It's called interrupt,
because the device (such as a sound card) interrupts the computer
to carry out a function (such as playing a sound). See IRQ.
(more information) |
| IRQ |
Short for Interrupt Request Line; A number used to describe
an interrupt. An IRQ can be any number
from 0 to 15, inclusive. IRQ problems occur because
two pieces of hardware try to use the same IRQ.
(more information) |
| ISP |
Short for Internet Service Provider; these are the folks who
bill you for access to the Internet. If you have
free Internet access through a university, then the university is your
ISP. Tip: look for an ISP that doesn't charge by the hour! |
| KB |
An abbreviation for Kilobyte. |
| Kilobyte |
One thousand bytes, or more precisely, 1,024 bytes. |
| LAN |
Local Area Network - a network with all its
computers close together (geographically). |
| Lost Chains |
Pieces of files that are no longer being used,
but are still taking up disk space. Use Scandisk (see
Prevent
File Corruption Problems for more info) to clean up your lost chains
and delete them. If you convert them to files, they will have the CHK extension
- these files will be useless to you unless you know how to retreive your
data from them. |
| Marketing |
The only way a company with a customer satisfaction rating as low as
Microsoft's could be so successful. |
| MB |
An abbreviation for Megabyte. |
| Megabyte |
One million bytes, or more precisely, 1,024 kilobytes
(totalling 1,048,576 bytes). |
| Memory |
Also known as RAM, this is what allows your applications
to run. The more memory you have, the more windows
you can have open, and the more applications you can run simultaneously.
Memory,
while not the same as disk space, is also measured
in bytes, kilobytes, and megabytes. |
| Menu |
A list of things that an application does.
In Windows 98, nearly every application has a menu along the top of its
window,
usually containing the items File, Edit, View, and Help - when clicked,
additional subordinate menu items are displayed. |
| MRU |
This isn't as much of an actual term, as it is a frequently-seen acronym
in the Registry.
It stands for Most Recently Used, and is generally used in conjunction
with lists of stuff you've recently typed in. For example, there's an MRU
list for the things you've most recently typed into the Start Menu's Run
command. |
| Multitasking |
An operating system performs multitasking
when it runs more than one application simultaneously.
See Preemtive Multitasking, Cooperative
Multitasking, and Multithreading. |
| Multithreading |
The method by which an operating system
is able to run different parts of the same application
simultaneously. See Multitasking. |
| Network |
A network is what you get when you connect two or more computers together
- the Internet is a type of network. The terms
LAN
and WAN describe the geographic scope of the network. |
| Object |
A general term used to describe almost everything on the screen. In
a stricter sense, objects are used in an object-oriented
design. |
| Object-Oriented |
An overused term, originally used to describe an advanced method of
computer programming. For example, the interface
in Windows 98 is considered to be sortof object-oriented, because files
and most of the controls are treated as strict objects,
each having its own property sheet. |
| OLE |
Short for Object Linking and Embedding; a method by which applications
can share information. Basically, it allows you to Cut something
from one application and Paste it into another, and then edit the
object in place. This second-rate technology (invented and pushed by Microsoft)
has been known to cause Pentium-class systems to behave like 286's, and
is responsible for much of the unecessary complexity found in Windows 98
and Windows Applications. See DDE and Marketing. |
| Operating System |
The software used to control a computer and
run applciations. Windows 98, DOS,
and Unix are all examples of operating systems. |
| Partition |
A division of a hard disk. For example, a 500
megabyte
hard disk can be divided into two 250-megabyte partitions. Smaller partitions
can be used to further organize files and reduce the
cluster
size. |
| Ping |
From Navy terminology, ping is used to find out if a machine
on the Internet exists and is responding. To use
this feature, open a DOS window while you're connected,
and type FINGER WWW.CREATIVELEMENT.COM (or any other server). Ping
will send small pieces of information to the machine, and you know if the
server
is "up" if you get a response. |
| Preemtive
Multitasking |
A type of multitasking where the operating
system assigns processor cycles to applications
depending on how much power they need. Preemtive multitasking is
used in Windows 98, and is better than the less efficient cooperative
multitasking found in Windows 3.1. However, only 32-bit
applications can take advantage of this feature. |
| Processor |
This is the chip in your computer that does all the calculations -
for Windows 98 users, it's based upon Intel's x86 architecture, which includes
the 386, 486, and Pentium series. This is also referred to as the CPU. |
| RAM |
Short for Random Access Memory - this is the main type of memory
in your computer. See ROM. |
| Reboot |
The process of re-starting your computer. If you turn it off and then
on again, or use the reset button on the front of your computer, it's called
a cold boot. If you hold Ctrl and Alt while pressing
Del,
it's called a warm-boot. See Boot. |
| Registry |
A complicated database of settings for use
in Windows 98. You can edit these settings with the Registry Editor, REGEDIT.EXE.
The registry is stored in two files in your
Windows 98 directory, USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT. |
| ROM |
Short for Read-Only Memory - this is a type of storage or memory
that can only be read, not written to. A CD-ROM is an example of
a ROM storage. See RAM. |
| Root Directory |
The top-level directory in the tree.
For drive C:, the root directory is signified by a single back-slash:
C:\. |
| Server |
A computer on a network that handles a specific
function for the rest of the network. For example, a print server
can allow all the computers on a LAN use a printer.
A World Wide Web server contains pages
(like what you're viewing) that are sent to other computers on the Internet
for viewing. |
| Shortcut |
A small file that allows you to put an icon
for an application in a directory
other than the one containing the application. You can also make shortcuts
to folders and files. Useful places for shortcuts
are the desktop and the Start
Menu. You can tell a shortcut from other icons by the little
curved arrow in the lower-left corner. For those users familiar with Unix,
this is similar to a symbolic link. |
| SIMM |
Short for Single Inline Memory Module; a SIMM is a small
circuit board that holds memory chips. Rather than installing individual
chips to increase your system's memory, you install SIMMs, which
are much easier to install and remove. Nearly all newer computers (those
capable of running Windows 98) use SIMMs. |
| 16-Bit |
In reference to Windows applications, a
method by which an application uses your computer's memory
and communicates with other applications. 16-bit (sometimes called Legacy)
applications lack several features found in their 32-bit
counterparts. |
| Slack Space |
The amount of disk space that is wasted by having
a large cluster size. For example, if a 300-byte
file is stored on a disk with a cluster size of 1,024 bytes, there will
be 724 bytes of slack space that can't be used for any other files.
You can see how much space is allocated to a file by typing "DIR /v" at
the command prompt. |
| Software |
A general term used to describe the programs that can be used on a
computer, such as applications, drivers,
and operating systems. To the beginner,
software
is what ever you see on the screen, and hardware
is everything you can touch. |
| Start Menu |
The menu that appears when you click the button labelled Start
at the bottom of your screen, on the Taskbar. |
| Swap File |
A file on your hard disk
called WIN386.SWP that Windows 98 uses to store information when you run
out of memory. Since a hard disk is slower than memory,
a system without a lot of RAM will run out of memory
sooner, requiring heavier use of the swap file, thereby resulting
in slower performance. Note that if you've upgraded from Windows 3.x, the
old filename for the swap file (386SPART.PAR) is preserved. |
| Task |
Any program that is currently running on your computer. You can switch
between tasks with the Taskbar or by pressing
Alt-Tab
on the keyboard. |
| Taskbar |
The bar along the bottom of your screen, containing the Start
Menu and a button for each running Task. |
| Telnet |
A method of connecting to other computers on the Internet.
You need a Telnet client (software),
and an appropriate account to use Telnet. Windows 98 comes with a simple
telnet client, TELNET.EXE. |
| 32-Bit |
In reference to Windows applications, a
method by which an application uses your computer's memory
and communicates with other applications. 32-bit applications typically
embody several features not found in their 16-bit
counterparts, such as long filenames, preemtive
multitasking, and multithreading. |
| Titlebar |
The stripe across the top of a window containing
the title of the application in the window.
You can move a window by dragging its titlebar. |
| Tray |
The small indented area on your Taskbar that
holds the clock by default. |
| Tree |
A graphical diagram used to display the hierarchal structure of the
directories
on a disk. The Windows 98 Explorer
allows the disk to be viewed in this fashion. |
| Unix |
The primary operating system used on
the Internet. It is the networking counterpart
to DOS, as it also is based upon a command
prompt. |
| User Interface |
The Interface to your computer - a combination
of controls used to perform any operation. See graphical
user interface and command prompt. |
| WAN |
Wide Area Network - a network with all its computers
geographically far apart - the Internet is the
ultimate WAN. |
| Window |
A rectangular box containing an application,
a part of an application, a message, or a folder.
This concept is the basis for the user interface
in Windows 98. |
| Winsock |
Short for Windows Sockets - this is the language your computer
speaks when it's connected to the Internet. Dial-Up
Networking is the winsock support built into Windows 98. Once
you've connected Windows 98 to the internet, you can use winsockclients
(software). |
| Winsock Client |
See Client (software). |
| Workgroup |
A type of LAN. The computers that make up a workgroup
tend to share the responsibilities equally, as opposed to a client
/ server relationship. |
| World Wide Web |
The portion of the Internet you used to access
this page. WWW for short, it is a subset of the Internet. Netscape,
Mosaic, and Internet Explorer are examples of browsers
used to navigate the World Wide Web. |
