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Adventures in Personal Computing's Glossary of Computing Terms A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Adware: an unsolicited and unwelcome advertisement on your computer, usually as a banner or pop-up in the Internet browser and generally controlled by an application that has inserted itself on your hard disk drive. Benchmarking: the use of a utility or suite of tools to test the performance of a computer. For game benchmarking, the utility typically renders in real time a recording from a game to produce a repeatable measurement of how fast the graphics of that game runs on the tested system. System benchmarking tests the speed of each component (CPU, system memory, graphics card, CD or DVD player, Ethernet/LAN card and hard disk drive) by running a game or other resource-intensive application, or by transferring large data packets from CD, DVD or the Internet to the hard disk drive. Blu-ray: (or Blu-ray Disc, BD) an optical storage medium designed by Sony to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage with 50 GB per disc, which is more than 10 times the storage capacity of single layer DVD. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs. Its name is derived from the blue laser that is used to read the media. Catastrophic Failure: pertaining to a computer component, a complete failure of the device due to irreversible damage (resulting from misuse, overheating or manufacturing defect), such that it does not function as intended. Pertaining to the computer system, the result of a critical system component failure that manifests as erratic system operation, malfunctioning of one or more components or a complete shutdown of the system. Some examples of catastrophic failures are CPU cooling fan failure (possibly resulting in irreversible damage to the CPU), power supply failure (possibly resulting in full shut down but rarely in damage to the motherboard or other components) and hard disk drive crash/failure (possibly resulting in loss of user files). Note: most (if not all) catastrophic failures can be avoided with routine preventive and predictive maintenance. Data Miner: a type of spyware that analyzes your Internet surfing activity and in some cases, collects specific data and/or captures your keystrokes, and then sends the information to a server on the Internet that I fondly refer to as the "mother ship." Defragmentation: the process of moving applications and associated files to adjacent locations on the hard disk drive so that the application opens and runs the files more efficiently and, therefore, much quicker. Defragmentation generally improves the performance of the computer system. eSATA: (external Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) an external interface for SATA technologies that provides fast data transfer speeds of up to 3 times that of FireWire 400 or USB 2.0 and, therefore, is ideal for external storage devices. Flash Drive: a flash memory data storage device that is usually integrated with a USB interface. Small, light weight (usually less than an ounce) and rewritable. Hardware: all of the physical components of the computer, such as the hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, CPU, system unit, monitor, etc. Laser Mouse: a type of computer mousing device that uses a laser beam rather than a ball to track the movement of the user's hand. The laser mouse supersedes and is more sensitive than the optical mouse, which superseded the conventional ball mouse. Malware: a malicious program that is harmful, such as, for example, a worm or Trojan horse. Harm is usually defined as damage or disruption of the computer code of a file or application so that the file or application can no longer serve its intended function. Media Card Reader: a device that either is an integral computer component or attaches to your computer via a USB port to transfer photos from camera media cards, such as Compact Flash, Smart Media and Memory Stick. Netbook: a small, portable laptop computer specifically designed for wireless communication and access to the Internet. Usually equipped with a small monitor, 9-10 inches, and lacking a CD/DVD drive, but considerably lighter than common 14" and 15.4" laptops (or notebooks). To load software onto a netbook, an external CD/DVD drive is used. Optical Drive: a computer device that uses a laser beam to read data imprinted on the medium surface; examples are CD-ROM (read only), CD-R (writable), CD-RW (rewritable) and DVD (-ROM, -R and -RW) drives. Combo drives read both CD and DVD media and some units also read and write both media types. Peripheral: any device that is not an integral part of the system unit but can be attached to the computer system, either wirelessly or via a cable (e.g., USB), such as a printer, scanner, digital camera, USB flash drive or external drive. Pixel: the smallest picture element that can be displayed on a computer screen. A pixel is a dot with a square or rectangular shape. Thousands of pixels are arranged in a grid to make up the image displayed on the monitor screen. Power Surge: a transient elevated voltage on house wiring of 10% or more of normal of which heavy electrical equipment being cycled on/off is the most common cause. Power surges can cause your computer to freeze up or shut down (possibly resulting in data/memory loss) or in extreme cases, can cause power supply failure and/or damage to the motherboard. Related topic: voltage spike. Processor: (or CPU, central processing unit, or microprocessor) the heart of the computer. All bits are sent to and processed by the CPU. Registry: in Microsoft Windows, a repository of operating system settings/configurations and information, as well as information and settings for installed applications and user accounts. Rootkit: a program or set of programs that becomes an elaborate system within itself that seizes control of the operating system, and usually incorporates its own security so that the it evades detection by most antivirus/security software (usually by blocking or deactivating their detection engines) and, therefore, hides the fact that the system has been compromised. Software: (or application) known by most computer users generally by trade names, such as Microsoft Word or Sierra Print Artist. However, software is more than just names. For each application, for example, there is usually a folder of many files, and within each file, a list of instructions to perform specific tasks of the application. Spambot: a malware that generally resides on a server (or moves between servers), not on your computer, that searches for and collects email addresses to build lists to send unsolicited email (i.e., spam). Spyware: a program or set of programs that sets up on a user's computer without the user's consent or knowledge, and then collects personal information (including your email address), Internet surfing habits, etc. The data is compiled by the spyware and sent to a server (external computer), and then advertisements (spam) are emailed to you. In extreme cases, spyware is used to collect very sensitive information, such as social security numbers and credit card information. System Memory: commonly referred to as simply "memory" or RAM, and is the place where the computer holds current programs and data that are in use by the processor and other system components. Trojan Horse: a program that is disguised as a beneficial program but unveils itself and wreaks havoc once installed on a computer. Virus: an unwanted, self-replicating program that usually causes harmful effects to the computer's file system or causes computer resources to be used unnecessarily and excessively. A virus generally uses other programs to assist in its propagation. Voltage Spike: (or high-voltage spike) a sudden voltage peak on house wiring up to 6,000 volts of which a lightning strike is the most common cause. Voltage spikes can cause catastrophic damages to electrical equipment (computer-related damages include power supply, motherboard, component and peripheral failures). Related topic: power surge. Worm: a self-contained program that can reproduce on its own, and as an earthworm pushes through the soil, moves through your computer, destroying files as it goes. |
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