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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 Absolute URL: Absolute Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the complete address of any resource available via the Internet. It includes the protocol, network server name, any optional path, and file name. For example: h**p://www.example.com
AC adapter: An external power supply that converts domestic electrical power to the low voltage Direct Current (DC) required for solid state electronics.
Accelerator Card: Circuitry to enhance the operating speed of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) within a computer.
Accessibility: Incorporation of hardware and/or software facilitating use of a computer by people with one or more physical disabilities including visual or hearing impairments and restricted mobility.
Access Privileges or Rights: Permissions granted to a given user to access specific system resources on a network or file server including access to directories and the ability to create, modify, or delete files.
Access Time: 1. Time required to locate a track on a Hard Drive or Optical Medium. 2. Time required for an instruction to be completed by delivery of data from Memory to the Central Processing Unit (CPU).
Account: Data record defining the authorization level and resources available to a specific user of a network or multi-user system.
ActiveX: Microsoft based technologies supporting interaction of software components within a networked environment. Currently used primarily to develop interactive content for the Internet.
Adapter: Circuitry that enables use of peripheral devices on a computer lacking the necessary connections or ports.
Add-on: A small program that augments the capabilities and functionality of an existing software application.
Address Book: Database of personal names and corresponding email addresses stored within an email client program.
Advanced Power Management: Monitors and controls electrical power consumption of personal computers that is especially useful with battery operated laptop computers.
Advanced Technology Attachment: Also known as Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE). A computer interface used to control a device, usually a hard drive. See also PATA, SATA.
Alarm or Alert: Audible and/or visible indication of an error or warning.
Aliasing: Ragged appearance of diagonal lines or curves within a graphical display resulting from low screen resolution.
Antivirus Program: Dedicated software application designed to scrutinize incoming files for viruses in real time as the computer receives them; and to identify, isolate, and remove viruses both from Memory and stored data.
Applet: Small program usually embedded within a web page allowing execution of specific functions on a users computer.
Application: Software program designed to perform a specific task or set of closely related tasks.
Application Shortcut Key: Or Keyboard Shortcut. Specified key or combination of keys that efficiently perform a specific function within a specific application.
Archive: A set of files, often compressed, stored on external media for the purpose of backup.
Aspect Ratio: Ratio of the width to the height of a monitor or graphical image.
ATA: see Advanced Technology Attachment.
Attached Document: Or Attachment. A file included with an email message. Most email client programs have the built-in capability to encode and decode attached files.
Audio Card: Converts analog audio signals from a microphone, audio tape, etc. to digital form allowing storage on a computer as a digital audio file. Converts digital audio files to analog signals that can be played through conventional speakers or headphones.
Audio Video Interleaved: Windows multimedia format for sound and video files.
Authentication: Validation process of a user's logon credentials (user name and password) on a multi-user or networked system environment.
Authorization; Rights given to an individual user of a networked system environment.
AutoCorrect: Functionality that supports automatic correction of spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors within an application.
Autorestart: Automatically restarts the operating system following certain kinds of errors or a power failure.
Autosave: Automatically saves changes to an open file after a defined time interval interval or number of keystrokes.
AVI: see Audio Video Interleaved.
