Technology Dictionary
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An alphabetical listing of General terms and items. |
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DAC, in accounting, is an acronym for Deferred Acquisition Costs.
Any information created by a user, such as documents, pictures or sound recordings.
A program used for organising any kind of information on a computer into a searchable form, anything from a list of contacts to a complex stock control and accounts system.
(Double Data Rate) A fast type of RAM for a PC, originally only used on high performance graphics cards but now being used for general memory in most high-end PCs. DDR2 is a yet faster version.
A default setting is one you haven't changed - what a program will do (or use) if you don’t tell it any different. "Accept the defaults" means leave any settings as they are.
A computer designed to sit on a desk (as opposed to a laptop). In Windows, it also means the screen you see when you aren't running any programs, with "My Computer", the Recycle Bin and so on.
Literally "to do with numbers". Often used to describe a device using computer technology to replace older, traditional technologies. For example, a digital camera is one that stores images electronically rather than on chemical film.
(Dual In-line Memory Module; pr. "dim") A module of RAM (memory) for a PC, replacing the older SIMM specification.
An area on a disk for storing files, particularly in DOS. Usually called a folder in Windows.
Generic term for a type of storage device, such as a hard disk or a floppy disk (diskette). So called because the important part, where the information is actually stored, is circular, although you can't see it because it is hidden away inside a protective shell.
Also known as a floppy disk. Called a diskette because it was smaller than the original huge floppy disks, now long obsolete.
(Domain Name Service/System) An internet service that converts a human web address such as www.jonstorm.com into the numeric address that computers use, called the IP address. "Can't resolve DNS" usually means that this conversion has failed and therefore the website can't be found.
An internet address owned by a company, organisation or individual, such as jonstorm.com, nasa.gov or bbc.co.uk.
A small hardware device used for copy protection with some software. The dongle must be plugged in to a port on the computer, often the printer port, or the software won't function. They are often unpopular with users because if the dongle gets lost or broken, the software won't function.
(Disk Operating System; pr. "doss") Usually refers to MS-DOS, which was the standard operating system for PCs until Windows 95 came out, now pretty much obsolete. Controlled by typing in text commands and has several serious limitations, but requires a much less powerful computer than Windows 95.
(Denial of Service) A form of attack on (usually) an internet service, which aims to prevent the service from operating properly, often by bombarding it with more information than it can process. See also Mailbomb.
To transfer information (files) from a network (such as the Internet) onto a user's PC. See also upload.
(Dots Per Inch) A measure of picture quality, often used to measure printer capabilities. The higher the number, the better the quality.
A small program used by the operating system to control hardware such as a sound or video card. Often downloading the latest driver for a device from the manufacturer's website will improve its functionality.
(Digital Rights Management) Software intended to prevent the unauthorised duplication of copyrighted video or audio, usually built into a computer's operating system.
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PC processors which have two complete processors on the same chip, allowing computers to handle multiple tasks faster. See also quad-core.
A technology allowing two layers of data to be written to a DVD instead of the usual one, thus increasing its capacity.
(Digital Versatile Disk) A more advanced version of the standard CD which can hold far more information, now standard on most new PCs. Widely used for high-quality digital movies. DVD drives can usually also read ordinary CDs.
(Digital Versatile Disk ReWriter) A DVD drive that can create ("write") rewriteable DVDs. There are several competing formats at the moment, but most recent drives support more than one format. It is likely that one of these formats will become standard in time, but at the moment it is not clear which. To add to the confusion, they tend to have very similar names : for example DVD+RW and DVD-RW are completely different formats, and incompatible with each other.
(Direct Video Interface) A special type of connector for computer monitors, particularly flat panels.
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