| 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. |
| 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
95. |
| Boot |
The process of starting
up a computer. |
| 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 keeyboard. |
| 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 95) is more efficient than the cooperative
multitasking found in Windows 3.1. |
| CPU |
Central Processing Unit
- this is another name for the processorr. |
| 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 Windows95 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 Windows95 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. Windows95
comes with Exchange, a poorly regarded example of Internet email
client software. |
| Explorer |
The interface for Windows95
- this includes the folders in My Computter 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 Windows95 to determine what type a
file is. For example, a file with the .TXT extension tells Windows95
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. Windows95
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 FTP client software to use FTP. Windows95
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. Windows95 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 Fine-Tuning Windows95 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 unlless 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 Windows95, 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 Windows95 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, is responsible for erratic drag-drop behavior,
and is completely outclassed by competing technologies such as OpenDoc.
See DDE and Marketing. |
| Operating
System |
The software used to control
a computer and run applciations. Windows95, 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 Windows95,
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 Windows95 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 Windows95. You can edit these settings with the Registry
Editor, REGEDIT.EXE. The registry is stored in two files in your
Windows95 directory, USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT. |
| ROM |
Short for Read-Only Memory
- this is a type of storage or memory thhat 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 Windows95)
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 Windows95 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. (more information) |
| 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. Windows95 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. (more information) |
| Tree |
A graphical diagram used
to display the hierarchal structure of the directories on a disk. The Windows95
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 perfform 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 Windows95. |
| Winsock |
Short for Windows Sockets
- this is the language your computer speeaks when it's connected to the
Internet. Dial-Up Networking is the winsock support built into Windows95.
Once you've connected Windows95 to the internet, you can use winsock
clients (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. |