Microsoft
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`° Fully updated in/rt
`technologies, ter _
`- Easyto read, expertiTyiL _Mstr.*at‘ed l
`- Definitive coverage of‘ll3rdware,
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`software, the Internet, and more!
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`Rose’tta—2023
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`PUBLISHED BY
`
`Microsoft Press
`
`A Division of Microsoft Corporation
`One Microsoft Way
`Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
`
`Copyright © 2002 by Microsoft Corporation
`
`All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
`or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`Microsoft Computer Dictionary.--5th ed.
`p. cm.
`ISBN 0-7356-1495-4
`
`1. Computers—-Dictionaries.
`
`2. Microcomputers--Dictionaries.
`
`AQ76.5 . M52267
`004'.03--dc2l
`
`2002
`
`200219714
`
`Printed and bound in the United States of America.
`
`23456789 QWT 765432
`
`Distributed in Canada by H.B. Fenn and Company Ltd.
`
`A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
`
`Microsoft Press books are available through booksellers and distributors worldwide. For further informa-
`tion about international editions, contact your local Microsoft Corporation office or contact Microsoft
`Press International directly at fax (425) 936-7329. Visit our Web site at www.microsoft.com/mspress.
`Send comments to mspz'nput@microsofi‘.com.
`
`Active Desktop, Active Directory, ActiveMovie, ActiveStore, ActiveSync, ActiveX, Authenticode,
`BackOff1ce, BizTalk, ClearType, Direct3D, DirectAnimation, DirectDraw, Directlnput, DirectMusic,
`DirectPlay, DirectShow, DirectSound, Direct.X, Entourage, FoxPro, FrontPage, Hotmail, IntelliEye,
`IntelliMouse, Intellisense, JScript, MapPoint, Microsoft, Microsoft Press, Mobile Explorer, MS-DOS,
`MSN, Music Central, Netlvleeting, Outlook, PhotoDraw, PowerPoint, SharePoint, U1timateTV, Visio,
`Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual FoxPro, Visual InterDev, Visual J++, Visual SourceSafe, Visual Studio,
`
`Win32, Win32s, Windows, Windows Media, Windows NT, Xbox are either registered trademarks or
`trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and
`company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
`
`The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places,
`and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product,
`domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.
`
`Acquisitions Editor: Alex Blanton
`Project Editor: Sandra Haynes
`
`Body Part No. X08-41929
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`(Web) server, is passed from one server to the next. See
`also news feed, newsgroup, server.
`
`downstream’ adv. 1. The location of-a client computer in
`relation to a server. 2. The direction in which data moves
`from the server to the client.
`
`downstream3 adj. Refers to data that moves from a
`remote network to an individual computer. In some Inter-
`net-related communications technologies, data flows more
`quickly downstream than upstream; cable modems, for
`example, can transfer data as fast as 30 Mbps downstream
`but support much slower rates, from 128 Kbps to around 2
`Mbps, upstream. Compare upstream.
`
`downtime n. The amount or percentage of time a com-
`puter system or associated hardware remains nonfunctional.
`Although downtime can occur because hardware fails unex-
`pectedly, it can also be a scheduled event, as when a net-
`work is shut down to allow time for maintenance.
`
`downward compatibility n. The capability of source
`code or programs developed on a more advanced system
`or compiler version to be executed or compiled by a less
`advanced (older) version. Compare upward-compatible.
`
`DP n. See data processing.
`
`dpl n. See dots per inch.
`
`DPMA n. Acronym for Data Processing Management
`Association. A trade organization of information systems
`(IS) professionals. DPMA was founded in 1951 as the
`National Machine Accountants Association.
`
`DPMI n. See DOS Protected Mode Interface.
`
`DPMS n. Acronym for VESA Display Power Manage-
`ment Signaling. A VESA standard for signals that put a
`video monitor into “standby” or suspend mode to reduce
`power consumption. See also green PC, VESA2.
`
`
`
`
`
`draft mode n. A high-speed, relatively low-quality prim
`mode offered by most dot—matrix printers. See also dot.
`matrix printer, draft quality, print quality.
`
`draft quallty n. A low grade of printing generated by the
`draft mode on dot-matrix printers. Draft quality varies
`among printers, ranging from suitable for most purposes
`to nearly useless. See also draft mode, print quality.
`
`drag vb. In graphical user interface environments, to
`move an image or a window from one place on the screen
`to another by “grabbing” it and pulling it to its new loca-
`tion using the mouse. The mouse pointer is positioned
`over the object, and the mouse button is pressed and held
`while the mouse is moved to the new location.
`
`drag-and-drop vb. 1. In general, to delve into something
`in increasing detail. 2. More specifically, to perfonn oper-
`ations in a graphical user interface by dragging objects on
`the screen with the mouse. For example, to delete a docu-
`ment, a user can drag the document icon across the screen
`and drop it on the trashcan icon (Macintosh OS) or in the
`Recycle Bin (Windows). See also drag, graphical user
`interface.
`
`draln n. 1. In an FET, the electrode toward which charge
`carriers (electrons or holes) move from the source under
`control of the gate. See also FET, gate (definition 2),
`MOSFET, source (definition 2). 2. See current drain.
`
`DRAM n. See dynamic RAM.
`
`DRAW n. Acronym for direct read after write. A tech-
`nique used with optical discs to verify the accuracy of
`information immediately after it has been recorded (writ-
`ten) on the disc. Compare DRDW.
`
`drawer n. In the Mac OS X Aqua interface, small child
`windows containing extra information that slide out of the
`side of main parent windows. Drawers are intended to
`reduce clutter on the computer desktop by enabling more
`information to be displayed without opening additional
`full-sized windows. Also called: Drop Drawer.
`
`drawing interchange format :2. See DXF.
`
`drawing program :1. A program for manipulating object-
`oriented graphics, as opposed to manipulating pixel
`images. In a drawing program, for example, the user can
`manipulate an element, such as a‘line,—"a circle, or a block
`of text, as an independent object simpl“y“by selecting the
`object and moving it. See also object—orier_rted graphics,
`pixel image, vector graphics.
`-—
`’
`‘K,
`
`
`
`DPOF n. Short for Digital Print Order Format. A printing
`specification developed by Canon Computer Systems,
`Inc., Eastman Kodak Company, Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.,
`and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. DPOF is
`
`intended to ease the process of printing images stored on
`digital camera memory cards by enabling users to select
`the images to print, as well as specify the number of cop-
`ies desired, on the card. The images ordered can then be
`printed by a professional photofinishing service or on a
`home printer.
`
`DPSK n. Acronym for differential phase-shift keying. See
`phase-shift keying.
`
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`upload’ vb. To transfer a copy of a file from a local com-
`puter to a remote computer. Compare download.
`
`UPnP n. Acronym for Universal Plug and Play. A
`Microsoft initiative which prompted the creation of the
`UPnP Forum for interconnecting computers, appliances,
`networks, and services. UPnP extends conventional Plug
`and Play to include devices connected to networks. It
`allows peripheral devices to discover and connect to other
`devices and to enumerate the characteristics of those
`devices. UPnP is intended to be an element of home net-
`
`working, in which PCs, appliances, and the services they
`provide are linked together.
`
`UPnP Device Archltecture n. A specification developed
`by the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Forum that defines
`the suucture of UPnP networking. The UPnP Device
`Architecture, formerly known as the DCP Framework,
`provides information about discovery, description, control,
`eventing, and presentation in a UPnP network. See also
`UPnP networking.
`
`UPnP Forum n. A consortium of companies and individ-
`uals that oversees Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) specifi-
`cations, protocols, logos, sample implementations, test
`suites, white papers, and other UPnP-related efforts. See
`also UPnP, UPnP Device Architecture, UPnP networking.
`
`UPnP networking n. The peer-to-peer networking of
`intelligent machines, appliances, wireless devices, comput-
`ers, and other devices according to the Universal Plug and
`Play (UPnP) Device Architecture. UPnP networking uses
`control points, devices, services, and protocols including
`GENA, SOAP, SSDP, standard TCP/IP, and other Internet
`
`protocols. See also UPnP Device Architecture.
`
`uppercase adj. Of, pertaining to, or characterized by cap-
`ital letters. Compare lowercase.
`
`upstream‘ n. The direction in which information is dcliv.
`ered from a client to a (Web) server. Compare
`downstream‘.
`
`upstream’ adj. 1. The location of a server in relation to
`another server. Compare downstreamz (definition l).
`2. The direction in which data moves from an individual
`computer to the remote network. With certain communica.
`tions technologies, such as ADSL, cable modems, and
`high-speed 56-Kbps modems, data flows upstream more
`slowly than downstream. For example, a 56-Kbps modem
`can deliver data at a 56-Kbps maximum only downstream;
`upstream, it delivers data at either 28.8 or 33.6 Kbps.
`Compare downstream’ (definition 2).
`
`uptlme n. The amount or percentage of time a computer
`system or associated hardware is functioning and available
`for use. Compare downtime.
`
`upward-compatible adj. Of, pertaining to, or characteris-
`tic of a computer product, especially software, designed to
`perform adequately with other products that are expectql
`to become widely used in the foreseeable future. The use
`of standards and conventions makes upward compatibility
`easier to achieve.
`
`urban legend n. A widely distributed story that remains
`in circulation in spite of the fact that it is not true. Many
`urban legends have been floating around the Internet and
`other online services for years, including the request for
`cards for the sick boy in England (he’s long since recov-
`ered and grown up), the cookie or cake recipe that cost
`$250 (it’s a myth), and the Good Times or Penpal Greet-
`ings virus, which will infect your computer when you read
`an e-mail message (it does not exist). See also Good
`Times virus.
`
`URC It. See Uniform Resource Citation.
`
`upper memory area It. See UMA (definition 1).
`
`URI n. See Unifonn Resource Identifier.
`
`upper memory block n. See UMB.
`
`UPS n. Acronym for unintemiptible power supply. A
`device, connected between a computer (or other electronic
`equipment) and a power source (usually an outlet recepta-
`cle), that ensures that electrical flow to the computer is not
`interrupted because of a blackout and, in most cases, pro-
`tects the computer against potentially damaging events,
`such as power surges and brownouts. All UPS units are
`equipped with a battery and a loss-of-power sensor; if the
`sensor detects a loss of power, it switches over to the bat-
`
`tery so that the user has time to save his or her work and
`shut off the computer. See also blackout, brownout.
`
`URL n. Acronym for Unifonn Resource Locator. An
`address for a resource on the Internet. URLs are used by
`Web browsers to locate Internet resources. A URL speci-
`fies the protocol to be used in accessing the resource (such
`as http: for a World Wide Web page or ftp: for an FTP
`site), the name of the server on which the resource resides
`
`(such as //www.whitehouse.gov), and, optionally, the path
`to a resource (such as an HTML document or a file on that
`server). See also FTP‘ (definition 1), HTML, HTTP, path
`(definition 1), server (definition 2), virtual path (definition
`1), Web browser.
`
`URN n. See Uniform Resource Name.
`
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