THE ULTIMATE COMPUTER REFERENCE
`
`Designed for
`“am
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`Microsoft®
`Windows NT*
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`Apple v. Uniloc
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`CD-ROM
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`BotCUoicereM lalmeiETITS
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`PUBLISHED BY
`Microsoft Press
`A Division of Microsoft Corporation
`One Microsoft Way
`Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
`Copyright © 1999 by Microsoft Corporation
`All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
`or by any means, without the written permission ofthe publisher.
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`Microsoft Computer Dictionary. -- 4th ed.
`p. cm.
`Previous eds. published undertitle: Microsoft Press computer
`dictionary
`ISBN 0-7356-0615-3
`2. Microcomputers Dictionaries.
`1. Computers Dictionaries.
`L Microsoft Press computer dictionary.
`QA76.15.M538
`1999
`004'.03--dce21
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`99-20168CIP
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`any form
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`Printed and bound in the United States of America.
`123456789 MLML 432109
`Distributed in Canada by ITP Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
`A CIP catalogue record forthis book is available from the British Library.
`Microsoft Press books are available through booksellers and distributors worldwide. For further information
`about international editions, contact your local Microsoft Corporation office or contact Microsoft Press
`International directly at fax (425) 936-7329. Visit our Website at mspress.microsoft.com.
`Macintosh, Power Macintosh, QuickTime, and TrueType fonts are registered trademarks of Apple Computer,
`Inc. Kodak is a registered trademark ofthe Eastman Kodak Company, Intel ts a registered trademark and Indeo
`is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Active Desktop, Active Directory, ActiveMovie, Active Platform, ActiveX,
`Authenticode, BackOffice, DirectInput, DirectX, Microsoft, Microsoft Press, MS-DOS, MSN,NetMeeting,
`NetShow, Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual J++, WebTV, WebTV Network, Win32, Win32s, Windows,
`Windows NT, and XENIX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporationinthe
`UnitedStates and/or other countries. PANTONEis a registered trademark ofPantone, Inc. Other product and
`company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
`and events depicted herein are fictitious. No associa-
`The example companies, organizations, products, people,
`vent is intended orshould beinferred.
`tion with any real company, organization, product, person, or ¢
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`Acquisitions Editor: Christey Bahn
`Project Editor: Kim Fryer
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`brightness
`
`browser
`
`the original computer, the Briefcase updatesallfiles
`to the most recent version.
`
`brightness n. The perceived quality of radiance or
`luminosity of a visible object. Brightnessis literally
`in the eye (and mind)of the beholder; a candle in
`the night appears brighter than the same candle un-
`der incandescent lights. Although its subjective
`value cannot be measured with physical instru-
`ments, brightness can be measured as luminance
`(radiant energy). The brightness componentof a
`color is different from its color (the hue) and from
`the intensity of its color (the saturation). See also
`color model, HSB.
`
`British Navel Connector n. See BNC.
`
`broadband adj. Ofor relating to communications
`systems in which the medium of transmission (such
`as a wireor fiber-optic cable) carries multiple mes-
`sages at a time, each message modulated onits own
`carrier frequency by means of modems. Broadband
`communication is found in wide area networks.
`Compare baseband.
`broadband ISDN n. Next-generation ISDN based on
`ATM(Asynchronous Transfer Mode) technology.
`Broadband ISDN divides information into twocat-
`egories: interactive services, which are controlled by
`the user, and distributed (or distribution) services that
`can be broadcast to the user. Acronym: BISDN. See
`also ISDN, ATM (definition 1).
`broadband modem n. A modem for use on a broad-
`band network. Broadbandtechnologyallows several
`networks to coexist on a single cable. Traffic from
`one network does notinterfere with traffic from an-
`other, since the conversations happen on different
`frequencies, rather like the commercial radio system.
`See also broadband network.
`
`broadband network n. A local area network on
`which transmissionstravel as radio-frequency signals
`over separate inbound and outbound channels. Sta-
`tions on a broadband networkare connected by co-
`axial or fiber-optic cable, which can carry data,
`voice, and video simultaneously over multiple trans-
`mission channels that are distinguished by frequency.
`A broadband network is capable of high-speed opera-
`tion (20 megabits or more), but it is more expensive
`than a baseband network and canbedifficult to in-
`
`stall. Such a network is based on the same technol-
`ogy used by cable television (CATV). Also called
`wideband transmission. Compare baseband network,
`broadcast! adj. Sent to more than one recipient. In
`communications and on networks, a broadcast mes-
`sage is one distributedtoall stations. See also e-mail!
`(definition 1).
`broadcast? n. As in radio or television, a transmission
`sent to more than onerecipient.
`broadcast storm n. A network broadcast that causes
`multiple hosts to respond simultaneously, overload-
`ing the network. A broadcast storm may occur when
`old TCP/IP routers are mixed with routers that sup-
`port a new protocol. See also communications proto-
`col, router, TCP/IP.
`
`broken as designed adj. See BAD.
`
`Brouter n. See bridge router.
`brownout n. A condition in which theelectricity level
`is appreciably reducedfor a sustained period oftime.
`In contrast to a blackout, or total loss of power, a
`brownout continues the flow of electricity to all de-
`vices connected to electrical outlets, although at
`lower levels than the normally supplied levels (120
`volts in the United States). A brownout can be ex-
`tremely damaging to sensitive electronic devices,
`such as computers, because the reduced and often
`fluctuating voltage levels can cause components to
`operate for extended periodsof time outside the
`range they were designed to work in. On a computer,
`a brownoutis characterized by a smaller, dimmer,
`and somewhatfluctuating display area on the moni-
`tor and potentially erratic behavior by the system
`unit. The only reliable means of preventing damage
`caused by a brownoutcondition is to use a battery-
`backed uninterruptible power supply (UPS). See also
`UPS. Compare blackout.
`browse vb. To scan a database, a list of files, or the
`Internet, either for a particular item or for anything
`that seems to be of interest. Generally, browsing im-
`plies observing, rather than changing, information. In
`unauthorized computer hacking, browsing is a (pre-
`sumably) nondestructive means offinding out about
`an unknown computerafter illegally gaining entry.
`browser n. See Web browser.
`
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`
`
`legislation
`through
`o fair use,
`
`on Object
`ation devel-
`in 1992 in
`municate
`en if the two
`ymming lan-
`tforms. A pro-
`ugh an object
`not need to
`1 where the
`york in object-
`(definition 2),
`ented.
`
`iit into comput-
`AM) was avail-
`ise the term to
`puter system,as
`the raw con-
`of a system
`
`1m segmentthat
`; (RAM).
`condition in
`ded in memory
`
`re though which
`air and transfer a
`photosensitive
`
`mory at the same
`yncurrently with,
`
`cess Of diagnosing
`after they occur
`
`nt quality.
`lata in memory of
`4, with its meaning
`IRAE
`yarison of penelils
`Cost-benefil
`(i.
`ents 10
`IS depart
`
`hiring more staff is necessary. See also IS, MIS.
`coulomb \kG0‘lom, koo‘16m \ x. A unit of electrical
`charge equivalent to roughly 6.26 x 10" electrons,
`with a negative charge being an excess of electrons
`and a positive charge being a deficiency of electrons.
`counter n. 1. In programming, a variable used to keep
`count of something. 2. In electronics, a circuit that
`counts a specified numberof pulses before generat-
`ing an output. 3. A device that keepstrack of the
`numberof visitors to a World Wide Website.
`counting loop n. In a program,a groupof statements
`that are repeated, thereby incrementinga variable
`used as a counter (for example, a program mightre-
`peat a counting loop that adds 1 to its counteruntil
`the counter equals 10). See also loop' (definition 1).
`country code n. See major geographic domain.
`country-specific adj. Of, pertaining to, or characteris-
`tic of hardware or software that uses characters or
`conventions unique to a particular country or group
`of countries. Country-specific does not necessarily
`refer to spoken languages, although it does allow for
`special characters (such as accent marks) that are
`language-specific. Generally, the features considered
`country-specific include keyboard layout (including
`special-character keys), time and date conventions,
`financial and monetary symbols, decimal notation
`(decimal point or comma), and alphabetic sorting
`order. Such features are handledeither by a
`computer’s operating system (for example, by the
`Keyboard and Country commands in MS-DOS)or by
`application programsthat offer options for tailoring
`documents to a particular set of national or interna-
`tional conventions.
`
`Courseware n. Software dedicated to education or
`training.
`Courtesy copy n. See cc.
`CPA n. See Computer Press Association.
`cpi n. See characters per inch.
`CRIM 1. Acronym for Control Program/Monitor. A
`line
`arati
`:
`ws
`€ of operating systems from Digital Research, Inc.,
`Tenstocomputers based on Intel microprocessors.
`épératin System, CP/M-80, was the most popular
`compure System for 8080- and Z80-based micro-
`86 for e Digital Research also developed CP/M-
`86/8088-based computers, CP/M-Z8000 for
`
`CPU
`APPL-1012 / Page 6 of 9
`
`and MS-DOSwere introduced, common use of CP/M
`by end users dwindled. DRI continues to enhance the
`CP/M line, supporting multitasking with the Concur-
`rent CP/M and MP/M products. See also MP/M.
`
`CPM 7.See critical path method.
`
`cps n. See characters per second.
`CPSR n. Acronym for Computer Professionals for
`Social Responsibility. A public advocacy organiza-
`tion of computer professionals. CPSR wasoriginally
`formed out of concern over the use of computer tech-
`nology for military purposes but has extendedits
`interest to such issues as civil liberties and the effect
`of computers on workers.
`CPU n. Acronym for central processing unit. The
`computational and control unit of a computer. The
`CPUis the device that interprets and executes in-
`structions. Mainframes and early minicomputers con-
`tained circuit boards full of integrated circuits that
`implemented the CPU. Single-chip central process-
`ing units, called microprocessors, made possible per-
`sonal computers and workstations. Examples of
`single-chip CPUs are the Motorola 68000, 68020,
`and 68030 chips andthe Intel 8080, 8086, 80286,
`80386, and i486 chips. The CPU—or microproces-
`sor, in the case of a microcomputer—hasthe ability
`to fetch, decode, and execute instructions and to
`transfer information to and from other resources over
`the computer’s main data-transfer path, the bus. By
`definition, the CPU is the chip that functions as the
`“brain” of a computer. In some instances, however,
`the term encompasses both the processor and the
`computer’s memory or, even more broadly, the main
`computer console (as opposed to peripheral equip-
`ment). See the illustration. See also microprocessor.
`
`
`
`CPU.
`
`115
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`APPL-1012 / Page 6 of 9
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`microfloppy disk can hold 400 kilobytes (KB); a
`double-sided (standard) disk can hold 800 KB; and a
`double-sided high-density disk can hold 1.44 mega-
`bytes (MB). On IBM and compatible machines, a
`microfloppy can hold either 720 KB or 1.44 MB of
`information. See also floppy disk.
`microform n. The medium, such as microfilm or mi-
`crofiche, on which a photographically reduced im-
`age, called a microimage,is stored. A microimage
`usually represents text, such as archived documents.
`See also microfiche, microfilm.
`micrographics n. The techniques and methods for
`recording data on microfilm. See also microform.
`microimage n. A photographically reduced image,
`usually stored on microfilm or microfiche, that is too
`small to be read without magnification. See also mi-
`croform, micrographics.
`microinstruction n. An instruction that is part of the
`microcode. See also microcode.
`
`hand. Microprocessors are at the heart ofall Persona
`computers. When memory and powerare addeq tog
`microprocessor,all the pieces, excluding Peripherals
`required for a computer are present. The most popu.
`lar lines of microprocessors todayare the 680x9 fam.
`ily from Motorola, which powers the Apple Macintosh
`line, and the 80x86 family fromIntel, whichis gt the
`core of all IBM PC-compatible computers. See also
`6502, 65816, 6800, 68000, 68020, 68030, 68040,
`80286, 80386DX, 80386SX, 8080, 8086, 8088,
`88000, DECchip 21064, i486DX, i486DX2, i486SL,
`i486SX, Pentium, PowerPC, SPARC, Z80.
`microprogramming n. The writing of microcode for
`a processor. Some systems, chiefly minicomputers
`and mainframes, allow modification of microcodefor
`an installed processor. See also microcode.
`microsecond n. Abbreviated ps. One millionth (10+)
`of a second.
`
`Microsoft DOS n. See MS-DOS.
`
`APPL-1012 / Page 7 of 9
`
`microjustification n. See microspace justification.
`microkernel n. 1. In programming, the strictly
`hardware-dependentpart of an operating system that
`is intended to be portable from one type of computer
`to another. The microkernel provides a hardware-
`independentinterface to the rest of the operating sys-
`tem, so only the microkernel needsto be rewritten to
`port the operating system to a different platform. See
`also kernel, operating system. 2. A kernel that has
`been designed with only the basic features andtypi-
`cally in a modular fashion.
`micrologic n. A set of instructions, stored in binary
`form,or a setof electronic logic circuits that defines
`and governs the operation within a microprocessor.
`microminiature n. An extremely small circuit or
`other electronic component, especially one that is a
`refinement of an already miniaturized element.
`microphone n. 1. A device that converts sound waves
`into analogelectrical signals. Additional hardware
`can convert the microphone’s outputinto digital data
`that a computer can process; for example, to record
`multimedia documents or analyze the sound signal.
`2. A communications program that runs on the
`Macintosh computer.
`microprocessor n. A central processing unit (CPU)
`on a single chip. A modern microprocessor can have
`
`Microsoft Foundation Classes n. A C++ class library
`developed by Microsoft. The Microsoft Foundation
`Classlibrary, or MFC, provides the framework and
`classes that makeit easier and faster for program-
`mers to build Windows applications. MFC supports
`ActiveX and is bundled with several C++ compilers,
`including Microsoft Visual C++, Borland C++, and
`Symantec C++. Acronym: MFC.See also ActiveX,
`C++. Compare Application Foundation Classes.
`Microsoft Internet Explorer n. See Internet Explorer.
`Microsoft Network n. See MSN.
`
`Microsoft Windows n. See Windows.
`
`Microsoft Windows 2000 n. See Windows 2000.
`
`Microsoft Windows 95 n. See Windows 95.
`
`Microsoft Windows 98 n. See Windows 98.
`
`Microsoft Windows CE n. See Windows CE.
`
`Microsoft Windows NT n. See Windows NT.
`
`microspacejustification n. The addition of thin
`spaces between characters within wordsto fill out a
`line for justification, instead of relying only on add-
`ing space between words. Good microspacejustifica-
`tion gives justified text a more polished, professional
`look; excessive microspace justification causes words
`to lose visual coherence. Also called microjustifica-
`tion. See also justify (definition 2), microspacing.
`
`APPL-1012 / Page 7 of 9
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`

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