• Computer glossary - A

    by
    computerguru
    Published on 01-26-2010 09:27 AM

    ACM (AudioCompressionManager) — asoftwarecompoundforaudiofilecompression.

    ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) — the advanced system of hard- and software power control. Enables shutting down of different PC applications and the whole machine by software means.

    ActiveX — the technology is used for creation of multifunctional web-pages: adding of animation, video, 3D view, etc. ActiveX control components – are small programs attached to these pages.

    Administrator — a person or a program responsible for IT system or network control and administration.

    Administrator rights — the rights entitling certain persons to carry out actions or operations on network computers.

    ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) — the technology enables to install a highspeed Internet connection via telephone links.

    Adware — the advertising software, displaying commercials by means of any applications: pop-ups, banners, websearch pages, etc. Advertisingsoftwaremaybeinstalledonorwithoutusers’ permission.

    AGP (Advanced Graphic Port) — a new standard of the system bus and the videocard slot on the new generation motherboards. HashigherbandwidthcomparedtotheoldPCIbus.

    Algorithm— aprocessorasetofrules, necessaryforcarryingoutofacalculationoratask.

    Alphachannel — incomputergraphics – oneofthewaystocontrolimageproperties, particularly, thelevelofanobject’stransparency.

    ANSI (American National Standards Institute)— anon-commercialstateorganization, settingstandards, particularly, forcomputerprogramming.

    Antivirus / AntivirusProgram— programsscanningthememory, discdrivesandothercomputercomponentsforviruses.

    API(Application Program Interface) — thisoptionisusedbyprogramstointeractwithoperatingsystemsandothersoftware.

    APIC (Advanced Peripheral Interrupt Controller) — advanced peripheral interrupt controller.

    Applet — a small add-on application incorporated in the Internet web-pages for improving of presentation and adding of new options, e.g. pop-up
    menus, news tickers, etc.

    ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) — the first computer network designed by the US military entities in the 60-s.

    ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) — a 7-bit code, designed in 1965 by Robert W. Bemer for compatibility of different types of data-processing units. The standard list of symbols ASCII contains 128 (from 0 to 127) positions, assigned to letters, digits, punctuation marks and the majority of commonly used specific characters. In 1981 IBM presented an extended list of symbols ASCII for their computers: the code size was increased till 8 bits and the number of positions – from 128 to 255 for the alphabet expansion with specific math and pseudographic symbols, and the symbols of languages different from English.

    ASP (Application Service Provider)— a web-page type enabling a site to be personalized subject to users’ parameters.

    ATA — IDE disc interface standard implemented in March, 1989 identifying the register compatibility, the 40-pin connector and the signals related to it.

    ATA-2 — the second generation of the IDE disc interface standard. This version sets a faster data transfer mode and LBA scheme for high volume disc storage devices. Can be also called Fast ATA, Fast ATA 2 and Enhanced IDE (EIDE).

    ATAPI (Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface) — program interface for connecting IDE inner storage devices, for instance, CD-ROM.

    АТХ — anewtypeofthemotherboardstructureandcomputercasing. ComparedtotheoldBabyITformatoffersamoreconvenientarrangementofadditionalboardsonthemotherboardandextracoolingofcomputerinside.

    Autoencryption— amethodusedbyavirustoencodeitselfpartiallyorentirelythuscomplicatingtheanalysisanddetection.

    Autoexec.bat — aspecifiedcommandfile, whichisrunbyDOSwhenthesystemlaunches.

    AutoSignature— typically, ashorttextcontainingsomedata, forinstance, aname, anaddresswhichcouldbeautomaticallyaddedtonewelectronicmessages.

    AVI (AudioVideoInterleave) — amethodtostorecombinedaudioandvideoinformationdesignedbyMicrosoft. Enables storing of highly demanded disc space and synchronizing sound in accordance to the image.