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| There are 226 entries in the glossary. |
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| Access Provider | A company that sells Internet connections. Also known as Internet Access Provider (IAP) or Internet Service Provider (ISP). |
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| ActiveX | A powerful Windows technology which allows programmers to do all kinds of cool things with your computer. ActiveX controls perform some actions from within a web browser. |
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| ADSL | (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) A method of connecting a computer to the internet over an ordinary phone line using ethernet office networking technology instead of an ordinary modem, which produces a much faster (broadband) connection. Asymmetric because it is faster from internet to PC than the other way (also true of a 56K modem). |
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| Adware | Spyware is computer software that collects personal information about users without their informed consent. The term, coined in 1995 but not widely used for another five years, is often used interchangeably with adware and malware (software designed to infiltrate and damage a computer). |
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| AGP | (Advanced Graphics Port) A special slot on the PC motherboard for graphics cards, and the format of the cards themselves. Standard on new PCs from 1998. AGPx2 runs at twice the speed of the original. AGPx8 is the current incarnation. AGP is being supplanted by the newer PCI Express format. |
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| AI | (Artificial Intelligence) A program designed to respond intelligently to various situations, for example the computer opponent(s) in a game. |
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| Always-On | An internet connection which remains on 24/7 such as ADSL or Cable, rather than only connecting on demand like a dialup. |
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| AMD | Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is a leading manufacturer of processor chips for PCs, including the Athlon and Duron chips. |
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| Anti-Virus | Software which protects computers from viruses. Anti-virus software needs to be updated frequently to keep up with the latest threats, so its usually sold with a subscription which enables you to download updates from the internet to your PC.
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| AOL | (America On Line) An Internet Service Provider, or ISP. Among the largest and most well known. AOL were in business as a large commercial bulletin board before the internet really took off. |
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| Applet | A small program used to carry out a particular task, often on a web page. See Java. |
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| Application | Software used to carry out a particular task, such as word processing or desktop publishing. Essentially another word for program. |
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| Architecture | The basic design of a computer\\\'s hardware. Computers with different architecture, such as the PC and the Mac, cannot run each others\\\' programs. |
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| ASCII | (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) An early and very basic format for text files, standard across pretty much all computers and mail systems. It only includes upper and lower case letters, numbers, and standard punctuation marks, but more sophisticated text formats still tend to be based on it. An ASCII file is a basic text-only file generated by a program like Notepad. |
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| ATAPI | (ATtachment PAcket Interface) An upgrade to EIDE which allows the hard disk controller to control CD drives as well. Almost all CD drives are controlled this way. |
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| Athlon | A PC processor - AMD, the other leading chip manufacturer\\\'s equivalent to Intel\\\'s Pentium. Like the Pentium, constantly being upgraded. You will often see a number such as 2700 following the word Athlon. |
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| Attachment | A file sent by email that is attached to the email. An attachment can be a picture, a word processor document, a program or any other type of file. You should never open an attachment if you are not sure what it is, because some viruses propagate as email attachments; but they can\\\'t infect your machine if you don\\\'t open the attachment. |
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| AUP | (Acceptable Use Policy) A document setting out what an Internet Service Provider deems an acceptable use of their services, usually published on their website. Typically it will forbid the publication of obscene or defamatory material, and sending email or newsgroup spam. If you violate your ISP\\\'s AUP, they will usually close your account down immediately. |
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| Backup, Back up | An extra copy of your work, eg documents, pictures etc, saved onto a removable storage medium such as CD, DVD or magnetic tape, so that if your computer is stolen or breaks down will not lose everything. |
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| Backwards-Compatible | A program (or system) designed to work with earlier versions of itself, even though the format may since have changed completely. |
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