SAAUC Glossary

Like every technical field, computing has a language of its own. Here is some of its vocabulary, with links to other references. It doesn’t pretend to be complete. If you don‘t find the word here, try one, or more, of the links at right.

A

Acrobat Adobe’s electronic publishing system. Distiller converts from PostScript files, Acrobat edits links, bookmarks, etc. Acrobat or Adobe Reader (free) is used to read the files, in ‘portable document format’ (PDF). Acrobat documents reproduce the appearance of the original documents, and may contain interactive and multimedia elements

ACS Australian Computer Society: the organisation for computer professionals

ADB Apple desktop bus: used on pre-iMac Macs to connect keyboard, mouse, etc.

ADSL Asynchronous digital subscriber line: a means of using plain old copper wire telephone lines to carry digital data

AFAIK As far as I know (abbreviation used in e-mail)

agent An intelligent program turned loose by a user on the Internet to seek information and report what it finds. Also known as ‘know bot’ (knowledge robot)

AI Artificial intelligence

AIFF Audio interchange file format: a format for sound files devised by Apple

AirPort Apple’s implementation of the IEEE 802.11b standard for wireless networking

Ajax Asynchronous JavaScript and XML: a Web development technique for creating interactive Web applications. Google Earth is one example

alert A dialog containing a warning or advisory message. An application icon is on the left side to identify the application, and buttons will offer alternative actions to dismiss the alert

alias A small file, usually in a convenient place (e.g. on the Desktop) to stand in place of the actual file, and make accessing it easier

analogue, analog Representing one quantity by another, e.g. time by the rotation of a hand around a dial. Compare digital

AOL America Online Inc: the largest US ISP

API Applications programming interface: a standard interface by which a program may use services from the operating system

Apple, apple A computer manufacturer based in Cupertino, California. The fruit of a tree of the genus Malus, rounded in form and with a crisp flesh. (Can usually be disambiguated in context.)

AppleScript The Macintosh scripting language, used to program the Finder and other applications

AppleTalk A networking system on pre-iMac machines. Simple to set up and use, if a bit slow

AppleWorks An integrated package: word processor, database, spreadsheet, graphics, presentation in one program. Now superseded by iWork: Pages, Keynote, Numbers (often incorrectly referred to as ‘iWorks’)

application A program to do something useful on a computer. Word processors and spreadsheets are two examples

Aqua The GUI of Mac OS X

archive Material stored for later retrieval

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange: an ASCII text file contains only ‘text’ characters—letters, numerals, punctuation—without formatting instructions. Any word processor can read and write ASCII files. With an FTP client, a command to transfer files as text rather than binary files

astroturfing Artificial ‘grass roots’ PR campaigns intended to give the impression of being spontaneous. The name comes from a synthetic surface for sporting fields

ATM Asynchronous transfer mode (networking)/Adobe Type Manager (software)/automated teller machine (banking)/at the moment (e-mail abbreviation)

authenticate To provide your user name and password, as requested before you can change an important setting, install software, etc

AVI Audio video interleave: a Microsoft animation format for Windows

B

B2B Business to business: electronic dealings between businesses

backup n A second (or third) copy of a file on a separate drive or disk, and preferably stored out of immediate reach. Backups are vital to prevent data loss in the case of disk or other failures

back up v To make a backup. Do it often

bandwidth A measure of the rate of flow of data. The Web, for instance, requires more bandwidth than e-mail

BBS Bulletin board system: electronic messaging system popular before the Internet became widely available

beta The second stage of software development, in which a new program is tested by selected users to find and eliminate bugs before final release

bezier A form of mathematical curve used in drawing programs, adjustable by moving points and handles. Devised by the mathematician Pierre Bezier, who worked for Renault, and therefore used them to create cars

BiCapitalisation The act said to have been performed on words such as AppleWorks, AppleSauce, FileMaker, InDesign, PostScript, etc. (but not Photoshop) to elevate them above mere common names. Apple is guilty of introducting iMac, iPhone, iPod, iLife, iWork, and so on. Also known as CamelCase

binary In mathematics, base 2 numbers, with the digits 1 and 0. See number systems below
A term usually used to refer to non-text data: graphics files are binary files. With an FTP client, a command to transfer files as a stream of bits rather than as text characters

BIOS Basic input/output system: the minimal keyboard and disk routines in the ROM of a PC

bit BInary digiT: the smallest piece of data, 1 or 0

bookmarks Also known as hotlist. A set of URLs stored by the user in a list for easy access

black box Any item of hardware or software whose inner workings are not, and need not be, understood to be successfully used. (Note that flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders are not ‘black boxes’ but are red or orange. On at least one occasion an accident investigation was delayed because someone searching the wreckage thought he was looking for an actual black box and ignored the orange one)

blog Short for Web log, a kind of diary or journal for commenting on whatever takes the blogger’s fancy (A blawg is a lawyer’s blog)

Bluetooth A wireless system for connecting peripherals such as mouse pointer devices, PDAs, etc. to computers. Limited in range to about 9m. Named for a 10th century Danish king, Harald Bluetooth, who united Denmark and Norway

boot To start a computer from cold. The name is an abbreviation of ‘bootstrap’, so called because the computer ‘knows’ enough to look for a disk drive from which to load its operating system. In Mac circles, ‘start’ or ‘restart’

bounce E-mail that doesn’t arrive is said to have bounced, either due to an error in the address, or through some other problem

bps Bits per second: the measurement of the data transfer speed of a modem. (The faster the better, since less time is required to transfer a file.)

browser A client program such as Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer that allows a user to search randomly through the information provided by Web servers

BSD Berkeley System Distribution: a set of Unix versions. Mac OS X is based on BSD 4.2

BTW By the way (abbreviation used in e-mail)

bug An error in a program, causing it to give false output, or fail altogether

The first bug
One day in 1947 Mark II, an early electro-mechanical computer, produced an obviously wrong answer. Technicians found a moth battered to death in one of its relays (Relay #70 in Panel F). They taped the insect into the machine’s log book with the comment ’First actual case of bug being found.’

bundle A type of folder, holding program resources or multiple-file documents ’that the Finder doesn’t think you really need to know about’ (McIntosh et al). Many programs are bundles, and examples of the latter type include Pages documents. To see the contents of a bundle, Control (or right) click the icon and choose Show Package Contents from the menu.

burn To record a CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R disc

bus A circuit for the transfer of data between two devices, e.g. CPU and RAM

byte Eight bits: normally the number of bits to store one character

C

C A widely used programming language. Derivatives include C++, and Objective-C, the main language used in the Cocoa environment

cache A temporary store, either in memory or on disk, for something that may be reused, such as a Web page. Pronounced ‘cash’

CAD Computer aided design: engineering and architectural design on screen instead of paper

captcha Completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart: a system on a Web page requiring one to read distorted letters (as a graphic) and key them in when, for instance, registering for access to a Web site. (‘Turing’ refers to Alan Turing, the British mathematician who established much of the logical foundation of computing)

Carbon A set of programming interfaces for writing software to run under Mac OS 9 (Classic) and OS X. The sixth element of the Periodic Table, atomic weight 12.011, and the basis for organic chemistry. (Can usually be disambiguated in context.)

CCD charge-coupled device: sensor in digital camera

CD-ROM (CD-R, CD-RW) Compact disc-read only memory: a 12cm polycarbonate disc on which data is recorded optically, to be read by laser. CD-R discs are recordable by the user (‘burning’), CD-RW discs (re-writable) may be erased and rerecorded

cell An element of a spreadsheet, which may contain text, a value, or a formula

Classic Mac OS 9, running under OS X

client A program which requests and receives information from a server. A Web browser is a client

Cloud computing The use, via the Internet, of computing resources which are typically owned and operated by a third-party provider on a central location. Consumers purchase computing capacity on-demand and are not concerned with the underlying technologies used.
The applications of cloud/utility computing models are expanding rapidly as connectivity costs fall, and computing hardware becomes more efficient. Economic incentives to share hardware among multiple users are increasing, while the drawbacks in performance and interactive response are being greatly reduced.
The term ‘cloud’ is used because the Internet is often shown on diagrams as a cloud.
Apple’s cloud is MobileMe

CMS 1 Colour Management System: a system to harmonise colours displayed on screen with those printed. ColorSync is the Mac’s CMS
2 Content Management System: a database-type system to manage the content of a Web site. Users enter text, images, etc. without the need to understand HTML tagging

CMYK Cyan, magenta, yellow, black: the colour model (subtractive) used in printing, where cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks are used (k for key, the black plate)

Cocoa The development framework for OS X programs

code A program, or part thereof. Normally written in a programming language

codec Any technology used to compress or decompress tata, typically music or video files

Command key A Macintosh-specific modifier key, equivalent in some situations to the Control key on a PC. Shown on the key, and sometimes elsewhere, as

command line A line in a Terminal window on which one may type Unix commands: e.g. ls -l gives the listing of a directory in long format, with file permissions, owner, etc.

compress To make a file smaller, and therefore faster to transfer across the network. Compressed files for Macintosh will have names ending in .cpt, .hqx, .sea, .sit or .zip. Graphics are normally compressed, either as GIF or JPEG files. Utility programs such as StuffIt Expander decompress the files so that they can be used on your machine, and viewers display the graphics. StuffIt itself does the compressing

computer, parts of A modern desktop computer contains a CPU (the processor), some working memory (RAM), some control memory (ROM), input and output devices (keyboard, mouse, modem, scanner... display screen, speaker, printer...), together with one or more mass storage devices (hard drive, CD-ROM drive...) Instructions, data, and control signals travel between the components on buses
The diagram shows how the parts relate to each other: click for a larger view in a new window. (It was drawn in 1991, when we were driving Lego machines, synthesiser, etc. with Apple II machines)

connect time The time you are connected to the network (and are paying for)

configuration The way a computer and its peripherals are connected and programmed to operate as a complete system

contextual menu A menu that appears at the cursor location when you Control-click or, on a multi-button mouse, right-click

cookie A file used by a Web browser to store user preferences and automatically send that information to a server when logging in

copyleft The legal licence under which open-source software is released. Copyleft gives the user the right to modify, copy, and distribute code, provided that the same rights are extended to subsequent users.

CPU Central processing unit: the ‘brain’ of a computer, taking data from memory, performing some process, and placing the result in memory, step by step. For some years the CPUs in Macs were of of the PowerPC family. In current machines, they are by Intel
(The diagram for computer, parts of shows the schematic layout of the 6502, processor in the Apple II. Modern microprocessors are much more complex)

cracker A person who maliciously breaks the security of a system in order to misuse it. (Usually referred to, incorrectly, by the media as ‘hacker’)

crash ‘An instance of becoming inoperable because of a malfunction in the equipment or an error in the program.’ (Darcy, L and Boston, L, A dictionary of computer terms, Fontana, 1963)

crippleware Software that you may use on trial, but with key features, such as saving and printing, disabled

CRT cathode-ray tube: TV or monitor tube (cathode rays being streams of electrons, directed by magnetic or electrostatic means, which strike a phosphor screen, causing it to glow). Now being replaced by LCDs

CSS Cascading style sheet: a means of separating formatting instructions from semantic content of HTML pages. This site uses CSS to control paragraph formatting, layout, behaviour of menus at left, etc

cursor From the Latin for ‘runner’, a pointer or vertical line (often blinking) on the screen to indicate where the next character will appear. In GUI systems the cursor will change shape to indicate its mode

D

daemon A program that waits for some condition, then performs its process (often involved with printing)

Darwin The open-source core system of Mac OS X (Its unofficial mascot is Hexley the Platypus, usually garbed as a daemon)

database A program to store, manipulate and search data. The professional-level database on the Mac is FileMaker Pro, with Bento intended for home use. Commonly compared to card index systems

dead link A URL to a now non-existent page or file

default A value or option assigned by a system when one has not been given by the user. What to accept when there are no better ideas

DED dark emitting diode: may be used as an ‘off’ indicator

Desktop The virtual surface on which users spread virtual folders, virtual documents, a virtual Trash can, and virtual junk, often with a scenic picture to remind the user where he or she would rather be

dialog A window designed to elicit a response from the user. Many dialogs, such as the Print dialog, allow the user to provide several responses at one time

dial up v To call another computer by modem

dialup, dial-up A connection reached by modem

digest A set of mailing list messages combined into one file

digital Representing numbers by a set of discrete signals, e.g. the numerals of binary notation represented by the ‘on’ and ‘off’ states of computer memory. Compare analogue

DIN Deutsche Industrie Normen (German Industrial Standard): a standards body, specifying connectors, etc. (e.g. DIN-8, the serial connector on pre-iMac Macs)

DIP dual inline package, either ICs or sets of switches

directory See folder

disc A circular optical data storage device (e.g. CD-ROM)

disk A circular magnetic data storage device (e.g. hard disk or the obsolescent floppy)

DLL dynamic-linked library: a library file which can be used by a number of programs, the source of much misery in the Windows world

DNS Domain name system: a database system (usually on the ISP host) which has a list of names and addresses of other sites. Browsers will give DNS error messages if you give them incorrect URLs because they will not find them in the server’s list

Dock An area on the Mac OS X screen holding icons of frequently and currently used applications and documents

Dogcow A semi-legendary creature that inhabited early Macintosh technical documentation, and was named Clarus. It also appeared in the Page Setup... dialog

download To transfer a file electronically from another machine to your own

draw To generate an image with vectors—shapes and bezier curves—rather than pixels. Illustrator is the professional package, with Inkscape the main open-source example

drawer A child window that slides out from a parent window that the user can open or close (show or hide) while the parent window is open, and containing controls that are not needed at all times

driver Usually refers to device driver, software to control a particular device, such as a printer

DRM Digital rights management: managing intellectual property rights of digital media

DTP desktop publishing

DVD Digital versatile disc: optical disc used for distributing movies, etc.

dysclicksia The inability of some users to accurately click with the mouse. Many users are confused as to whether some objects should be clicked, or double clicked, and then find it difficult to click twice in the same place. The term was coined by Pam Martin and promoted by Jef Raskin in The Humane Interface

E

email, e-mail Electronic mail, as distinct from snail mail. Common e-mail programs are Mail, Outlook, and Eudora

emulate To behave like something else, e.g. a computer may emulate an old-fashioned terminal, or a complex flight simulator. With Virtual PC software a Mac can emulate a PC

EPS Encapsulated PostScript: a file format for DTP use. EPS files contain PostScript code for text and vector images, bitmaps for other images, and comments for other details, and a low resolution image for representation on screen

entry A piece of data in a database field

Ethernet A networking system, IEEE 802.3, as standard on Macs since 1998

execution The performance by a computer of the instructions in a program

F

FAQ Frequently asked questions: a list of commonly asked questions, provided so that newcomers can understand what a mailing list or newsgroup is about. Read the FAQ before you embarrass yourself

feature A good property or behaviour of a machine or program. (Whether it was intended or not is beside the point)

Fetch A widely used shareware Macintosh FTP client, the one with the little dog

field A part of a database record for storing one item of data

file Any file stored on the system. In Macintosh circles ‘document’ is the preferred term

file extension The three or four letters after a dot in a filename to distinguish the file type. Before Mac OS X they were rare on the Macintosh, but have always been essential to other operating systems. Common examples include .cwk (AppleWorks), .doc (Microsoft Word document), .txt (text file), .jpg or .jpeg (JPEG image)

Finder A ‘window’ to the Macintosh operating system, enabling files and other items to be seen (as icons) and manipulated

firewall Either a dedicated machine or software to restrict access to a network from (typically) elsewhere on the Internet. A means of protection from crackers

FireWire A means of connecting peripherals such as hard disks, video cameras, etc. Invented by Apple and also known as IEEE 1394 and iLink

flame To argue rudely and insult people in mailing lists and newsgroups. Not nice

flash, Flash 1 A a form of memory used in removable cards (Compact Flash, Memory Stick, etc) and portable ‘drives’
2 Adobe’s (formerly Macromedia’s) animation system for the Web

foilware Presentations prepared in PowerPoint or Keynote, usually of the less than impressive kind. The name comes from the transparencies used in the days of overhead projectors

folder Folders may contain documents and/or sub-folders. Equivalent to ‘directory’ in older systems

FOLDOC Free on-line dictionary of computing: link at top right

FOSS Free open-source software, such as OpenOffice, NeoOffice, Seashore, etc.

FPU floating point unit: either a co-processor or part of the CPU for maths processing

freeware Software that you may freely distribute and use without payment. Compare shareware

FTP File Transfer Protocol: in Unix, and therefore the Internet, a common way to transfer files. An FTP client program is used to transfer the files. The usual ones on the Macintosh are Fetch or Anarchie

FWIW For what it’s worth (abbreviation used in e-mail)

FWSE v tr Famous Web search engine (pronounced ‘foosie’), the term Google’s lawyers prefer you to use, as in ‘I FWSEd for it on the Web’

G

GIF Graphics interchange format: a file format commonly used for graphics files on the Web. Filenames usually end with .gif. GIF uses a lossless compression method but is limited in its colour range

Giga In computing, a prefix meaning 2³⁰, 1073741824. Usually seen in GB (giga-bytes, measure of memory or disk space) or GHz (giga Hertz, a measure of CPU or bus speed)

GIGO Garbage in, barbage out. Don’t expect a right answer from wrong data

GIMP GNU Image Manipulation Program: an open-source equivalent of Photoshop, running on the Mac under X11

GIS Geographic Information System: an electronic mapping system, allowing different features and data to be represented on different layers.

GNU GNU’s not Unix: a free Unix project, pre-dating Linux. (Strictly speaking, Linux is only the kernel, the rest of a Linux system comes from the GNU project)

google v tr To search on the Web using the Google search engine. Google’s lawyers are unhappy with the usage, and prefer you to use the expression ‘FWSE’ (which see)

GUI Graphical user interface: a system of windows, icons, and a mouse pointer. The Macintosh is our favourite example. Pronounced ‘gooey’

H

hacker Originally, someone who made furniture with an axe. In computing terms, one who enjoys exploring programmable systems, programs enthusiastically, is good at programming quickly, or is an expert at a particular system. Often mistaken in the media for ‘cracker’

hang v To wait for an event that will never happen. A machine that seems to be doing nothing may be said to be hung

hard disk A magnetic disk drive whose platter(s) are rigid, unlike the flexible disks of the now-obsolete floppy kind. Currently the main type of mass storage in desktop computers

helper application A program used by a Web browser to display some particular file types, e.g. the Adobe Reader plugin to display Acrobat (PDF) documents

hexadecimal Numbers in base 16, used by programmers as shorthand for binary. See number systems below

Home page The first page normally accessed by a Web browser

host The ISP’s large computer you connect to for Internet access

hotlist Also known as bookmarks. A set of URLs stored by the user in a list for easy access

HSB Hue, saturation, brightness: a colour model

HTH Hope this helps (abbreviation used in e-mail)

HTML HyperText markup language: the language (a tagging system) used to prepare text for use on the Web

HTTP HyperText transfer protocol: the protocol used by Web servers and clients to transfer data

hypertext ‘Non-sequential writing’: text and documents that you can access in any order, usually by following one main idea. The World-Wide Web is a global hypertext system. The word was coined by Ted Nelson in 1965, and the idea of hypertext is usually attributed to Vannevar Bush

Hz In computing, a measure of CPU and bus clock speed: 1 Hz is one cycle per second. The Apple II ran at 1 KHz, recent Macintosh at 1.8 GHz. Note that processor clock speed is only a partial measure of the overall speed of a computer

I

IC integrated circuit

icon A small image representing a file, folder, device, etc

IDE 1 Integrated development environment: a programming environment such as Apple’s Xcode combining editor, compiler, linker, etc.
2 Integrated drive electronics: hard disk drive interface, originally for PCs, later Macintosh

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: a standards body, e.g. FireWire is IEEE 1394

IM Instant messaging. On the Mac, iChat (with AOL and Jabber compatibility)

IMHO In my humble opinion (abbreviation used in e-mail (the ‘humble’ is sometimes omitted))

Inkwell Apple’s handwriting recognition system. Requires OX 10.2 or later and a digitiser pad

Inspector A window giving access to characteristics of a selected object, e.g. the formatting of a paragraph in a word processor. (Image shows text inspector from Pages)

install To transfer a program from distribution media (e.g. CD-ROM) to the machine’s hard disk. In many cases the installer places a number of files in various locations

internet A group of connected networks, for instance, the networks of a university or business

Internet The set of interconnected networks across the world. (Technically, the set of networks that communicate via TCP/IP.) Through the Internet we have the World-Wide Web, etc

intranet A portion of the Internet with access limited to a company or business. In effect, a private part of the Internet

IP Internet protocol

iPad Apple’s entry into the ‘tablet computer’ market, with touch-controlled interface, and capable of use as an ebook reader, video and music player, digital photo frame, email and Web access device, etc

iPhone A mobile telephone made by Apple, with a number of trend-setting features, especially its touch-controlled interface

iPod MP3 music player made by Apple in a number of versions, varying in features, capacity, etc. Music, podcasts and video can be transferred to the device after download from Apple’s iTunes online store, and listened to or watched at leisure. Care should be taken to protect one’s hearing by keeping volume at safe levels

ISP Internet Service Provider: a company or organisation which provides access to the Internet. Users connect to the ISP’s host through a modem or ADSL connection, and from there to the Internet itself. Local examples include Internode and SENet

IT Information technology. ICT is information and communications technology

J

Jaguar Panthera onca, one of the four ‘big cats’ of the genus Panthera. The name given to Mac OS X 10.2

jargon What this glossary is about. For one set of explanations try The New Hacker’s Dictionary from MIT Press (see yellow book), available online through the link at top right. If you want to understand and be understood you have no option but to learn it

Java A cross-platform programming language (derived from C++) which makes it possible for Web browsers to do animations and other interesting things. Some applications, e.g. ThinkFree Office, are written in Java

JavaScript Unrelated to Java, a scripting system for embedding code into Web pages, such as that on the home page of this site

JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group: a group which developed a compression scheme for graphics files. Photographs are typically stored as JPEG files, with filenames ending in .jpeg or .jpg. JPEG uses ‘lossy’ compression methods, thereby losing fine detail

K

kernel The core software of a Unix system

kilo A prefix meaning 1024 in computing terms. A kilobyte is therefore 1024 bytes. (Computing numbers are calculated in powers of 2, 2¹⁰ in this case.)

knowbot A robot program used to search for information

L

LAN Local Area Network: a network covering an area such as one building or institution. Compare WAN

laptop A portable computer whose battery life is equivalent to the time taken to form pressure sores on the user’s knees

launch To load and begin executing (running) a program

LCD Liquid crystal display: as used in laptops and flat panel displays such as recent iMacs. (Note that ‘LCD screen’ involves a redundancy.)

LED light emitting diode: semiconductor light source

Leopard Panthera pardus, the smallest of the four ‘big cats’ of the genus Panthera. The name given to Mac OS X 10.5

link A hypertext connection to related material elsewhere in a document, or to another document (which may be on the other side of the world). By default, links on a Web page are underlined are blue, but this may be overridden by CSS (as in the case of the menu on the left of this page)

Linux An open-source version of Unix, written by Linus Torvalds and a host of penguins

LlSTSERV A program for running automatic mailing lists. Similar programs are Majordomo and ListProcessor. Remember that mail list processors have two addresses, one for commands to the processor (e.g. <listserv@domain.name> to subscribe or unsubscribe, and another for messages to the list (e.g. <listname@domain.name>. Send commands to the list and you (and everyone else) will wish that you hadn’t. (The name is like that because it was originally a program on IBM mainframes.)

load To transfer a program or document from disk to memory so that it can be used (Note that ‘load’ and ‘install’ are not synonymous: see install above)

login, log in, log on To identify yourself to a host computer, usually with a username and password

lurk To read messages from a mailing list or newsgroup without contributing. Nothing wrong with that: lurk for a time to understand the themes and personalities on the list before you put your foot in it

LZW Lempel-Ziv Welch: a file compression scheme, named for Abraham Lempel and Jacob Ziv who devised the original, and Terry Welch who modified it

M

MAC Computing: Media Access Control: a layer of a networking systems that determines which station has access to the physical network at any given time.
Medicine: Mycobacterium avium complex.
(Any person who uses ‘MAC’ as an abbreviation for ‘Macintosh’ is revealing ignorance)

MacBinary A file format combining the three parts of Macintosh files: data fork, resource fork, and Finder information block. Other computers, e.g. Unix FTP servers, can store and transmit the files, which are then reassembled into normal Mac files by a receiving Macintosh

macro One instruction standing for a number. On the Mac, macros are usually used with word processors: e.g. a particular keystroke may insert some generic text

mailing list A list of people who all receive mail posted to the group. Mailing lists exist for virtually all the subjects you can imagine (and a few that you can’t), and are normally run by an automated mailer such as Majordomo. The SAAUC list through Google Groups is one such

mashup A Web site or Web application that seamlessly combines content from more than one source into single page, e.g. adding information about housing to a map from Google Earth

mass storage Generally refers to the hard drive in a machine, but can include backup storage such as CD-ROM

MCA Micro Channel Architecture IBM’s proprietary 32-bit bus, used in high-end PCs. MCA never became as wide spread as the competing EISA standard.

Mega A prefix meaning 1,048,576 in computing, where numbers are calculated in powers of 2: 2²⁰. Usually found as MB (mega-bytes, measure of memory or disk space) or MHz (mega-Hertz, a measure of CPU or bus speed)

memory In practice, refers to RAM, the working memory of a computer. In general, the more the better. (Note that memory and mass storage are different)

microprocessor A central processing unit on one integrated circuit, as distinct from the many discrete components of early computers. A microcomputer is a machine based on a microprocessor, with the Macintosh being a familiar example
(The diagram for computer, parts of shows the schematic layout of the 6502, processor in the Apple II. Modern microprocessors are much more complex)

Microsoft A software company founded in 1975 by William Henry Gates and Paul Allen, after Gates dropped out of Harvard. Many Mac users are proud to operate Microsoft-free machines

MIDI Musical instrument digital interface: a means of conncecting synthesisers, etc.

MIME Multipurpose Internet mail extensions: protocol and format allowing attachments to be sent by e-mail

MIPS Million instructions per second: a measure of the speed of a processor

mirror A site that contains exactly the same content as another. The mirror helps reduce the load on the original site

missile address (also ICBM address) An address given as geographical coordinates. SAAUC meetings are at 34° 56.9' S 138° 36.5' E

MMU Memory management unit: a hardware device or circuit that supports virtual memory and paging by translating virtual addresses into physical addresses. (Earlier Macs with the 68020 processor used the MC 68851 MMU. The 68030 processor incorporated the MMU.)

MobileMe Apple’s subscription-based cloud of online services and software, superseding .Mac. There are services for Mac OS X and Windows machines, as well as for the iPhone and iPod touch, and the system is based on SproutCore

modem MOdulator-DEModulator: a device that allows computers to communicate through the telephone system. Modems are rated by the speed (in bps) at which they transfer data

modifier key A key such as the Shift key which, when pressed with another key, modifies the behaviour of that key, to produce capital letters in this case. Macintosh-specific modifier keys are the Command and Option keys

Moore’s Law The observation by Gordon Moore (co-founder of Intel) that the number of components that can be fabricated on integrated circuits doubles roughly every 18 months, leading to faster and more powerful machines

mouse (properly, mouse pointer device) The triumph of Disney over Descartes; a cumbersome, infantile pointing device. Invented by Douglas Engelbart, after whom the AppleSauce pet mouse is named

mouso An error in mouse usage leading to an inappropriate selection. Analogous to ‘typo’

MPEG Motion Picture Experts Group: committee that designed the compression scheme for digital video, and the various file formats. Filenames normally end in .mpeg

MP3 MPEG-1 Layer 3 The part of the MPEG-1 format that carries audio data, and used for digital music (e.g. on the iPod)

multimedia Programs attacking all five senses of the user: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch

Murphy’s law The observation by engineer Edward A Murphy in 1949 that ‘If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it.’ The mutated form ‘Anything that can go wrong, will’ is, correctly, known as Finagle’s law of dynamic negatives. Another variant reads ‘The perversity of the Universe tends towards a maximum.’ Its corollary is Hanlon’s razor: ‘Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity’

N

nagware Shareware that reminds you to pay by launching with a reminder dialog, often forcing you to wait

NeoOffice An open source alternative (a version of OpenOffice) for Microsoft Office, with wordprocessor, spreadsheet, database and presentation modules

Net An abbreviation for Internet

netiquette The way to behave on the Internet

nick, nickname A short name referring to a full email address, e.g. ‘SAAUC’ might be used as the nickname in an address list to refer to the SAAUC list <saauc@googlegroups.com>

NNTP Network news transfer protocol

notwork A network when it is performing poorly. In Russia, a nyetwork

number systems Humans use decimal, base 10, numbers, but computers work with binary, base 2. Less cumbersome than binary for human programmers are octal, base 8, and hexadecimal, base 16

Decimal	Binary	Octal	Hexadecimal
1	0000 0001	1	1
2	0000 0010	2	2
3	0000 0011	3	3
4	0000 0100	4	4
5	0000 0101	5	5
6	0000 0110	6	6
7	0000 0111	7	7
8	0000 1000	10	8
9	0000 1001	11	9
10	0000 1010	12	A
11	0000 1011	13	B
12	0000 1100	14	C
13	0000 1101	15	D
14	0000 1110	16	E
15	0000 1111	17	F
16	0001 0000	20	10
17	0001 0001	21	11
18	0001 0010	22	12
19	0001 0011	23	13
20	0001 0100	24	14

O

OCR optical character recognition: used for scanning printed documents and generating electronic text

octal Numbers in base 8, used by programmers as shorthand for binary. See number systems above

OEM Original equipment manufacturer: a misleading term for a company which repackages equipment, including computers, made by other companies: in effect, badge engineering

offline, off-line Actions performed when you are not connected to another computer

OLE Object linking and embedding: Microsoft’s method of embedding such things as Excel charts in Word documents, etc.

online, on-line Actions performed when you are connected to another computer

OOPS Object-oriented programming system: programming using discrete reusable blocks of code

OpenOffice An open source alternative for Microsoft Office, with wordprocessor, spreadsheet, and presentation modules, running under X11

open source Source (program) code that is open to all to use and modify. The Linux operating system is open source, as are parts of OS X

operating system (OS) The base level of program in a machine, responsible for memory management, input (keyboard, mouse, etc) and output (screen, printer, etc). In current Macs, OS X, a version of Unix

Option key A Macintosh-specific modifier key, equivalent to the Alt key on a PC. Sometimes shown as

P

page The basic document type for the Web: usually text in HTML form. A page may take up more than one screen (as this one does)

paint To produce an image pixel by pixel, as with Photoshop, Painter, etc.

panel The term used in recent Adobe applications (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc) in place of ‘palette’, presumably because people could not spell (even ‘palate’ has been seen (leaves a funny taste))

panic What a Unix system does when it can’t keep running. In the case of Mac OS X it tries to print ‘You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button.’ Nothing else for it..

Panther The genus Panthera, the four ‘big cats’ tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard. The cougar, Puma concolor, is sometimes known as panther, and black forms of jaguar and leopard are often known as black panther. The name given to Mac OS X 10.3

PARC Palo Alto Research Centre: the Xerox centre which devised many of the GUI and other ideas that went into Macintosh

Parkinson’s Law of Data ‘Data expands to fill the space available for storage’: buying more memory and larger hard disks encourages the use of more memory-intensive techniques and the generation of ever-larger files

partition An area of a hard disk seen by the system as a separate volume or drive

password A unique set of characters to identify a user when logging in. Like a bank PIN, to be kept secret

patch A small piece of software applied to fix some problem in an application or operating system. If it fixes a security problem, definitely to be applied

PC, pc Personal computer, politically correct, police constable, post card, percent, printed circuit... Can usually, but not always, be disambiguated in context. Note that it is not PC to refer to the Mac as a PC: the Mac is a Mac

PC card (formerly PCMCIA card): a credit-card sized device containing memory, WiFi or Bluetooth adapters, etc. for use with laptops

PCI Peripheral component interconnect bus: the standard 32-bit bus in PCs and Macs for connecting devices such as video cards, etc.

PDA Personal digital assistant: Apple’s was the now defunct Newton, current offerings come from Palm, HP, Toshiba, etc. A PDA is a pocket-size computer used for notes, address lists, etc, usually with some form of handwriting recognition

PDF Portable document format: the file format used by Acrobat, ISO 32000. Derived from PostScript, and one of the default formats of OS X

peripheral A device connected to a computer: printer, scanner, external storage...

permissions On multi-user systems, such as OS X, a means of controlling access to files: e.g. a file’s owner will have read and write access, others may have read access only

person of no account Someone without an e-mail account and address

PFD personal flotation device or primary flight display (can be disambiguated in context)

PGP Pretty Good Privacy: an encryption program for transmitting confidential material across networks. It uses public and private keys: numbers used by the encryption algorithm. Public keys appear as gibberish at the end of e-mail messages

PICT A Macintosh graphics file format

phishing Attempting to learn someone’s personal details (account number, PIN, etc) in order to fraudulently use a bank account. Usually in the form of an email message purporting to come from a bank, but in reality forged. Always trash such messages immediately and never respond

pixel Picture element: the image on a screen is composed of pixels. Graphics programs such as Photoshop are pixel based, that is they can be used to edit images pixel by pixel. Screen resolution is measured in pixels, e.g. 1024 * 768

PNG portable network graphics: a compression scheme for graphics files, esp. on the WWW. File names end in .png

podcasting Distributing audio or video files on the Web, usually in MP3 format. The name is formed from ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcasting’

POP Post office protocol: a protocol for the storage and transfer of email

port 1 A connector for communicating with peripheral devices: e.g. USB, FireWire, etc.
2 To rewrite a program for use with another OS, e.g. to prepare a version of a Macintosh program to run on a Windows machine
3 A logical communication channel in a multiplexed networking system. TCP/IP examples include FTP 20, Telnet 23, SMTP 25, HTTP 80. Occasionally appears in a URL <www.somewhere.com:80>

post To send a message to a list or discussion group

PostScript A page description language, usually used to communicate with printers (esp. laser printers)

PPP Point-to-point protocol: the Internet protocol for transmitting data aver a serial link, such as by modem

PRAM Parameter RAM: the Mac’s method of storing data such as memory, keyboard, mouse, video and other settings. May become corrupted, at which point it must be reset. See zap

preferences User settings for various programs. In Mac OS 9 and earlier in the Preferences folder in the System folder, in OS X in ~/Library/Preferences (where ~ stands for the user’s home folder). Occasionally become corrupt, at which point they are trashed, and the user preferences reset

program A set of instructions to make a computer do something, useful or otherwise. Generally written in a programming language, but occasionally in the processor’s native code

programme A list of series of events or performers; radio or television broadcast; a plan of future events, etc.

protocol A language used by consenting computers to communicate with each other

Puma Puma is a genus of felines that contains the Cougar (also known as the Puma, among other names) and the Jaguarundi. The name given to Mac OS X 10.1

Q

QuickTime Apple’s technology for time-based data such as sound, animation and video. QuickTime files are compressed, but can nevertheless be very large, and therefore take a long time to download. QuickTime players exist for both the Mac and Windows machines

R

RAID Either Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (according to the inventor), or Redundant Array of Independent Disks (as later named within the computing industry): a technology using two or more hard disk drives simultaneously to achieve greater levels of performance, reliability, and/or larger data volume sizes.
RAID 0 drives (striped disks) distribute data across several disks in a way which gives improved speed and full capacity, but all data on all disks will be lost if any one disk fails.
RAID 1 (mirrored disks) uses two (or more) disks which each store the same data, so that data is not lost so long as one disk survives. Total capacity of the array is just the capacity of a single disk. The failure of one drive, in the event of a hardware or software malfunction, does not increase the chance of a failure or decrease the reliability of the remaining drives (second, third, etc).

RAM Random access memory: the machine’s storage for programs and data: can be read from and written to. Generally, the more the better. Normally volatile, i.e. data is erased when the power supply is cut

record In a database, analagous to one card in a card index. Contains one or more fields and their entries

release v To turn loose the latest version of hardware or software. Usually accompanied by much hype, and followed by choruses of complaints of bugs, incompatabilities, etc

RGB Red, green, blue: the colour model (additive) used on-screen, with red, green, and blue emitting phosphors matching the red, green, and blue cone cells of the eye

rip To copy music from an audio CD to your computer, perhaps before transferring to CD or MP3 player

RISC reduced instruction set computer: a processor with a smaller set of instructions than a conventional one, making it simpler, and potentially faster, but requiring more program instructions to give the same results. The PowerPC processor is a RISC device

robot Not a machine, but a program automagically performing some task, such as running a mailing list. Others, known as spiders, wander the Web in a vain attempt to index it. See agent and knowbot

ROM Read only memory: memory with fixed data. It can be read from but not written to. Used for storing low-level routines, e.g. for booting

root In a Unix system, the superuser, the top-level administrator with access (including delete access (dangerous)) to all files in the system. Disabled by default in Mac OS X to stop newbies shooting themselves in the foot

RSN Real soon now

RSS Really simple syndication: a set of XML standards that allow subscription to Web sites that provide information such as news

RTFM Read the friendly/fine/f****** manual: advice to read the documentation before asking questions which reveal ignorance. Now being replaced by RTFHS, read the fine/... help screen/system

S

SaaS See Software as a service

save To transfer a copy of a document from RAM to disk. You should do this regularly as you work on a document to avoid losing too much if, for example, the power fails

SCCS Source code control system: a popular code management system for Unix systems

script A small program in a language such as AppleScript to make the operating system or a program perform some task

SCSI Small computer systems interface: a system for connecting devices such as hard disks, scanners, etc. to a computer. Used on pre-iMac Macinstoshen

search engine A program that searches documents according to the query given to it by the user. (It’s called an ‘engine’, not because it is a mechanical device, but as a tribute to Charles Babbage, who designed but did not complete, his Difference and Analytical Engines, which were mechanical, in the 19th century.) Search engines on the Web include Google, Lycos, Yahoo, Bing, and Infoseek. Spotlight is the equivalent on a single Macintosh

security For a user, this means keeping passwords confidential, and installing software from reliable sources only. See cracker, virus, and worm

self-extracting archive A compressed file or files with their own decompression program. Double-click on the file’s icon and it decompresses itself

server Either the machine or the program that provides data to client programs. A Web server sends pages to browsers

shareware Software that you may distribute freely, and try without paying for. If you decide to use the program, you should send payment to the author. Compare freeware

sheet A form of alert appearing over a dialog window: e.g. to warn that a document is unsaved when an application is being closed. Buttons will offer alternative actions to dismiss the sheet

shell (Unix) A command interpreter that passes commands to the operating system. In Mac OS X you have the choice of tcsh (default) bash, or zsh

sig, signature Lines appended to email with the sender’s name and address, sometimes with a witty saying and/or some graphics composed of text characters

silicon Element: Atomic No 14, Atomic Wt 28.086. A non-metal similar to carbon in its chemical characteristics, and the second most common element in the Earth’s crust. As a semiconductor, the base for integrated circuits

SIMM single inline memory module

site The place on the Internet where a file is stored. The word may refer to both a physical place and an Internet address. More than one site can be on the same server

smileys Sets of characters used in email to replace body language, e.g. ;-) Sometimes called emoticons

SMTP Simple mail transfer protocol: the protocol that allows you to send e-mail

SNA Systems network architecture: IBM’s proprietary high level networking protocol standard, used by IBM and IBM compatible mainframes. (Also known as ‘Blue Glue’ (don’t ask))

snail mail Paper enclosed in an envelope with a stamp, and carried and eventually delivered by Australia Post or its equivalent. v@_

snarf To grab a document to use without the author’s permission

Snow Leopard Uncia uncia (or Panthera uncia), an endangered moderately large cat of the mountains of Central Asia. The name given to Mac OS X 10.6

software Programs that can be run by a computer (as distinct from the hardware on which it runs (or the liveware who operates it))

Software as a service (SaaS) A model of software deployment where an application made available as a service provided across the Internet. By eliminating the need to install and run the application on the customer’s own computer, SaaS alleviates the burden of software maintenance, ongoing operation, and support. Using SaaS also can reduce the initial expense of software purchases, through less costly, on-demand pricing

sorcerer’s apprentice mode What happens when automated mail list programs re-send bounced messages

spam Unsolicited bulk e-mail. The bane of everyone except persons of no account. Never respond
The name comes from a Monty Python’s Flying Circus skit

SPOD Spinning Pizza of Death (also SBBOD: Spinning Beachball of Death): Mac OS X’s animated wait cursor. If it persists, there may be a problem

SproutCore An open source JavaScript framework intended to allow developers to create web applications with advanced capabilities and the feel of desktop applications. It is available under the MIT License, and is used by Apple as the foundation of MobileMe

SQL structured query language: for manipulating data in relational databases

status line Web browsers report what they are doing with messages on screen

style A set of formatting instructions for a paragraph or character in a word processor or page layout package. Using styles gives consistency, and saves time and effort. Styles are also the basis for features such as automatic table of contents generation

surfing In the Internet sense, jumping from one URL to another according to whim, without any real sense of purpose

SVG Scalable Vector Graphics, an XML-based format for vector graphics

T

TCB trouble came back: an intermittent problem that is being difficult to fix

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The base protocols of the Internet

Terminal A Mac OS X application giving access to the Unix command line

Tiger Panthera tigris, the largest of the four ‘big cats’ of the genus Panthera. The name given to Mac OS X 10.4

thread A set of mail or newsgroup messages on the same topic

TLA Three letter acronym, the sort of thing that infests computing terminology

Trash To remove, delete, and otherwise dispose of files and folders

tree-killer A printer (but note also Treebeard’s comment regarding Orcs in Lord of the Rings)

triangle, disclosure The small triangle next to a folder in a Finder list view window, also sometimes called expansion triangle (or flippies or twiddles). Click it to show or hide the contents of the folder

Trojan horse A malicious, security-breaking program disguised as something useful, named for the ancient Greek ‘gift’ to the city of Troy

U

Unix Historically, the usual operating system of workstations and larger computers. The Internet was built around its protocols. Mac OS X is built on a version of Unix

UPS Uninterruptible power supply: a device, containing a battery, which maintains the supply of power should the mains supply fail. What every machine that works for its living should have

URL Uniform (or Universal) resource locator: the ‘address’ of any item on the Internet, specifying where and what type a file is. Web URLs are in the form <http://www.somewhere.com.au/whatever.html>

USB Universal serial bus: a standard system for connecting peripherals such as keyboards, mouse pointer devices, printers, digital cameras, etc

username, userid The name you use to log in to a computer

V

vaporware Hardware or software that is announced, but is not yet ready for market (and indeed, may never be)

vector A mathematical description of a line or curve. Graphics packages such as Illustrator and Inkscape draw with vectors

virus A program that ‘infects’ other programs by embedding its code in them. When the programs are run, the virus reproduces itself. Some viruses are malicious, crashing machines or deleting files. Always treat programs from unknown sources, either on disk or downloaded, with suspicion. Compare worm and Trojan horse

virus hoax An e-mail chain message about some supposed virus, and sent willy-nilly by people who should know better. The ‘virus’ is the message itself. See <archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/08/11/email.hoaxes/index.html> for an overview, or <www.snopes.com/computer/virus/virus.asp> for computing virus urban legends (and a host of other urban legends from the home page)

vista 1 A long narrow view, as between rows of trees, 2 a mental view of a long succession of remembered or anticipated events, 3 the name of the Windows version following XP but failing to displace it

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol: a means of making telephone calls via the Internet, e.g. by using a service such as Internode’s NodePhone or (the somewhat different) Skype

W

WAN Wide area network: a network spanning a large area for one company or business. In effect, the Internet is a huge shared WAN

WAV A Microsoft sound file format, so named because of the file extension: .wav

wheel In a BSD Unix system a person with a high level of access privileges, an administrator, a ‘big wheel’. The root user is a special wheel

widget Originally, a meta-thing, then a user-interface object in GUI systems. As Widgets, small programs operating on the Mac OS X 10.4 and later Desktop

WiFi Wireless networks, e.g. AirPort

window A frame for viewing and interacting with applications and data. On the Macintosh they are of four types:
Document window: file-based user data: a view into the content that people create and store. If the document is larger than the window, a scroll bar will be present
Application window: the main windows of applications that are not document-based
Utility window: also called palettes, these float above other windows and provide tools or controls that users can work with while documents are open
Dialog and alert: a window that requires a response from the user

Windows The operating system made by Microsoft for Intel CPU based machines. Regarded by Mac users as inferior (if not unmentionable)

Wirth’s Law The observation by Niklaus Wirth (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, developer of the Pascal, Modula, and Oberon languages): Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster

WOMBAT Waste of money, brains, and time. (Apply as required)

World-Wide Web Also WWW, W3, or simply Web. The glamour service of the Internet, the Web is a global hypertext system, offering text, graphics, movies and sound

worm A program that copies itself across a network, filling up memory and disk space. Compare virus

Woz Stephen Gary Wozniak, designer of the Apple I and Apple II computers, and, with Steven Paul Jobs, co-founder of Apple

WYSIWYG What you see is what you get: what appears on the screen should print exactly the same. (Note that with Microsoft Word, what you see on your own screen is not necessarily what others will see if the file is transferred to other machines: WYSINWTG—what you see is not what they get)

X–Z

X In Mac OS X pronounced ‘ten’, in Widows XP however you like

X11 See X Window System

XML eXtended markup language: a markup language for documents, more powerful than HTML, and the basis for an increasing number of document systems such as OpenDocument. It is used within Mac OS X for property lists

X Window System (X11 for short) A GUI system common on other Unix machines. It is supplied with recent versions of Mac OS X and may be installed if desired, enabling a whole range of Unix software (e.g. OpenOffice) to be run on the Mac

YAFIYGI You asked for it, you got it. (Compare WYSIWYG). What you asked for may not be apparent until later

yellow book The New Hacker’s Dictionary (MIT Press), whose contents are available online at the link at top right. (The book has a yellow cover)

zap To erase the PRAM and reset defaults. On startup, hold down the Command, Option, P and R keys until you hear the startup chime a second time