~I~
i486DX ~ internal modem
A/B Switch box ~ America On-line AMI BIOS ~ Arithmetic Operation ARP ~ AVI Backbone ~ Bit Image Bit Map ~ Boot Disk Boot Drive ~ Bytes Per Inch C++ ~ Carrier Frequency carrier system ~ certification CGI ~ Chooser extension cipher ~ Clipper Chip clock ~ color color bits ~ communications satellite communications server ~ computer security CON ~ copy copy program ~ cycle time daemon ~ defragmentation demand paging ~ digitize DikuMUD ~ disk disk buffer ~ Document Style Semantics and Specification Language document window ~ dynamic Web page Easter egg ~ erase erase head ~ ezine F2F ~ finger2 firewall ~ font suitcase footer ~ FYI Game Control Adapter ~ GUI HAL ~ hot key1 hot key2 ~ Hz i486DX ~ internal modem internet ~ ISO 9660 ISO/OSI model ~ just-in-time K1 ~ knowledge base L1 cache ~ LU luggable computer ~ LZW compression MAC ~ MILNET mime ~ msec MTBF ~ MYOB named anchor ~ network drive Network File System ~ number crunching object ~ overwrite mode P5 ~ PC/XT keyboard PDA ~ pipeline processing piracy ~ preventive maintenance preview ~ pwd quasi-language ~ QWERTY keyboard R&D ~ registration marks Registry ~ RFI RF shielding ~ run-time library SAA ~ server error server push-pull ~ soft return software ~ style sheet stylus ~ System T1 ~ ToggleKeys token ~ typography UART ~ uupc V.120 ~ view2 viewer ~ VxD w3 ~ WinG WINS ~ WWW X.25 ~ X Windows Yahoo! ~ yotta- Z39.50 standard ~ Zulu time
i486DX
n. An Intel microprocessor introduced in 1989. In addition to the features of the 80386 (32-bit registers, 32-bit data bus, and 32-bit addressing), the i486DX has a built-in cache controller, a built-in floating-point coprocessor, provisions for multiprocessing, and a pipelined execution scheme. Also called 486, 80486. See also pipelining (definition 1).
i486DX2
n. An Intel microprocessor introduced in 1992 as an upgrade to certain i486DX processors. The i486DX2 processes data and instructions at twice the system clock frequency. The increased operating speed leads to the generation of much more heat than in an i486DX, so a heat sink is often installed on the chip. Also called 486DX, 80486. See also heat sink, i486DX, microprocessor. Compare OverDrive.
i486SL
n. A low-power-consumption version of Intel's i486DX microprocessor designed primarily for laptop computers. The i486SL operates at a voltage of 3.3 volts rather than 5 volts, can shadow memory, and has a System Management Mode (SMM) in which the microprocessor can slow or halt some system components when the system is not performing CPU-intensive tasks, thus prolonging battery life. See also i486DX, shadow memory.
i486SX
n. An Intel microprocessor introduced in 1991 as a lower-cost alternative to the i486DX. It runs at slower clock speeds and has no floating-point processor. Also called 486, 80486. See also 80386DX, 80386SX. Compare i486DX.
IAB
See Internet Architecture Board.
I-beam
n. A mouse cursor used by many applications, such as word processors, when in text-editing mode. The I-beam cursor indicates sections of the document where text can be inserted, deleted, changed, or moved. The cursor is named for its I shape. Also called I-beam pointer. See also cursor (definition 3), mouse.
IBM AT
n. A class of personal computers introduced in 1984 and conforming to IBM's PC/AT (Advanced Technology) specification. The first AT was based on the Intel 80286 processor and dramatically outperformed its predecessor, the XT, in speed. See also 80286.
IBM PC
n. Short for IBM Personal Computer. A class of personal computers introduced in 1981 and conforming to IBM's PC specification. The first PC was based on the Intel 8088 processor. For a number of years, the IBM PC was the de facto standard in the computing industry for PCs, and clones, or PCs that conformed to the IBM specification, have been called PC-compatible. See also PC-compatible.
ICMP
n. Acronym for Internet Control Message Protocol. A network-layer (ISO/OSI level 3) Internet protocol that provides error correction and other information relevant to IP packet processing. For example, it can let the IP software on one machine inform another machine about an unreachable destination. See also communications protocol, IP, ISO/OSI model, packet (definition 1).
icon
n. A small image displayed on the screen to represent an object that can be manipulated by the user. By serving as visual mnemonics and allowing the user to control certain computer actions without having to remember commands or type them at the keyboard, icons are a significant factor in the user-friendliness of graphical user interfaces. See also graphical user interface.
iconic interface
n. A user interface that is based on icons rather than on typed commands. See also graphical user interface, icon.
IDE
n. Acronym for Integrated Device Electronics. A type of disk-drive interface in which the controller electronics reside on the drive itself, eliminating the need for a separate adapter card. The IDE interface is compatible with the controller used by IBM in the PC/AT computer but offers advantages such as look-ahead caching. See integrated development environment.
idle
adj. 1. Operational but not in use. 2. Waiting for a command.
IE
n. Acronym for information engineering. A methodology for developing and maintaining information-processing systems, including computer systems and networks, within an organization. See Internet Explorer.
IEEE
n. Acronym for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. An organization of engineering and electronics professionals notable for developing standards for hardware and software.
IEEE 488
n. The electrical definition of the General-Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB), specifying the data and control lines and the voltage and current levels for the bus. See also General-Purpose Interface Bus.
IEEE 696/S-100
n. The electrical definition of the S-100 bus, used in early personal computer systems that used microprocessors such as the 8080, Z-80, and 6800. The S-100 bus, based on the architecture of the Altair 8800, was extremely popular with early computer enthusiasts because it permitted a wide range of expansion boards. See also Altair 8800, S-100 bus.
IEEE 802 standards
n. A set of standards developed by the IEEE to define methods of access and control on local area networks. The IEEE 802 standards correspond to the physical and data-link layers of the ISO Open Systems Interconnection model, but they divide the data-link layer into two sublayers. The logical link control (LLC) sublayer applies to all IEEE 802 standards and covers station-to-station connections, generation of message frames, and error control. The media access control (MAC) sublayer, dealing with network access and collision detection, differs from one IEEE 802 standard to another: IEEE 802.3 is used for bus networks that use CSMA/CD, both broadband and baseband, and the baseband version is based on the Ethernet standard. IEEE 802.4 is used for bus networks that use token passing, and IEEE 802.5 is used for ring networks that use token passing (token ring networks). In addition, IEEE 802.6 is an emerging standard for metropolitan area networks, which transmit data, voice, and video over distances of more than five kilometers. See also bus network, ISO/OSI model, ring network, token passing, token ring network.
IETF
n. Acronym for Internet Engineering Task Force. The organization that is charged with studying technical problems facing the Internet and proposing solutions to the IAB. The IETF is managed by the IESG. See also Internet Engineering Steering Group.
IFF
n. Acronym for Interchange File Format. See .iff.
IGES
n. See Initial Graphics Exchange Specification.
IIS
See Internet Information Server.
illegal
adj. Not allowed, or leading to invalid results. For example, an illegal character in a word processing program would be one that the program cannot recognize; an illegal operation might be impossible for a program or system because of built-in constraints. Compare invalid.
image
n. 1. A stored description of a graphic picture, either as a set of brightness and color values of pixels or as a set of instructions for reproducing the picture. See also bit map, pixel map. 2. A duplicate, copy, or representation of all or part of a hard or floppy disk, a section of memory or hard drive, a file, a program, or data. For example, a RAM disk can hold an image of all or part of a disk in main memory; a virtual RAM program can create an image of some portion of the computer's main memory on disk. See also RAM disk.
image color matching
n. The process of image output correction to match the same colors as were scanned or input.
image editor
n. An application program that allows users to modify the appearance of a bitmapped image, such as scanned photos, by using filters and other functions. Creation of new images is generally accomplished in a paint or drawing program. See also bitmapped graphics, filter (definition 4), paint program.
image map
n. An image that contains more than one hyperlink on a Web page. Clicking on different parts of the image links the user to other resources on another part of the Web page, a different Web page, or a file. Often an image map, which can be a photograph, drawing, or a composite of several different drawings or photographs, is used as a map to the resources found on a particular Web site. Image maps are created with CGI scripts. Also called clickable maps. See also CGI script, hyperlink, Web page.
imaging
n. The processes involved in the capture, storage, display, and printing of graphical images.
IMAP4
n. Acronym for Internet Message Access Protocol 4. The latest version of IMAP, a method for an e-mail program to gain access to e-mail and bulletin-board messages stored on a mail server. Unlike POP, IMAP allows a user to retrieve messages efficiently from more than one computer. See also POP3, Post Office Protocol.
IMHO
Acronym for in my humble opinion. IMHO, used in e-mail and in online forums, flags a statement that the writer wants to present as a personal opinion rather than as a statement of fact.
IMO
Acronym for in my opinion. A shorthand phrase used often in e-mail and Internet news and discussion groups to indicate an author's admission that a statement he or she has just made is not strictly a fact.
inactive window
n. In an environment capable of displaying multiple on-screen windows, any window other than the one currently being used for work. An inactive window can be partially or entirely hidden behind another window, and it remains inactive until the user selects it. Compare active window.
in-band signaling
n. Transmission within the voice or data-handling frequencies of a communication channel.
Inbox
n. In many e-mail applications, the default mailbox where the program stores incoming messages. See also e-mail, mailbox. Compare Outbox.
indent1
n. 1. Displacement of the left or right edge of a block of text in relation to the margin or to other blocks of text. 2. Displacement of the beginning of the first line of a paragraph relative to the other lines in the paragraph. Compare hanging indent.
indent2
vb. To displace the left or right edge of a text item, such as a block or a line, relative to the margin or to another text item.
index1
n. 1. A listing of keywords and associated data that point to the location of more comprehensive information, such as files and records on a disk or record keys in a database. 2. In programming, a scalar value that allows direct access into a multi-element data structure such as an array without the need for a sequential search through the collection of elements. See also array, element (definition 1), hash, list.
index2
vb. 1. In data storage and retrieval, to create and use a list or table that contains reference information pointing to stored data. 2. In a database, to find data by using keys such as words or field names to locate records. 3. In indexed file storage, to find files stored on disk by using an index of file locations (addresses). 4. In programming and information processing, to locate information stored in a table by adding an offset amount, called the index, to the base address of the table.
indexed search
n. A search for an item of data that uses an index to reduce the amount of time required.
INET
n. 1. Short for Internet. 2. An annual conference held by the Internet Society.
infobahn
n. The Internet. Infobahn is a mixture of the terms information and Autobahn, a German highway known for the high speeds at which drivers can legally travel. Also called Information Highway, Information Superhighway, Net.
information
n. The meaning of data as it is intended to be interpreted by people. Data consists of facts, which become information when they are seen in context and convey meaning to people. Computers process data without any understanding of what the data represents.
information explosion
n. 1. The current period in human history, in which the possession and dissemination of information has supplanted mechanization or industrialization as a driving force in society. 2. The rapid growth in the amount of information available today. Also called information revolution.
Information Highway
or information highway n. See Information Superhighway (definition 1).
information processing
n. The acquisition, storage, manipulation, and presentation of data, particularly by electronic means.
information retrieval
n. The process of finding, organizing, and displaying information, particularly by electronic means.
information science
n. The study of how information is collected, organized, handled, and communicated. See also information theory.
Information Superhighway
n. The existing Internet and its general infrastructure, including private networks, online services, and so on. See National Information Infrastructure.
information warehouse
n. The total of an organization's data resources on all computers.
infrared
adj. Having a frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum in the range just below that of red light. Objects radiate infrared in proportion to their temperature. Infrared radiation is traditionally divided into four somewhat arbitrary categories based on its wavelength. k:\compdict\database\2261.doc Acronym: IR.
Infrared Data Association
n. The industry organization of computer, component, and telecommunications vendors who have established the standards for infrared communication between computers and peripheral devices such as printers. Acronym: IrDA.
infrared port
n. An optical port on a computer for interfacing with an infrared-capable device. Communication is achieved without physical connection through cables. Currently, the devices must be only a few feet apart, and the ports aligned with one another for communication to occur. Infrared ports can be found on some laptops, notebooks, and printers. See also cable, infrared, input/output port.
inherit
vb. To acquire the characteristics of another class, in object-oriented programming. The inherited characteristics may be enhanced, restricted, or modified. See also class.
Initial Graphics Exchange Specification
n. A standard file format for computer graphics, supported by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), that is particularly suitable for describing models created with computer-aided design (CAD) programs. It includes a wide variety of basic geometric forms (primitives) and, in keeping with CAD objectives, offers methods for describing and annotating drawings and engineering diagrams. See also ANSI. Acronym: IGES.
initialization
n. The process of assigning initial values to variables and data structures in a program.
initialization string
n. A sequence of commands sent to a device, especially a modem, to configure it and prepare it for use. In the case of a modem, the initialization string consists of a string of characters.
initialize
vb. 1. To prepare a storage medium, such as a disk or a tape, for use. This may involve testing the medium's surface, writing startup information, and setting up the file system's index to storage locations. 2. To assign a beginning value to a variable. 3. To start up a computer. See also cold boot, startup.
ink cartridge
n. A disposable module that contains ink and is typically used in an ink-jet printer. See also ink-jet printer.
ink-jet printer
n. A nonimpact printer in which liquid ink is vibrated or heated into a mist and sprayed through tiny holes in the print head to form characters or graphics on the paper. Ink-jet printers are competitive with some laser printers in price and print quality if not in speed. However, the ink, which must be highly soluble to avoid clogging the nozzles in the print head, produces fuzzy-looking output on some papers and smears if touched or dampened shortly after printing. See also nonimpact printer, print head.
inoculate
vb. To protect a program against virus infection by recording characteristic information about it. For example, checksums on the code can be recomputed and compared with the stored original checksums each time the program is run; if any have changed, the program file is corrupt and may be infected. See also checksum, virus.
input1
n. Information entered into a computer or program for processing, as from a keyboard or from a file stored on a disk drive.
input2
vb. To enter information into a computer for processing.
input device
n. A peripheral device whose purpose is to allow the user to give input to a computer system. Examples of input devices are keyboards, mice, joysticks, and styluses. See also peripheral.
input/output
n. The complementary tasks of gathering data for a computer or a program to work with, and of making the results of the computer's activities available to the user or to other computer processes. Gathering data is usually done with input devices such as the keyboard and the mouse, as well as disk files, while the output is usually made available to the user via the display and the printer and via disk files or communications ports for the computer. Acronym: I/O.
Insert key
n. A key on the keyboard, labeled "Insert" or "Ins," whose usual function is to toggle a program's editing setting between an insert mode and an overwrite mode, although it may perform different functions in different applications. Also called Ins key.
install
vb. 1. To set in place and prepare for operation. Operating systems and application programs commonly include a disk-based installation program that does most of the work of setting up the program to work with the computer, printer, and other devices. Often such a program can check for devices attached to the system, request the user to choose from sets of options, create a place for the program on the hard disk, and modify system startup files as necessary. 2. To transfer one of a limited number of copies of a program to a disk from a copy-protected program disk; a special procedure is needed because the normal method of copying the program has been disabled.
Installable File System Manager
n. In Windows 95, the part of the file system architecture responsible for arbitrating access to the different file system components. Acronym: IFS.
Installer
n. A program, provided with the Apple Macintosh operating system, that allows the user to install system upgrades and make bootable (system) disks.
interactive
adj. Characterized by conversational exchange of input and output, as when a user enters a question or command and the system immediately responds. The interactivity of microcomputers is one of the features that makes them approachable and easy to use.
interactive session
n. A processing session in which the user can more or less continuously intervene and control the activities of the computer. Compare batch processing (definition 2).
interactive television
n. A video technology in which a viewer interacts with the television programming. Typical uses of interactive television include Internet access, video on demand, and video conferencing. See also video conferencing.
interface
n. 1. The point at which a connection is made between two elements so that they can work with each other. 2. Software that enables a program to work with the user (the user interface, which can be a command-line interface, menu-driven, or a graphical user interface), with another program such as the operating system, or with the computer's hardware. 3. A card, plug, or other device that connects pieces of hardware with the computer so that information can be moved from place to place. For example, standardized interfaces such as RS-232-C standard and SCSI enable communications between computers and printers or disks. See also RS-232-C standard, SCSI. 4. A networking or communications standard, such as the ISO/OSI model, that defines ways for different systems to connect and communicate.
interleave
vb. To arrange the sectors on a hard disk in such a way that after one sector is read, the next sector in numeric sequence will arrive at the head when the computer is ready to accept it rather than before, which would make the computer wait a whole revolution of the platter for the sector to come back. Interleaving is set by the format utility that initializes a disk for use with a given computer.
internal modem
n. A modem constructed on an expansion card to be installed in one of the expansion slots inside a computer. Compare external modem, integral modem.
A/B Switch box ~ America On-line AMI BIOS ~ Arithmetic Operation ARP ~ AVI Backbone ~ Bit Image Bit Map ~ Boot Disk Boot Drive ~ Bytes Per Inch C++ ~ Carrier Frequency carrier system ~ certification CGI ~ Chooser extension cipher ~ Clipper Chip clock ~ color color bits ~ communications satellite communications server ~ computer security CON ~ copy copy program ~ cycle time daemon ~ defragmentation demand paging ~ digitize DikuMUD ~ disk disk buffer ~ Document Style Semantics and Specification Language document window ~ dynamic Web page Easter egg ~ erase erase head ~ ezine F2F ~ finger2 firewall ~ font suitcase footer ~ FYI Game Control Adapter ~ GUI HAL ~ hot key1 hot key2 ~ Hz i486DX ~ internal modem internet ~ ISO 9660 ISO/OSI model ~ just-in-time K1 ~ knowledge base L1 cache ~ LU luggable computer ~ LZW compression MAC ~ MILNET mime ~ msec MTBF ~ MYOB named anchor ~ network drive Network File System ~ number crunching object ~ overwrite mode P5 ~ PC/XT keyboard PDA ~ pipeline processing piracy ~ preventive maintenance preview ~ pwd quasi-language ~ QWERTY keyboard R&D ~ registration marks Registry ~ RFI RF shielding ~ run-time library SAA ~ server error server push-pull ~ soft return software ~ style sheet stylus ~ System T1 ~ ToggleKeys token ~ typography UART ~ uupc V.120 ~ view2 viewer ~ VxD w3 ~ WinG WINS ~ WWW X.25 ~ X Windows Yahoo! ~ yotta- Z39.50 standard ~ Zulu time