Network File System ~ number crunching
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
Network File System
n. A distributed file system developed by Sun Microsystems that allows users of Windows NT and UNIX workstations to access remote files and directories on a network as if they were local. Acronym: NFS.
network information center
n. See NIC (definition 2).
network interface card
n. See network adapter.
network latency
n. The time it takes for information to be transferred between computers in a network.
network layer
n. The third of the seven layers in the ISO/OSI model for standardizing computer-to-computer communications. The network layer is one level above the data-link layer and ensures that information arrives at its intended destination. It is the middle of the three layers (data-link, network, and transport) concerned with the actual movement of information from one device to another. See also ISO/OSI model.
network meltdown
See broadcast storm.
Network News Transfer Protocol
n. See NNTP.
network operating system
n. An operating system installed on a server in a local area network that coordinates the activities of providing services to the computers and other devices attached to the network. Unlike a single-user operating system, a network operating system must acknowledge and respond to requests from many workstations, managing such details as network access and communications, resource allocation and sharing, data protection, and error control.
network OS
n. See network operating system.
network protocal
n. A set of rules and parameters that define and enable communication through a network.
network services
n. 1. In a corporate environment, the division that maintains the network and the computers. 2. In a Windows environment, extensions to the operating system that allow it to perform network functions such as network printing and file sharing.
network software
n. Software including a component that facilitates connection to or participation in a network.
Network Terminator 1
n. An ISDN device that acts as interface between an ISDN telephone line and one or more terminal adapters or terminal devices such as an ISDN telephone. See also ISDN, ISDN terminal adapter. Acronym: NT-1.
Network Time Protocol
n. An Internet protocol used to synchronize the clocks in computers connected to the Internet. See also communications protocol. Acronym: NTP.
newbie
n. 1. An inexperienced user on the Internet. 2. In a particularly derogatory sense, an inexperienced Usenet user who asks for information that is readily available in the FAQ. See also FAQ.
news.announce.newusers
n. A newsgroup that contains general information for new users about using Internet newsgroups for new users.
news feed
or newsfeed n. Deliveries, exchanges, or distributions of newsgroup articles to and from news servers. News feeds are accomplished through cooperating news servers, which communicate via NNTP through network connections. Also called feed. See also newsgroup, news server, NNTP.
newsgroup
n. A forum on the Internet for threaded discussions on a specified range of subjects. A newsgroup consists of articles and follow-up posts. An article with all of its follow-up posts all of which are (supposed to be) related to the specific subject named in the original article's subject line constitutes a thread. Each newsgroup has a name that consists of a series of words, separated by periods, indicating the newsgroup's subject in terms of increasingly narrow categories, such as rec.crafts.textiles.needlework. Some newsgroups can be read and posted to only on one site; others, such as those in the seven Usenet hierarchies or those in ClariNet, circulate throughout the Internet. See also article, bit. newsgroups, ClariNet, follow-up, Great Renaming, local newsgroups, mail reflector, threaded discussion, traditional newsgroup hierarchy, Usenet. Compare mailing list.
newsmaster
n. The person in charge of maintaining the Internet news server at a particular host. Sending e-mail to "newsmaster@domain.name" is the standard way to reach a given newsmaster.
news. newsgroups
n. Usenet newsgroups that are part of the news. hierarchy and begin with "news." These newsgroups cover topics that deal with Usenet itself, such as Usenet policy and the creation of new Usenet newsgroups. See also newsgroup, traditional newsgroup hierarchy, Usenet. Compare comp. newsgroups, misc. newsgroups, rec. newsgroups, sci. newsgroups, soc. newsgroups, talk. newsgroups.
newsreader
n. A Usenet client program that enables a user to subscribe to Usenet newsgroups, read articles, post follow-ups, reply by e-mail, and post articles. Many Web browsers also provide these functions. See also article, e-mail (definition 1), follow-up, newsgroup, Usenet, Web browser.
news server
n. A computer or program that exchanges Internet newsgroups with newsreader clients and other servers. See also newsgroup, newsreader.
Newton
adj. Pertaining to the Apple Newton MessagePad personal digital assistant (PDA). See also PDA.
Newton OS
n. The operating system that controls the Apple Newton MessagePad personal digital assistant (PDA). See also PDA.
NeXT
n. A product of NeXT Computer, Inc. (later NeXT Software, Inc.), a computer manufacturer and software developer founded in 1985 by Steven Jobs. NeXT was purchased by Apple Computer in 1997.
NIC
n. 1. Acronym for network interface card. 2. Acronym for network information center. An organization that provides information about a network and other support to users of the network. The principal NIC for the Internet is InterNIC. Intranets and other private networks may have their own NICs. See also InterNIC. See network adapter.
NiCad battery
n. See nickel cadmium battery.
nickel cadmium battery
n. A rechargeable battery that uses an alkaline electrolyte. Nickel cadmium batteries typically have a longer operating life and storage life than similar lead-acid batteries. Also called NiCad battery. Compare lead ion battery, lithium ion battery, nickel metal hydride battery.
nickel metal hydride battery
n. A rechargeable battery that offers longer life and superior performance compared with similar nickel cadmium or other alkaline batteries. Also called NiMH battery. Compare lead ion battery, lithium ion battery, nickel cadmium battery.
nickname
n. A name used in the destination field of an e-mail editor in place of one or more complete network addresses. For example "Fred" might be a nickname for fred@history.washington.edu. If the nickname has been established within the program, a user need only type "Fred" instead of the entire address, or perhaps "history faculty" instead of all the individual faculty addresses. See also alias (definition 2).
node
n. 1. A junction of some type. 2. In local area networks, a device that is connected to the network and is capable of communicating with other network devices. 3. In tree structures, a location on the tree that can have links to one or more nodes below it. Some authors make a distinction between node and element, with an element being a given data type and a node comprising one or more elements as well as any supporting data structures. See also element (definition 1), graph, pointer (definition 1), queue, stack, tree.
noise
n. 1. Any interference that affects the operation of a device. 2. Unwanted electrical signals, produced either naturally or by the circuitry, that degrade the quality or performance of a communications channel. See also distortion.
Novell NetWare
n. A family of local area network operating system products produced by Novell, Inc. Designed to run on IBM PCs and Apple Macintoshes, Novell NetWare allows users to share files and system resources such as hard disks and printers. See also network operating system.
NTFS
n. Acronym for NT file system. An advanced file system designed for use specifically with the Windows NT operating system. It supports long filenames, full security access control, file system recovery, extremely large storage media, and various features for the Windows NT POSIX subsystem. It also supports object-oriented applications by treating all files as objects with user-defined and system-defined attributes. See also FAT file system, HPFS, POSIX.
NTP
n. Acronym for Network Time Protocol. A protocol used for synchronizing the system time on a computer to that of a server or other reference source such as a radio, satellite receiver, or modem. NTP provides time
NuBus
n. A high-performance expansion bus used in Apple Macintosh computers, offering high bandwidth and multiple bus controllers. Invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), NuBus was eventually licensed to Texas Instruments and other companies. See also bus.
nuke
vb. 1. To erase a file, directory, or entire hard disk. 2. To stop a process in an operating system, an application, or a program. Also called kill.
number cruncher
n. 1. A computer that is able to quickly perform large amounts of mathematical computations. 2. A powerful workstation. 3. A program whose main task is to perform mathematical computations, for example, a statistical program. 4. A person who uses a computer to analyze numbers.
number crunching
vb. The calculation of large amounts of numeric data. Number crunching can be repetitive, mathematically complex, or both, and it generally involves far more internal processing than input or output functions. Numeric coprocessors greatly enhance the ability of computers to perform these tasks.
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