Jargon Buster
2K
A screen with 2048x1080 pixels. 3G/4G/5G
Technologies that deliver faster mobile broadband. 4K
Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels. 720p/1080p/1440p
Common types of high-definition video of 1280x720, 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 pixels respectively. 7z
Also known as 7-Zip. A free, open-source file archiver. Administrator
Someone who can make changes to a computer that will affect others who also use it. AES-256
Advanced Encryption Standard. A form of encryption based on a key length of 256 bits. Cracking it would take longer than the age of the universe. AI
Artificial intelligence. Intelligence demonstrated by a machine rather than a human being. Often used to describe technology that can perform human-like tasks. Bandwidth
A measure of how much data can be transferred through a connection at one time. Benchmarking
Comparing software and products with an accepted standard. Beta
A version of software that’s being tested. Beta versions are often released so problems can be ironed out. Cache
A temporary space for storing information. Can be memory used on a computer processor, or space on a hard drive used by a web browser. CAD
Computer Aided Design. Software used to create 3D models. cd/m2
Candela per square metre. Standard unit of brightness. Chatbot
A computer program designed to recreate conversation with human users, especially over the internet. Typically used to offer automated customer support. Clean install
An operating system installation that overwrites all other content on the hard drive. Clone
A feature found in some backup programs that makes an exact copy of a drive on to another drive. Code
Describes the various programming languages used to create software. Cookie
A small text file stored on your computer by a website. Used to store browsing preferences, website log-in details and so on. Core
Units on a processor that carry out program instructions. Dark mode
Showing white text on a black background. Dark web
Websites that can only be accessed using special software such as the Tor browser. DCI-P3
A colour space that has a wider spectrum than SRGB. Defragment
To reorganise the data stored on a hard drive so files are stored in one piece and can be accessed quickly. Sometimes shortened to defrag. Displayport
A socket for connecting monitors. Domain
These are used to identify one or more IP addresses. Driver
A file that tells Windows how to work with an external device. DRW
Drawing. A file format used in Micrografx Designer. Dual-band router
A Wi-fi router that operates on two bands: 2.4 and 5GHZ. Emoji
A small graphic that can be inserted into a text message or email. EPUB
A file format used by many popular ebook readers. Ethernet
A standard used for almost all wired computer networks. EXE
A program file designed to run in Windows. Factory settings
The original system state of an electronic device. File extension
The part of a file name after the full stop. For example, .doc is the file extension for Word documents. File path
Shows the location of a file within Windows. Firmware
Basic software stored on hardware, such as a processor, to control its operation. Frame rate
The number of still images, or frames, shown per second to create a moving image. Higher frame rates make games appear smoother and more realistic. GHZ
Gigahertz. A measure of how many instructions a chip can process per second. 1GHZ is equal to 1,000MHZ. GIF
Graphics Interchange Format. A type of image file often used on the web. Gigabit Ethernet
A very fast networking standard that can transfer data at up to 1,000Mbps. Graphics card
A component in a computer that produces the image shown on the monitor. HDMI
High-definition media interface. A type of connection that transmits high-definition video and audio signals. Hz
Hertz. Measures the frequency something happens: 1Hz equals once a second. IMEI
Integrated Mobile Equipment Identity. A unique number used to identify each mobile phone. IP address
Internet Protocol address. A unique set of numbers used to identify computers and websites on the internet. ISBN
International Standard Book Number. A 13-digit code used to identify books. JPEG
Joint Photograph Experts Group. A common type of image file created by most digital cameras. Some image quality is lost with each save. LCD
Liquid-crystal display. The technology used to create almost all flatscreen monitors. LED
Light-emitting diode. An electronic device that emits light. Used on almost all electronic devices, and to provide the backlight for some LCDS. Mesh Wi-fi
Wireless network system that uses multiple, connected routers to stretch Wi-fi further than a traditional router. Metadata
A set of data that gives information about a file. Microsd card
A small type of memory card. Can be converted to SD size using an adapter. MP4
A type of digital movie file often used for portable players. OLED
Organic light-emitting diode. A thin-film organic lightemitting diode used in computer displays and television screens. Open source
Software that can be modified by anyone, rather than just by the employees of the company that created it. Passkey
A method for signing into accounts by typing a one-off code, fingerprint or facial recognition rather than a password. Phishing
A form of internet fraud that tries to trick you into revealing personal details. Picture-in-picture
Shows video in a small moveable screen while you browse the web or watch TV. PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network. Old copper phone network that’s being switched off in 2025. Punch hole camera
A design feature in phones where the frontfacing camera is placed in a small cutout or hole on the screen. QR code
Quick Response code. A barcode that can be read using smartphones and dedicated Qrreading devices. RAM
Random-access memory. The computer’s working area, used for data storage while the PC is switched on.
RAR
Roshal Archive. A format for storing compressed files.
Read speed
How long it takes a hard drive to ‘read’ data, and respond to it.
Refresh rate
Measured in Hertz (Hz), the number of times per second that the image on your monitor is redrawn.
Refurbished
A second-hand device that has been repaired by its manufacturer so that it can be resold and reused.
SD card
Secure Digital card. A popular type of memory card.
Security key
A USB device that locks and unlocks your computer.
SIM
Subscriber Identity Module. The smart card used by all digital mobile phones. The SIM card carries the user’s identity and phone number for accessing the network.
SRGB
A standard RGB colour space for use on monitors, printers and the internet.
SSD
Solid-state drive. Storage that, unlike a hard drive, uses no moving parts. Faster but more expensive than conventional hard drives.
Switch
(page 46) Modifies what a command does in Command Prompt. Usually a forward slash followed by a letter.
Switch
(page 26) Allows more than one PC to be connected to a wired network.
System image
A backup of your PC that includes your operating system drivers, PC’S settings, programs and files.
System restore point
The collection of system files stored by System Restore on a given date and time to which Windows can revert if a problem occurs.
Temporary file
Created by sites and software to store info for a specific purpose, but not meant to be stored permanently.
Terminal
A text-based interface to control Linux.
TPM
Trusted Platform Module. A computer chip that allows your hardware to perform securityrelated tasks.
Travel
The distance the keys of a keyboard have to be pressed before the keystroke is recognised.
Two-factor authentication
A system that uses two different means to identify the user. For example, a code sent to your phone in addition to a password.
TXT
A basic file format that contains nothing but text.
USB-C
A new connector that’s reversible, letting you plug it in upside down.
WEBM
Video file format supported by major browsers and software.
Widget
A small program that runs on the Windows desktop.
Wi-fi 5
A standard for wireless – also known as 802.11ac – networks that allows for much higher transfer speeds than 802.11n.
Wi-fi 6E
Wi-fi 6 extended to include the 6GHZ band.
Wildcard
A character that can be substituted for one or more characters in a web search.
Windows Insider
A Microsoft scheme that lets you test preview versions of Windows before they’re released fully.
Write speed
How long it takes a hard drive to save data.
ZIP file
A file that contains compressed documents or files.