Role Player World Forum

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

    Computer Terminology Facts

    Dragon Master
    Dragon Master
    Wanderer
    Wanderer


    Cancer Monkey
    Number of posts : 3
    Age : 31
    Reputation : 0
    World Account : 2854000
    Registration date : 2008-08-13

    Computer Terminology Facts Empty Computer Terminology Facts

    Post by Dragon Master Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:23 am

    Computer Terminology Facts
    What is USB?
    What is a Flash Drive?
    What is plug-and-play?
    What is hot-swapping?
    What is WiFi?
    What is Bluetooth?
    What is a LAN?
    What is a WAN?



    What is USB?
    Just about every computer that you buy today comes with one or more USB
    or Universal Serial Bus ports on the back, which support data transfer
    rates up to 12Mbps(Megabits per second). These USB connectors let you
    attach up to 127 peripheral devices on each port such as mice, modems,
    keyboards and printers to your computer quickly and easily. It also
    supports plug-and-play and hot-swapping or plugging.

    A few computer manufacturers first began including support for USB back
    in 1996, but it wasn’t until the release of the best-selling iMac in
    1998 that USB became widespread. It is eventually expected to replace
    the older parallel and serial ports.

    USB ports now come in 2 versions, 1.0 and the newer 2.0, which is
    backwards compatible with 1.0. That means the older version 1.0 will
    work with the newer version 2.0. You can also connect USB 2.0 devices
    to 1.0 ports but they will only function at the older standard speeds.


    What is a Flash Drive?
    A flash drive is a small, portable flash memory card that plugs into a
    computer’s USB port and functions as a portable hard drive with up to
    2GB of storage capacity. They are small enough to be carried in a
    pocket and can plug into any computer with a USB drive. They are more
    durable than an external hard drive because they do not contain any
    internal moving parts. They are also called pen drives, key drives or
    simply USB drives.

    What is Plug and Play?
    Plug and Play (PnP) is a capability developed by Microsoft for its
    Windows 95 and later operating systems that gives users the ability to
    plug a device into a computer and have the computer recognize that the
    device is there. The user doesn't have to tell the computer. In many
    earlier computer systems, the user was required to explicitly tell the
    operating system when a new device had been added by setting DIP
    switches, jumpers, and other configuration elements. Microsoft made
    Plug and Play a selling point for its Windows operating systems. A
    similar capability had long been built into Macintosh computers.

    With Microsoft's participation, Plug and Play has now been replaced by
    an open, industry standard, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), which uses
    Internet protocols for seamless device plug-in.

    What is hot swapping?
    Hot swapping is the ability to remove and replace components of a
    computer while it is operating. Once the appropriate software is
    installed on the computer, one can plug and unplug the device without
    rebooting. An example of this is the Universal Serial Bus (USB) that
    allows a user to add or remove peripheral devices such as a mouse,
    keyboard, or printer.

    What is WiFi?
    WiFi is the wireless way to handle networking. It is also known as
    802.11 networking and wireless networking. The big advantage of WiFi is
    its simplicity. You can connect computers anywhere in your home or
    office on a Wireless LAN without the need for wires, with or without a
    wireless router and WiFi network cards. The computers connect to the
    network using radio signals, and they can be up to 100 feet or so apart.

    What is Bluetooth?
    Bluetooth is a new industrial specification for wireless personal area
    networks (PANs). It is the latest development in wireless technology
    and provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices
    like personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, laptops, PCs,
    printers and digital cameras via a secure, low-cost, globally available
    short range radio frequency. It is designed for low power consumption,
    using radio frequencies in the 2.45 GHz range to transmit information
    over short distances of generally 33 feet (10 meters) or less. By
    embedding a Bluetooth chip and receiver into products, cables that
    would normally carry the signal can be eliminated.

    What is a LAN?
    A LAN is a Local Area Network. A computer network that spans a
    relatively small geographical area such as in an office or at home,
    which share the same resources eg. printers, file servers and/or
    internet connections through ethernet cables or WIFI.

    What is a WAN?
    A WAN is a Wide Area Network. A computer network that spans a
    relatively large geographical area. Typically, a WAN consists of two or
    more local-area networks (LANs). Computers connected to a wide-area
    network are often connected through public networks, such as the
    telephone system. They can also be connected through leased lines or
    satellites. The largest WAN in existence is the Internet.


      Current date/time is Fri Mar 29, 2024 5:22 pm