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Term
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Description
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Backup
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Backups can be made by copying files under a
different name or by copying them to another directory, another drive, or a
different storage media. Backups are used to replace or restore files if they
should become lost or corrupted.
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Backward Compatible
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Refers to new hardware and software that is able
to support older, existing technologies. People would be a lot less likely to
purchase a new piece of hardware or software if it wouldn't support all their
old programs or read their previous data files.
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Bandwidth
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Bandwidth is the range of frequencies that a
communication cable or channel can carry. In the computer world, it generally
refers to the amount of data that can be carried by a specific cable or bus.
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Bitmapped
Image |
An image in which pixels are arranged in a grid
format, like a sheet of graph paper. The colors and arrangement of the pixels
form the picture. This type f graphic is also called a "raster"
image. Examples of bitmapped formats include .BMP (Windows Bitmap) and TIFF
(tagged-image file format).
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Binary Number System
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In our everyday lives we use a decimal numbering
system containing 10 digits, 0 through 9. Computers use a binary numbering
system which contains only 2 numbers, 0 and 1, called binary digits or bits.
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BIOS
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Basic Input Output System - Sometimes called the
ROM Bios, this is firmware that controls most of your computers basic input
and output functions such as communications with the drives or the system
memory.
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BMP
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Bit mapped file. A type of graphics file that is
stored and written as a series of binary digits or bits arranged in a grid
format. The files have a .bmp extension and can be viewed, changed, or
printed from any graphics program that supports that format. See Bitmapped
Image.
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Boot Record
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The boot record on your hard drives are at the
beginning of each logical partition and contain info about that drive. If the
boot record is on the active or bootable partition then it also contains
start up procedure that boots the Operating System. This is different from
the Master Boot Record.
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Bootable Disk
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A floppy disk that contains the necessary system
files that will complete the computers boot up sequence and load a basic
Operating System.
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Booting
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The process and functions that a computer goes
through when it first starts up, ending in the proper loading of the
Operating System and preparing it to receive commands.
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Braindump
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Writing down everything you can think of about a certain
subject. Often, after cramming for an exam, the first thing a student will do
once he's seated at the exam centre, is write down as much info as he can
remember (tables, dates, names and pertinent memorized data). A braindump
after an exam refers to writing down as many of the questions that can be
remembered from the actual test. This can help other students to study for
the same exam.
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Buffer
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A temporary storage area in a computer's memory
that holds recent changes and other information to be transferred to another
device in larger blocks. This helps tremendously to speed up the computing
process. Access to RAM is much faster than access to a hard drive or printer.
Instead of accessing a hard drive hundreds or even thousands of times, the
information is stored in the much faster buffer until it reaches a
pre-determined size. It is then dumped (written) to the drive in a single
access. This is repeated continually.
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Bullet
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Small graphical elements used to set off items in
a list. Instead of numbering each item in a list, you will often see small
dots, dashes, arrows, squares, etc. to make each item in a list stand out
from the other. These are called bullets.
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Bus
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The electronic pathways that link different
devices to each other. In a computer, these pathways can carry data and
information in digital form (binary digits or 'bits') to and from each of the
different components (CPU, RAM, expansion cards, etc.) The amount of data
that can be moved along a bus is determined by the number of lines or
connections it has for moving binary information. For instance, a 32-bit bus
will have 32 connectors and be able to move 32 bits at a time. It would be
considered 32 bits wide.
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Bus Speed
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The speed (measured in megahertz, MHz) at which
information or data can move across the bus on the motherboard.
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