Term
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Description
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.INI File
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An initialization file, which is used by an
application to store configuration data that is read as the program is
starting.
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Abort
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To intentionally and prematurely terminate an
active computer program or command.
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Accelerator
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A device which enhances the processing speed of a
hardware component, usually by taking over some of the tasks originally
assigned to that component. For example, a video accelerator card will take
over some of the graphic functions originally assigned to the CPU. By
dedicating its processing ability to the graphics, it can perform the
functions more efficiently and lessen the load on the Central Processing
Unit.
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Access
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To obtain an open channel of communication with a
software or hardware component so that the user can work with it.
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Active
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Describes an application or file that currently
is operational and ready to receive or transmit data.
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Active Cell
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A spreadsheet or table can be divided into cells,
which are the points where the rows and columns intersect (creating small
squares or cells). An active cell is the cell that is currently highlighted
(chosen) and ready to receive or manipulate data.
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Active Desktop
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Starting with Internet Explorer IV, Microsoft
uses what is called 'push technology' which can change the desktop into a
webpage-like interface complete with hyperlinks to your system, network or
internet resources.
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Active-matrix Display
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A type of video display (originally for notebooks
or laptops) where each picture element (pixel) is represented by a single
transistor. In contrast, a passive-matrix display uses a series of
criss-crossed wires with an LCD element at each intersection, and each LCD
element represents a pixel. Active-matix displays produce the sharper image
and are more expensive to produce.
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AGP
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A high-speed graphics port that produces fast
communication between the graphics controller and computer. It allows the
graphic card to directly access the computer's main memory and bypass the PCI
bus. Video cards in this port can run almost twice as fast as those in a PCI
slot. This also helps to reduce the traffic on the PCI bus.
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Analog
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A device which uses a system of unlimited variables
to measure or represent the flow of data. In contrast, digital devices are
limited to a predetermined numbering system (binary) to represent data flow.
If you have five dots on a piece of paper, digital data can be represented by
each of the dots. Draw a line to connect all the dots and analog data can be
represented by any point along the line.
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ASCII
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American Standard Code for Information
Interchange. It is a system of computer code in which all values are given
eight digit binary values (max 256 possible values). The first 32 values are
for different operational functions such as Escape, Backspace, Carriage
Return. The next 96 make up all the characters you have on your keyboard. The
first 128 values comprise what is called the standard ASCII character set.
The last 128 values (extended ASCII character set) are characters such as ¥,
รณ, ½.
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AUTOEXEC.BAT
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A user-configurable text file, in the MS-DOS
operating system, that is used to set system variables and load TSRs. During
the bootup process in MS-DOS, the command interpreter is loaded into memory
and takes over the system. It then locates and executes the command lines in
AUTOEXEC.BAT before loading the DOS promp.
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