| Term | Description |
|---|
| A/D | Analog to Digital
|
| A/P | Accounts Payable
|
| A/R | Accounts Receivable
|
| A/UX | Apple'sversion of UNIXwhich ran on Macintoshcomputers. Continued support for A/UX is up in the air.B |
| AA | Auto Answer
|
| AAA | Authentication, Authorization and Accounting
|
| AAB | All-to-All Broadcast
|
| AAL | Asynchronous Transfer Mode Adaption Layer
|
| AAM | Automatic Acoustic Management
|
| AAP | Applications Access Point [DEC]
|
| AARP | AppleTalk Address Resolution Protocol
|
| AAS | All-to-All Scatter
|
| AASP | ASCII Asynchronous Support Package
|
| AAT | Average Access Time
|
| AATP | Authorized Academic Training Program [Microsoft]
|
| ABC | Atanasoff-Berry Computer (First digital
calculating machine that used vacuum tubes)
|
| ABEND | Abnormal End
|
| ABI | Application Binary Interface
|
| ABIOS | Advanced BIOS
|
| ABIST | Automatic Built-In Self-Test [IBM]
|
| ABLE | Adaptive Battery Life Extender
|
| ABM | Asynchronous Balanced Mode
|
| ABR | Available Bit Rate
|
| ABRD | Automatic Baud Rate Detection
|
| ABRS | Automated Book Request System [British Library]
|
| ABS | Address Book Synchronization [IBM] + Absolute
|
| ABT | Abort
|
| ABTS | ASCII Block Terminal Services
|
| AC | Autocheck + Automatic Computer + Alternating Current
|
| AC Adaptor | Device which transforms AC electricity into aform that a device with special power requirements such as some laptops andnotebooks can use. |
| AC/DC | Alternating Current/Direct Current
|
| ACAP | Application Configuration Access Protocol
|
| ACC | Accumulator
|
| ACCMAIL | Accessing the Internet Via Email
|
| ACD | Automatic Call Distribution
|
| ACDI | Asynchronous Communications Device Interface
|
| ACE | Access Control Encryption/Entry +
Adobe Certified Expert +
Advanced Computing Environment [SCO] +
Adverse Channel Enhancements [Microcom] +
Automatic Computing Engine
|
| ACF | Access Control Field +
Advanced Communications Function
|
| ACH | Automated Clearing House
|
| ACIAS | Automated Calibration Interval Analysis System
|
| ACIS | American Committee for Interoperable Systems
|
| ACK | Acknowledgment
|
| ACL | Access Control List + Asynchronous Connection-Less (link)
|
| ACM | Association for Computing Machinery
Audio Compression Manager [Microsoft]
|
| ACMS | Application Control Management System
|
| ACP | Ancillary Control Program + Auxiliary Control Process
|
| ACPI | Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
|
| ACR | Allowed Cell Rate
|
| ACROSS | Automated Cargo Release and Operations
Service System
|
| ACS | Access + Access Control Set + Access Control System +
Advanced Computer System [IBM] +
Anti Curl System + Asynchronous Communication Server
|
| ACSS | Audio Cascading Style Sheets
|
| Active Application | An applicationwhich is currently running and is in the foreground.The active application is the one you are currently able to work in. |
| Active Matrix Screen | A type of LCDscreen used on portable computers, in which there is a separate circuit for eachpixel,allowing each pixel to be activated completely independently. It also allows thepixels to be addressed more quickly than a passivematrix display does. |
| ACTS | Automated Computer Time Service
|
| ACTT | Advanced Communication and Timekeeping Technology [Seiko]
|
| ACU | Automatic Calling Unit
|
| ACVC | Ada Compiler Validation Capacity
|
| ADA | Automatic Data Acquisitions +
(Programming Language named after Augusta Ada Lovelace)
|
| ADB | Apple Desktop Bus
|
| ADC | Adaptive Data Compression (protocol) [Hayes] +
Add with Carry + Analog to Digital Converter
|
| ADCCP | Advanced Data Communication Control Procedures/Protocol
|
| ADD | Automatic Document Detection [WordPerfect]
|
| ADF | Automatic Document Feeder +
Automatically Defined Function
|
| ADI | AutoCad/AutoDesk Device Interface (driver)
|
| ADL | Address Data Latch
|
| ADLAT | Adaptive Lattice Filter
|
| ADLC | Adaptive Lossless Data Compression [IBM] +
Asynchronous Data Link Control
|
| ADMACS | Apple Document Management And Conrol System
|
| ADMD | Administrative Management Domain [X.400]
|
| ADO | ActiveX Data Objects
|
| ADP | AOLserver Dynamic Pages + Automatic Data Processing
|
| ADPCM | Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation
|
| ADR | Address
|
| ADS | Application Development Solutions [AT&T] +
Application Development System +
Automatic Distribution System
|
| ADSC | Address Status Changed +
Adobe Document Structuring Conventions
|
| ADSI | Active Directory Service Interface [Microsoft] +
Analog Display Services Interface
|
| ADSL | (See DSL)
|
| ADSP | AppleTalk Datastream Protocol
|
| ADSR | Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release
|
| ADT | Abstract Data Type + Application Data Types
|
| ADU | Automatic Dialing Unit
|
| AE | Above or Equal
|
| AEB | Analog Expansion Bus [Dialogic]
|
| AEC | Architecture, Engineering, Construction
|
| AES | Advanced Encryption Standard
|
| AESA | ATM End System Address
|
| AF | Auxiliary carry Flag
|
| AFA | Accelerated File Access
|
| AFC | Antiferro-Magnetically Coupled (media) [IBM] +
Automatic Font Change + Automatic Frequency Control
|
| AFD | Automatic File Distribution
|
| AFDW | Active Framework for Data Warehousing [Microsoft]
|
| AFI | Authority and Format Identifier
|
| AFII | Association for Font Information Interchange
|
| AFIRM | Automated Fingerprint Image Reporting and Match
|
| AFIS | Automated Fingerprint Identification System
|
| AFP | Advanced Function Presentation [IBM] +
Advanced Function Printing +
Appletalk Filing Protocol [Macintosh]
|
| AFS | Andrew File System (protocols)
|
| AFTP | Advanced/Anonymous File Transfer Protocol
|
| AGA | Advanced Graphics Adapter
|
| AGC | Automatic Gain Control
|
| AGP | Accelerated/Advanced Graphics Port
|
| AGRAS | Antiglare-Antireflective-Antistatic
|
| AGU | Address-Generation Unit
|
| AH | Authentication Header (protocol)
|
| AHS | Automated Highway Systems
|
| AI | Analog Input + Artificial Intelligence
|
| AIA | Applications Integration Architecture [DEC]
|
| AIC | AIXwindows Interface Composer [IBM]
|
| AIFF | Audio Interchange File Format
|
| AIIM | Association for Information and Image Management
|
| AIM | AOL Instant Messenger
|
| AIN | Advanced Intelligent Network [Bell Atlantic]
|
| AIP | Application Infrastruture Provider
|
| AIR | Architecture Implementation Review
|
| AIS | Automated Identification System [NCIC] +
Automated Information Systems
|
| AISB | Association of Imaging Service Bureaus
|
| AISP | Association of Information Systems Professionals
|
| AIT | Advanced Intelligent Tape (drive) [Sony]
|
| AIX | Advanced Interactive Executive [IBM]
|
| ALAT | Advanced Load Address Table
|
| ALC | Arithmetic and Logic Circuits +
Automatic Level Control
|
| ALE | Address Latch Enable +
Application Linking and Embedding
|
| ALGOL | Algorithmic Oriented Language (see IAL)
|
| Alias | In the MacintoshSystem7, a tiny filewhich points to another file. It is not a copy of the original file but rather alink to it. When you double-clickon an alias, it points to the original file and the original file is opened.Aliases are useful in organizing files without making multiple copies. |
| ALIBI | Adaptive Location of Internetworked Bases
of Information
|
| ALINK | Active Link [HTML]
|
| ALIWEB | Archie Like Indexing in the Web [Internet]
|
| ALN | Asynchronous Learning Network
|
| ALP | Automatic Language Processing
|
| Alpha | An Alpha is a RISC processor invented by Digital and currently produced by Digital/Compaq and Samsung. A few different OSes run on Alpha based machines including Digital UNIX, Windows NT, Linux, NetBSD, and AmigaOS. Historically, at any given time, the fastest processor in the world has usually been either an Alpha or a PowerPC (with sometimes SPARCs and PA-RISCs making the list), but Compaq has recently announced that there will be no further development of this superb processor instead banking on the release of the somewhat suspect Merced. |
| ALR | Advanced Logic Research, Inc.
|
| ALT | Alternate (mode)
|
| ALT. | Alternate lifestyle [USENET Newsgroup Category]
|
| AltiVec | AltiVec (also called the "Velocity Engine") is a special extension built into some PowerPC CPUs to provide better performance for certain operations, most notably graphics and sound. It is similar to MMX on the x86 CPUs. Like MMX, it requires special software for full performance benefits to be realized. |
| ALU | Arithmetic Logic Unit
|
| AMA | Automatic Message Accounting
|
| AMANDDA | Automated Messaging and Directory Assistance
|
| AMASS | Archival Management and Storage System
|
| AMD | Active Matrix Display + Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
|
| AMI | Alternate Mark Inversion + American Megatrends, Inc. +
Application Messaging Interface
|
| Amiga | A platform originally created and only produced by Commodore, but now owned by Gateway 2000 and produced by it and a few smaller companies. It was historically the first multimedia machine and gave the world of computing many innovations. It is now primarily used for audio / video applications; in fact, a decent Amiga system is less expensive than a less capable video editing system. Many music videos were created on Amigas, and a few television series and movies had their special effects generated on Amigas. Also, Amigas can be readily synchronized with video cameras, so typically when a computer screen appears on television or in a movie and it is not flickering wildly, it is probably an Amiga in disguise. Furthermore, many coin-operated arcade games are really Amigas packaged in stand-up boxes. Amigas have AmigaOS for their OS. New Amigas have either a PowerPC or an Alpha for their main processor and a 68xx processor dedicated to graphics manipulation. Older (and low end) Amigas do everything with just a 68xx processor. |
| AmigaOS | The OS used by Amigas. AmigaOS combines the functionality of an OS and a window manager and is fully multitasking. AmigaOS boasts a pretty good selection of games (many arcade games are in fact written on Amigas) but has limited driver support. AmigaOS will run on 68xx, Alpha, and PowerPC based machines. |
| AMMA | Advanced Memory Management Architecture
[Everex Systems]
|
| AMPS | Advanced Mobile Phone Service
|
| AMR | Audio Modem Riser
|
| ANCOVA | Analysis of Covariance
|
| ANDF | Architecture-Neutral Distribution Format
|
| ANI | Automatic Number Identification
|
| ANN | Artificial Neural Network
|
| Anonymous ftp | See FTP. |
| ANOVA | Analysis Of Variance
|
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute
|
| ANX | Automotive Network Exchange [Chrysler/Ford/
General Motors]
|
| AO | Analog Output
|
| AO/DI | Always On/Dynamic ISDN
|
| AOCE | Apple Open Collaboration Environment
|
| AOE | Application Operating Environment [AT&T]
|
| AOL | America Online
|
| AOS | Add Or Subtract
|
| AP | Adjunct Processor + Application Processor
|
| APA | Adaptive Packet Assembly +
All Points Addressable +
Arithmetic Processing Accelerator
|
| APAR | Authorized Program Analysis Report [IBM]
|
| APAREN | Address Parity Enable [IBM]
|
| APCUG | Association of PC User Groups
|
| APDU | Application Protocol Data Units
|
| API | Application Program Interface
|
| APIC | Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (bus) [Intel]
|
| APIS | Advanced Passenger Information System
|
| APL | A Programming Language (Mathematics)
|
| APM | Advanced Power Management [IBM]
|
| APNIC | Asia-Pacific Network Information Center [Internet]
|
| APOP | Authenticated Post Office Protocol
|
| APPC | Advanced Program-to-Program Communications [IBM]
|
| APPI | Advanced Peer-to-Peer Internetworking
|
| Apple | A computer company, maker of the Macintoshline of computers. They also produce the Newton, and produced the Apple andApple II computers. |
| Apple ][ | The Apple ][ computer sold millions of units and is generally considered to have been the first home computer with a 1977 release date. It is based on the 65xx family of processors. The earlier Apple I was only available as a build-it-yourself kit. |
| AppleScript | A scripting language for Mac OS computers. |
| applet | An applet differs from an application in that is not meant to be run stand-alone but rather with the assistance of another program, usually a browser. |
| AppleTalk | Communications protocoldeveloped by Apple computers. Although fairly slow, AppleTalk is cheap toimplement on Macintosh computer because the hardware for it is builtinto the machines. Using special adaptor boards, IBM PC and compatiblemachines can also be incorporated into an AppleTalk network. The AppleTalkprotocol can also be run over ethernet,though it is then called EtherTalk. |
| APPLETS | Applications
|
| Application | Aprogram. Filessuch as Microsoft Word, MacWrite, MacPaint, etc. are applications. Applicationsgive the computers instructions which provide the user with tools to accomplisha task. For instance, a word processing application provides space to type in,means to format the text, a spelling checker, etc. |
| Application Icon | In Windows. A graphic that represents arunning application.This iconappears only after you start an application and then minimize it. |
| APPN | Advanced Peer-to-Peer Networking [IBM]
|
| APPS | Applications
|
| APRP | Adaptive Pattern Recognition Processing
|
| APS | Advanced Photo System + Advanced Printing Service [IBM]
Asynchronous Protocol Specification
|
| APSE | ADA Programming Support Environment
|
| APT | Address Pass Through +
Advanced Parallel Technology +
Automatically Programmed Tools
|
| Aqua | The default window manager for Mac OS X. |
| ARA | AppleTalk Remote Access
|
| ARAG | Antireflective-Antiglare
|
| ARAS | Antireflective-Antistatic
|
| ARCA | Advanced RISC Computing Architecture
|
| Architecture | The structure andorganization of a computer's hardware,or systemsoftware, including items such as the CPUtype, bustype, etc. |
| ARCnet | Attached Resource Computer Network
|
| ARL | Adjusted Ring Length
|
| ARLL | Advanced Run Length Limited
|
| ARM | Advanced RISC Machine (processor) +
Annotated Reference Manual +
Asynchronous Response Mode
|
| ARMA | Association of Records Managers and Administrators
|
| ARP | Address Resolution Protocol [Novell]
|
| ARPANET | Advanced Research Projects Agency Network
|
| ARPL | Adjust Requested Privilege Level
|
| ARQ | Automatic Repeat Request
|
| Arrow Keys | Also called Direction Keys. Keys used at timesto navigate around the screen- especially in text areas. Arrow keys have arrowspointing up, down, right, and left. |
| ARS | Activity Reporting System [Unisys]
|
| ART | Adaptive Resonance Theory (algorithm)
|
| ARTA | Apple Real Time Architecture
|
| ARTIC | A Real-Time Interface Coprocessor [IBM]
|
| ARTS | Asynchronous Remote Takeover Server
|
| ARTT | Asynchronous Remote Takeover Terminal
|
| ARU | Audio Response Unit
|
| AS | Autonomous System [Internet]
|
| AS/400 | Application System/400 [IBM]
|
| AS/U | Advanced Server for Unix
|
| AS3AP | ANSI SQL Standard Scalable and Portable
|
| ASAI | Adjunct Switch Application Interface [AT&T]
|
| ASAP | As Soon As Possible +
Automatic Switching And Processing
|
| ASB | Advanced System Buffering [Intel]
|
| ASCC | Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator [IBM]
|
| ASCII | American Standard Code for Information Interchange
|
| ASCII text file | A File that containsnothing but ASCIIcharacters without special formatting.ASCII text files are sometimes used in file transfers. |
| ASD | Application Structure Database [Microsoft] +
Automatic Skip Driver [Microsoft]
|
| ASF | Active/Advanced Streaming Format [Microsoft]
|
| ASIC | Application-Specific Integrated Circuit
|
| ASIT | Advanced Security and Identification Technology
|
| ASK | A protocol for an infrared communications port on a device. It predates the IrDA compliant infrared communications protocol and is not compatible with it. Many devices with infrared communications support both, but some only support one or the other. |
| ASL | Adaptive Speed Levelling
|
| ASLM | Apple Shared Library Manager [Macintosh]
|
| ASMP | Asymmetric Multprocessing
|
| ASN | Abstract Syntax Notation + Autonomous System Number
|
| ASO | Automated Systems Operations
|
| ASP | Active Server Page [Microsoft] +
Application/Authorized Service Provider +
Aspect Oriented Programming +
Association of Shareware Professionals
|
| ASP.NET | .NET-Based Active Server Pages
|
| ASPI | Advanced SCSI Programming Interface [Adaptec]
|
| ASPS | Advanced Signal Processing System
|
| ASR | Address Space Register + Automatic Send-Receive +
Automatic Speech Recognition +
Automatic System Recovery
|
| assembly language | Assembly language is essentially machine language that has had some of the numbers replaced by somewhat easier to remember mnemonics in an attempt to make it more human-readable. The program that converts assembly language to machine language is called an assembler. While assembly language predates FORTRAN, it is not typically what people think of when they discuss computer languages. |
| AST | AST Research, Inc. (named from first initials of
the founders: Albert Wong, Safi Qureshey, Thomas Yuen)
|
| ASYNC | Asynchronous
|
| AT | Advanced Technology + Attention
|
| AT&T | American Telephone and Telegraph
|
| ATAPI | Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface
|
| ATC | Advanced Transfer Cache
|
| ATDP | Attention Dial Pulse
|
| ATDT | Attention Dial Tone
|
| ATE | Automated Test Equipment
|
| ATG | Advanced Technology Group
|
| ATH | Attention Hang-Up (Modem command)
|
| ATL | Active Template Library
|
| ATM | Adobe Typeface Manager + Air Traffic Management +
Asynchronous Transfer Mode + Automated Teller Machine
|
| ATPS | AppleTalk Printing Services [Macintosh]
|
| ATR | Automatic Terminal Recognition
|
| ATS | Administrative Terminal System +
Apple Terminal Services
|
| ATTN | Attention
|
| ATTRIB | Attribute (also ATR)
|
| ATX | Advanced Technology Extended [Intel]
|
| ATZ | Attention Restore configuration profile from
nonvolatile RAM (Modem command)
|
| AUDIT | Automated Data Input Terminal
|
| AUI | Attachment/Autonomous Unit Interface
|
| AUP | Acceptable Use Policy [Internet]
|
| authoring system | Any GUIs method of designing new software can be called an authoring system. Any computer language name with the word "visual" in front of it is probably a version of that language built with some authoring system capabilities. It appears that the first serious effort to produce a commercial quality authoring system took place in the mid eighties for the Amiga. |
| AUTO | Automatic
|
| Autoconfig | Automatic configuration.The ability of computer hardwareto detect the presence of expansion devices, and, using information resident inthose devices, configure the system to run the device properly. |
| AUTOEXEC | Automatic Execution
|
| AUTOEXEC.BAT | A batch program (set of commands) that isautomatically carried out by MS-DOSwhenever the computer is started or restarted. The file contains basic startupcommands that help configure the system. Often, when a computer stops doing whatit normally does when it boots (enters dos shell automatically or startsWindows, etc.), it is because the autoexec.bat file has been deleted. It is agood idea to have a copy of the autoexec.bat file (printed or on a separatedisk) in case this happens. |
| AUX | Auxiliary + (First Serial Port)
|
| AV | Audio/Video + Audiovisual + Authenticity Verification
|
| AVA | Audio Visual Authoring [IBM]
|
| AVC | Audio Visual Connection [IBM]
|
| AVD | Alternating Voice and Data
|
| AVG | Average
|
| AVI | Audio Visual Interleave [Microsoft]
|
| AVL | AVL Tree (named after its founders:
Adelson, Veiskii and Landis
|
| AVP | Attribute-Value Pair
|
| AVR | Automatic Voice Recognition
|
| AVT | Applied Voice Technology
|
| AVVID | Architecture for Voice Video & Integrated Data [Cisco]
|
| AWE | Advanced Wave Effects [Creative Lab]
|
| AWG | American Wire Gage
|
| AWK | (Unix language named after its authors...
Al Aho, Peter Weinberger and Brian Kernighan)
|
| AWS | Advanced Workstations and Systems (group) [IBM]
|
| AWT | Abstract Window Toolkit [Java]
|
| AX | Architecture Extended + Automatic Transmission
|
