Computer Terms

What's "IDE"?

IDE, or Integrated Drive Electronics, describes a drive that has its controller components built in
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What's the Windows "Registry?"

Basically, the registry is used to store system and program settings.
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What does SSL mean?

SSL, or Secure Socket Layers, is what makes secure sites secure
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What does

Digital images are essentially made up of little
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What are Interrupts?

Normally called Interrupt Requests (IRQ), they are basically calls made from a hardware device to get the "attention"
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What is spam ?

The act of sending unsolicited commercial email (UCE), "spamming", or in reference to the UCE itself, "spam".
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What is a browser?

A browser is what you use to surf the web.
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What are DLL files?

DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files are basically "support" files for certain types of software
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What does it mean when software is a "beta" version?

A beta version is basically a test version of a software program.
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What is Java?

Java is a programming and scripting language that is primarily used for the web (although it could be used for other stuff too).
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What (and where) is the Desktop on my computer?

The Desktop, basically, is where all your icons live
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What does ASCII mean?

ASCII is short for American Standard Code for Information Interchange
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What is BIOS?

BIOS (basic input / output system) is basically the
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What is the Windows Clipboard?

The Windows clipboard is used to temporarily store stuff.
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What is a Buffer?

A buffer is basically an area of memory a hardware device or software program uses when it needs a constant, uninterrupted flow of information
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The difference between DVD-R and DVD+R

I wanted to add a recordable DVD drive to my computer. What is the difference between DVD-R and DVD+R?
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What is a cache?

Cache files are used to store information on a temporary basis for quick access.
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What does it mean to configure?

It can be your combination of software: operating system, utilities, and applications. It can also mean the adjustment of your software: options or preferences.
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What is an OS

OS is short for "Operating System
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What are plug-ins?

A plug-in is a small application that works with your browser to display certain types of web media
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