Author Topic: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"  (Read 19855 times)

Offline MysteRy

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2014, 07:56:35 AM »
SDK

Example: "Developers can create apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch using the iPhone SDK."

SDK is short for "Software Development Kit." An SDK is a collection of software used for developing applications for a specific platform, such as an operating system, program add-on, or hardware device. Most SDKs include an integrated development environment (IDE), debugging tools, a compiler, sample code, and documentation.

Software development kits are typically provided free of charge, which helps encourage developers to create applications for the related platform. They are usually updated when a new version of the platform is released.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #16 on: April 11, 2014, 07:57:05 AM »
SDRAM

Stands for "Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but if you memorize it, you can really impress your friends. SDRAM is an improvement to standard DRAM because it retrieves data alternately between two sets of memory. This eliminates the delay caused when one bank of memory addresses is shut down while another is prepared for reading.

It is called "Synchronous" DRAM because the memory is synchronized with the clock speed that the computer's CPU bus speed is optimized for. The faster the bus speed, the faster the SDRAM can be. SDRAM speed is measured in Megahertz, which makes it easy to compare the processor's bus speed to the speed of the memory.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #17 on: April 11, 2014, 07:57:38 AM »
SDSL

Stands for "Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line." SDSL is a type of of DSL, which is used for transferring data over copper telephone lines. The "symmetric" part of the term means that an SDSL connection has the same maximum upload and download speeds.

ADSL, on the other hand, typically provides much faster download speeds than upload speeds. Because most Internet users download much more data than they upload, ISPs usually offer ADSL connections rather than SDSL.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2014, 07:58:06 AM »
Search Engine

Google, Excite, Lycos, AltaVista, Infoseek, and Yahoo are all search engines. They index millions of sites on the Web, so that Web surfers like you and me can easily find Web sites with the information we want. By creating indexes, or large databases of Web sites (based on titles, keywords, and the text in the pages), search engines can locate relevant Web sites when users enter search terms or phrases. When you are looking for something using a search engine, it is a good idea to use words like AND, OR, and NOT to specify your search. Using these boolean operators, you can usually get a list of more relevant sites.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2014, 07:58:38 AM »
Secondary Memory

While primary memory refers to RAM and processor caches, secondary memory refers to memory that is not accessed directly by the CPU. This includes storage devices that store persistent data, such as HDDs, SSDs, flash drives, and optical media.

When the CPU retrieves data from secondary memory, it is first loaded into RAM, since RAM can be accessed hundreds of times faster than a persistent storage device. Secondary memory, however, offers far greater storage capacity than primary memory. Additionally, secondary memory is non-volatile, which means it does not require an electrical current to retain its data. Therefore, secondary memory is sometimes called "persistent storage" or "permanent memory."

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2014, 07:59:06 AM »
Secondary Storage

Example: "An external hard drive is a common secondary storage device used for data backup."

Secondary storage refers to storage devices and media that are not constantly accessible by a computer system. Examples include external hard drives, portable flash drives, CDs, and DVDs. These devices and media must be either plugged in or inserted into a computer in order to be accessed by the system. Because secondary storage technology is not always connected to the computer, it is commonly used for backing up data.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #21 on: April 12, 2014, 07:56:59 AM »
Sector

A sector is the smallest unit that can be accessed on a hard disk. Each platter, or circular disk of a hard disk is divided into tracks, which run around the disk. These tracks get longer as they move from the middle towards the outside of the disk, so there are more sectors along the tracks near the outside of the disk than the ones towards the center of disk. This variance in sectors per track is referred to as "zoned-bit recording."

Large files can take up thousands of sectors on a disk. Even if one of these sectors becomes corrupted, the file will most likely be unreadable. While a disk utility program may be able to fix corrupted data, it cannot fix physical damage. Physically damaged sectors are called "bad sectors." While your computer may recognize and bypass bad sectors on your hard disk, certain bad sectors may prevent your disk from operating properly. Yet another good reason to always back up your data!

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #22 on: April 12, 2014, 07:57:57 AM »
SEO

Stands for "Search Engine Optimization." Just about every Webmaster wants his or her site to appear in the top listings of all the major search engines. Say, for example, that Bob runs an online soccer store. He wants his site to show up in the top few listings when someone searches for "soccer shoes." Then he gets more leads from search engines, which means more traffic, more sales, and more revenue. The problem is that there are thousands of other soccer sites, whose Webmasters are hoping for the same thing. That's where search engine optimization, or SEO, comes in.

SEO involves a number of adjustments to the HTML of individual Web pages to achieve a high search engine ranking. First, the title of the page must include relevant information about the page. In the previous example, Bob's home page might have the title, "Bob's Soccer Store -- Soccer Shoes and Equipment." The title is the most important part of SEO, since it tells the search engine exactly what the page is about. Within Bob's home page, it would be helpful to repeat the words "soccer" and "soccer shoes" a few times, since search engines also scan the text of the pages they index.

Finally, there are META tags. These HTML tags can really distinguish your site from the rest of the pile. The META tags that most search engines read are the description and keywords tags. Within the description tags, you should type a brief description of the Web page. It should be similar but more detailed than the title. Within the keywords tags, you should list 5-20 words that relate to the content of the page. Using META tags can significantly boost your search engine ranking.

So what happens when a bunch of sites all have similar titles, content, and META tags? Well, most search engines choose to list the most popular sites first. But then how do you get into the most popular sites? The best way is to submit your site to Web directories (not just search engines) and get other sites to link to yours. It can be a long climb to the top, but your perserverance will pay off. For more tips on SEO, visit the Submit Corner Web site.
« Last Edit: April 12, 2014, 08:00:18 AM by MysteRy »

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2014, 08:00:52 AM »
Serial Port

The serial port is a type of connection on PCs that is used for peripherals such as mice, gaming controllers, modems, and older printers. It is sometimes called a COM port or an RS-232 port, which is its technical name. If that's not enough to confuse you, there are two types of serial ports -- DB9 and DB25. DB9 is a 9-pin connection, and DB25 is, you guessed it, a 25-pin connection.

A serial port can only transmit one bit of data at a time, whereas a parallel port can transmit many bits at once. The serial port is typically the slowest port you'll find on a PC, if you find one at all. Most newer computers have replaced serial ports with much faster and more compatible USB ports.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #24 on: April 12, 2014, 08:01:36 AM »
SERP

Example: "As the company's website became more popular, it ranked higher on SERPs for relevant keywords."

SERP is an acronym for "Search Engine Results Page." This is the Web page that displays the results of search performed with a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo!, or MSN Live. It contains a list of Web pages that are relevant to the search phrase entered by the user, displayed in order of relevance. A SERP may also include sponsored links or paid listings that are supplied by companies that bid on keywords. Getting listed in the top results of a SERP is a common goal of webmasters who want to drive more traffic to their websites.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #25 on: April 12, 2014, 08:02:09 AM »
Server

As the name implies, a server serves information to computers that connect to it. When users connect to a server, they can access programs, files, and other information from the server. Common servers are Web servers, mail servers, and LAN servers. A single computer can have several different server programs running on it.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #26 on: April 12, 2014, 08:02:48 AM »
Service Pack

A service pack is a software package that contains several updates for an application or operating system. Individual updates are typically called software updates or patches. When a software company has developed several updates to a certain program or operating system, the company may release all the updates together in a service pack.

Many Windows users are familiar with service packs because of the popular service pack released for Windows XP, called SP2. Windows XP SP2 not only included typical updates such as bug fixes and security updates, it added new features. Some of the features included new security tools, interface enhancements to Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, and new DirectX technologies. In fact the SP2 service pack for Windows XP was so comprehensive, many newer Windows programs require it in order to run.

Service packs are usually offered as free downloads from the software developer's website. A software update program on your computer may even prompt you to download a service pack when it becomes available. Typically, it is a good idea to download and install new service packs. However, is may also be wise to wait a week or two after the service pack is released to make sure no new bugs or incompatibilities are introduced with the service pack. If you do not have a high-speed Internet connection, you can often purchase a service pack update CD for a small charge.

While service packs are commonly released for Microsoft products, not all companies use them. Apple's Mac OS X, for example, uses the Software Update program to install incremental updates to the operating system. Each Mac OS X update includes several small updates to the operating system and bundled applications, much like a service pack.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #27 on: April 12, 2014, 08:06:10 AM »
Shareware

There is commercial software and then there is shareware. With commercial software, you have to pay for the product before you use it. With shareware, you can use the product for a trial period and then decide if you want to keep it. If you want to keep the software after the trial period is up, you're supposed to (and should) register the product and pay the shareware fee. As an extra incentive to pay for the software, many shareware programs disable certain features in the non-registered version and some will keep bugging you to register the program after the trial period has expired.

Shareware programs are usually less expensive than commercial software programs, but they are usually less expensive to develop as well. This is why shareware programs are typically not as robust as commercial software programs. However, there are numerous shareware programs out there, such as system utilities, that can be very useful. The most common way to get shareware these days is off the Internet. Check out C|net's Shareware.com for a huge selection of these great little programs.
« Last Edit: April 12, 2014, 08:09:27 AM by MysteRy »

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #28 on: April 12, 2014, 08:10:03 AM »
Shell

Most people know of shells as small protective coverings for certain animals, such as clams, crabs, and mollusks. You may also find a shell on the outside of an egg, which I highly recommend you remove before eating. In the computer science world, however, a shell is a software program that interprets commands from the user so that the operating system can understand them and perform the appropriate functions.

The shell is a command-line interface, which means it is soley text-based. The user can type commands to perform functions such as run programs, open and browse directories, and view processes that are currently running. Since the shell is only one layer above the operating system, you can perform operations that are not always possible using the graphical user interface (GUI). Some examples include moving files within the system folder and deleting files that are typically locked. The catch is, you need to know the correct syntax when typing the commands and you may still be prompted for a password in order to perform administrative functions.

Shells are most commonly associated with Unix, as many Unix users like to interact with the operating system using the text-based interface. Two common Unix shells are the Bourne shell and the C Shell, which is used by BSD. Most Unix systems have both of these shells available to the user. Windows users may be more familiar with DOS, the shell that has long been included with the Windows operating system. Most computer users have no need to use the shell interface, but it can be a fun way to perform functions on your computer, as well as impress your friends.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "S"
« Reply #29 on: April 12, 2014, 08:10:42 AM »
Shift Key

Example: "The Shift key is commonly used to capitalize the first letter of each sentence."

Shift is a modifier key that allows you to capitalize lowercase letters and enter various symbols and punctuation marks. To use the Shift key, simply press and hold Shift while typing another key on the keyboard. The Shift key can be used in conjunction with the Command (Mac) or Control (PC) keys to perform various keyboard shortcuts. Many programs also allow the Shift key to be used with the mouse button in order to select multiple objects. For example, to select more than one object, click on the first object, then hold the Shift key while clicking on the other objects you want to select.