Author Topic: Computer Terms Beginning with "A"  (Read 6231 times)

Offline MysteRy

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "A"
« Reply #30 on: March 25, 2014, 01:10:21 PM »
ASCII

Stands for "American Standard Code for Information Interchange." ASCII is the universal standard for the numerical codes computers use to represent all upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and punctuation. Without ASCII, each type of computer would use a different way of representing letters and numbers, causing major chaos for computer programmers (allowing them even less sleep than they already get).

ASCII makes is possible for text to be represented the same way on a Dell Dimension in Minneapolis, Minnesota as it is on an Apple Power Mac in Paris, France. There are 128 standard ASCII codes, each of which can be represented by a 7 digit binary number (because 2^7 = 128).

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "A"
« Reply #31 on: March 25, 2014, 01:11:38 PM »
ASP

Just to confuse ordinary people like you and me, there are two equally important definitions of ASP. The term can refer to 1) an Active Server Page, or 2) an Application Service Provider.

1. Active Server Page

This is a Web page that has one or more ASP scripts embedded in it. ASP scripts are like small computer programs that run when an ASP-based Web page is accessed. You can tell if you're accessing an active server page if the suffix of the URL is ".asp" (as opposed to ".html"). ASP pages are processed on a Web server before they are transferred to a user's Web browser.

ASP pages are typically used for pages that have dynamic, or frequently changing information. For example, an ASP script might get a visitor's zip code through a form on a Web page, then customize the content on the resulting page based on that information. Since ASP technology was designed by Microsoft, ASP scripts are typically written in Microsoft's Visual Basic programming language.

2. Application Service Provider

Sometimes refered to as an "app-on-tap," this is a third-party company that distributes software-based services from a central location to customers in other locations. ASPs offer companies services that would otherwise have to be done in-house, or onsite. Using an ASP is often an inexpensive way for companies and organizations to manage their information services. There are five main categories of Application Service Providers:

Local or Regional ASP - supplies many different application services for smaller businesses or individuals in a local area.

Specialist ASP - provides applications for specific needs, such as Human Resources or Web services.
Vertical Market ASP - provides support to a specific industry such as Education.

Enterprise ASP - delivers information and services for high-end business.

Volume Business ASP - supplies small or medium-sized businesses with services in high volume.

Offline MysteRy

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "A"
« Reply #32 on: March 25, 2014, 01:12:50 PM »
ASP.NET

ASP.NET is a set of Web development tools offered by Microsoft. Programs like Visual Studio .NET and Visual Web Developer allow Web developers to create dynamic websites using a visual interface. Of course, programmers can write their own code and scripts and incorporate it into ASP.NET websites as well. Though it often seen as a successor to Microsoft's ASP programming technology, ASP.NET also supports Visual Basic.NET, JScript .NET and open-source languages like Python and Perl.

ASP.NET is built on the .NET framework, which provides an application program interface (API) for software programmers. The .NET development tools can be used to create applications for both the Windows operating system and the Web. Programs like Visual Studio .NET provide a visual interface for developers to create their applications, which makes .NET a reasonable choice for designing Web-based interfaces as well.

In order for an ASP.NET website to function correctly, it must be published to a Web server that supports ASP.NET applications. Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) Web server is by far the most common platform for ASP.NET websites. While there are some open-source options available for Linux-based systems, these alternatives often provide less than full support for ASP.NET applications.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "A"
« Reply #33 on: March 25, 2014, 01:13:52 PM »
ATA

Stands for "Advanced Technology Attachment." It is a type of disk drive that integrates the drive controller directly on the drive itself. Computers can use ATA hard drives without a specific controller to support the drive. The motherboard must still support an ATA connection, but a separate card (such as a SCSI card for a SCSI hard drive) is not needed. Some different types of ATA standards include ATA-1, ATA-2 (a.k.a. Fast ATA), ATA-3, Ultra ATA (33 MBps maximum transfer rate), ATA/66 (66 MBps), and ATA/100 (100 MBps).

The term IDE, or "Integrated Drive Electronics," is also used to refer to ATA drives. Sometimes (to add extra confusion to people buying hard drives), ATA drives are labeled as "IDE/ATA." Technically, ATA uses IDE technology, but the important thing to know is that they refer to the same thing.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "A"
« Reply #34 on: March 25, 2014, 01:14:51 PM »
ATM

Stands for "Asynchronous Transfer Mode." Most people know of ATMs as automated teller machines -- those friendly boxes that allow you to withdraw cash from your bank or credit account while charging you a ridiculous surcharge for the service. In the computer world, however, ATM has a different meaning. Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a networking technology that transfers data in packets or cells of a fixed size.

ATM uses 53-byte cells (5 bytes for the address header and 48 bytes for the data). These extremely small cells can be processed through an ATM switch (not an automated teller machine) fast enough to maintain data transfer speeds of over 600 mbps. The technology was designed for the high-speed transmission of all forms of media from basic graphics to full-motion video. Because the cells are so small, ATM equipment can transmit large amounts of data over a single connection while ensuring that no single transmission takes up all the bandwidth. It also allows Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to assign limited bandwidth to each customer. While this may seem like a downside for the customer, it actually improves the efficiency of the ISP's Internet connection, causing the overall speed of the connection to be faster for everybody.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "A"
« Reply #35 on: March 25, 2014, 01:15:48 PM »
Autoresponder

An autoresponder is a program or script on a mail server that automatically replies to e-mails. Though it is run from the mail server, an autoresponder can usually be set up by the user through a Web-based interface. For example, a company might set up an autoresponder for their support e-mail address to let users know they have received their support requests. The automated reply might read something like, "Thank you, we have received your message. One of our technicians will attempt to answer your question after he finishes his dart game in the lobby."

Individuals may also use autoresponders to let people know when they are away from their computer and won't be able to respond to any e-mails for awhile. For example, you might set up an autoresponder for your personal e-mail address to say, "Sorry, I am on vacation in the Bahamas indefinitely. I'll respond to your message whenever I decide to come back." Of course, it is important to reply to messages even after the autroresponder has sent a esponse. After all, most people like to communicate with other people rather than computers.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "A"
« Reply #36 on: March 25, 2014, 01:16:46 PM »
Avatar

Example: "His World of Warcraft avatar is a Mage with black armor and a silver staff."

An avatar is an online character that represents a person. For example, games like World of Warcraft and the Sims Online allow players to create custom characters, known as avatars. Players can control their avatars and interact with other players in an online world. An avatar may also refer to the icon and username that a user chooses when registering for a website or online discussion forum. The avatar name and image typically shows up next to any contributions the user makes on the website.