Author Topic: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"  (Read 7280 times)

Offline MysteRy

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #30 on: March 28, 2014, 02:39:45 PM »
Direct Digital Marketing

Example: "The company reduced marketing costs by switching from paper mailings to direct digital marketing."

Direct Digital Marketing, or DDM, is a type of marketing that is done through a digital medium. Common DDM mediums include the Web, e-mail, and mobile phones. These marketing avenues provide unique advantages over traditional marketing strategies. For example, companies can use e-mail and text messaging to send promotional messages at little to no cost. Similarly, Web advertising allows companies to only pay for leads that direct users to their websites or result in a sale. Each of these types of DDM provide an efficient way for companies to use their advertising budgets.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #31 on: March 28, 2014, 02:40:37 PM »
Direct3D

Direct3D is an application program interface (API) developed by Microsoft that provides a set of commands and functions for manipulating 3D objects. By using Direct3D commands, software developers can take advantage of many prewritten functions. This allows programmers to write significantly less code than if they had to write all the functions from scratch. Direct3D makes it relatively easy to manage three-dimensional objects, including lighting and shadows as well.

In order for a software program to use Direct3D commands, the computer's video card or graphics accelerator device must support Direct3D. Fortunately, just about all video cards made for PCs offer Direct3D support. While many video games and other programs use Direct3D, OpenGL is a more widely used standard.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #32 on: March 28, 2014, 02:41:29 PM »
Directory

A directory is another name for a folder. Files on your hard disk are organized into various folders, or directories, so that it is easier to keep track of them. For example, you may keep your pictures in one folder and your music files in another folder. Folders can also contain other folders, allowing for more specific organization.

Since you can have folders within a folder, files on your hard drive are organized much like branches on a tree. The main directory on your hard drive is appropriately called the "root directory." Folders that exist within the root directory most likely contain other folders, which may branch out to even more folders.

When you are browsing one directory and want to open the folder that contains the current directory, it is called "moving up a directory." As you move up directories, you will eventually move up to the root directory. In Windows, this may be your C:\ directory, while on the Mac it will be the name of your hard drive, such as "Macintosh HD."

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #33 on: March 28, 2014, 02:42:27 PM »
DirectX

DirectX is a set of standard commands and functions that software developers can use when creating their programs. While any Windows-based software program can include DirectX commands, they are usually used in video games. For example, developers may use DirectX for controlling video playback, sound effects, and peripheral input (such as a keyboard, mouse, or joystick). By incorporating DirectX functions into a computer game, programmers can use predefined commands to manage the video and sound of their game, as well as user input. This makes it easier for programmers to develop video games and also helps the games look more uniform, since DirectX games use many of the same commands.

Technically, DirectX is known as an application programming interface (API), which consists of predefined functions and commands. In order to create programs that use DirectX, software developers must use the DirectX software development kit, available from Microsoft. However, most users need only the DirectX "End-User Runtime" installed on their computer in order to run DirectX-enabled software. The DirectX API is available for Windows software and Xbox video games.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #34 on: March 28, 2014, 02:43:29 PM »
Disk Drive

Example: "Internal hard drives are the most common type of disk drive."

The term "disk drive" is a general term that describes a device that reads and/or writes data to a disk. It is often used synonymously with "hard disk drive," but it may refer to other types of disk drives, such as optical media and removable media drives as well.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #35 on: March 28, 2014, 02:44:19 PM »
Disk Image

A disk image is a software copy of a physical disk. It saves the entire data from the disk, including the file structure and all files and folders from the disk, in a single file. Because disk images are exact copies, or "clones," of original disks, they can be used to duplicate disks or serve as full backups in case a system restore must be done.

Disk images can be created from both hard disks and optical media, such as CDs and DVDs. However, optical media images are technically called "disc images" instead of "disk images." Several programs, such as Nero, IsoBuster, and Norton Ghost can be used to make disk images for Windows. Programs like Apple Disk Utility and Roxio Toast can create disk images for Mac OS X.

Most disk image files store data in a raw, binary format. This means they do not have a file system, which tells the computer how to access the files and folders in the disk image. Therefore, in order for the data in a disk image to be readable by the computer, the image must first be mounted by either the operating system or a disk utility program.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #36 on: March 28, 2014, 02:45:13 PM »
Dithering

Example: "She applied a dithering filter to give her song a smoother sound."

Dithering is a process that can be applied to both digital images and audio files. For digital images, dithering adds graphical noise, or graininess to the image to smooth out the transitions between colors. With digital audio, dithering adds digital noise to audio tracks, which smoothes out the waveform and therefore the sound.

The process of dithering is typically used to improve the appearance or sound of low quality digital files. For example, a .GIF image that only supports 128 colors may appear less blotchy after it has been dithered. Similarly, dithering an .MP3 file may help the audio sound less choppy. Many image and audio editing programs include a "Dithered" option that allows you to add dithering when converting or exporting a file. It might be fun experiment to save a file with and without dithering and see if you can notice the difference.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #37 on: March 28, 2014, 02:46:09 PM »
DLL

Stands for "Dynamic Link Library." A DLL (.dll) file contains a library of functions and other information that can be accessed by a Windows program. When a program is launched, links to the necessary .dll files are created. If a static link is created, the .dll files will be in use as long as the program is active. If a dynamic link is created, the .dll files will only be used when needed. Dynamic links help programs use resources, such as memory and hard drive space, more efficiently.

DLL files can also be used by more than one program. In fact, they can even be used by multiple programs at the same time. Some DLLs come with the Windows operating system while others are added when new programs are installed. You typically don't want to open a .dll file directly, since the program that uses it will automatically load it if needed. Though DLL filenames usally end in ".dll," they can also end in .exe, .drv, and .fon, just to make things more confusing.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #38 on: March 28, 2014, 02:47:06 PM »
DMA

Stands for "Direct Memory Access." DMA is a method of transferring data from the computer's RAM to another part of the computer without processing it using the CPU. While most data that is input or output from your computer is processed by the CPU, some data does not require processing, or can be processed by another device. In these situations, DMA can save processing time and is a more efficient way to move data from the computer's memory to other devices.

For example, a sound card may need to access data stored in the computer's RAM, but since it can process the data itself, it may use DMA to bypass the CPU. Video cards that support DMA can also access the system memory and process graphics without needing the CPU. Ultra DMA hard drives use DMA to transfer data faster than previous hard drives that required the data to first be run through the CPU.

In order for devices to use direct memory access, they must be assigned to a DMA channel. Each type of port on a computer has a set of DMA channels that can be assigned to each connected device. For example, a PCI controller and a hard drive controller each have their own set of DMA channels.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #39 on: March 28, 2014, 02:48:12 PM »
DNS

Stands for "Domain Name System." The primary purpose of DNS is to keep Web surfers sane. Without DNS, we would have to remember the IP address of every site we wanted to visit, instead of just the domain name. Can you imagine having to remember "17.254.3.183" instead of just "apple.com"? While I have some Computer Science friends who might prefer this, most people have an easier time remembering simple names.

The reason the Domain Name System is used is because Web sites are acutally located by their IP addresses. For example, when you type in "http://www.adobe.com," the computer doesn't immediately know that it should look for Adobe's Web site. Instead, it sends a request to the nearest DNS server, which finds the correct IP address for "adobe.com." Your computer then attempts to connect to the server with that IP number. DNS is just another one of the many features of the Internet that we take for granted.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #40 on: March 28, 2014, 02:49:36 PM »
DNS Record

DNS records are stored in zone files and are used for translating domain names to IP addresses. They also contain other data, including the domain name's name server and mail server information. If there are domain name aliases, such as the commonly used "www" preceding the domain name, these will also be listed in the DNS record.

Since DNS records are made up entirely of text, they are easy to modify when needed. However, one small typo could redirect a domain name to the wrong Web server or prevent it from showing up at all. This is why it is important to enter DNS information accurately and double-check your changes entry before saving the zone file.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #41 on: March 28, 2014, 02:50:35 PM »
Dock

Example: "It is helpful to store commonly used applications in the Dock."

The Dock is a feature of the Mac OS X Finder that provides quick access to programs, files, and folders. By default, the Dock sits at the bottom of the screen, though it can be moved to the left or right and can be hidden if preferred. It contains application icons on the left side and files and folders on the right. You can open programs and files directly from the Dock and can add or remove items by dragging the corresponding icons to or from the Dock.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #42 on: March 28, 2014, 02:51:55 PM »
Document

Example: "I created over 40 Word documents during my first semester!"

A document is a type of file that has been created or saved by an application. For example, a text file saved with Microsoft Word is considered a document, while a system library, such as a .DLL file, is not. Examples of documents include word processing files, spreadsheets, presentations, audio files, video files, and saved media projects.

Each document has filename, which identifies the file. It also includes an icon, which visually identifies the program associated with the file. In most cases, the document icon is generated by the program that created the document. When you double-click a document icon, it will open in the corresponding application.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #43 on: March 28, 2014, 02:52:47 PM »
Domain

While the term "domain" is often used synonymously with "domain name," it also has a definition specific to local networks.

A domain contains a group of computers that can be accessed and administered with a common set of rules. For example, a company may require all local computers to be networked within the same domain so that each computer can be seen from other computers within the domain or located from a central server. Setting up a domain may also block outside traffic from accessing computers within the network, which adds an extra level of security.

While domains can be setup using a variety of networking software, including applications from Novell and Oracle, Windows users are most likely familiar with Windows Network Domains. This networking option is built into Windows and allows users to create or join a domain. The domain may or may not be password-protected. Once connected to the domain, a user may view other computers within the domain and can browse the shared files and folders available on the connected systems.

Windows XP users can browse Windows Network Domains by selecting the "My Network Places" option on the left side of an open window. You can create a new domain by using the Network Setup Wixard. Mac users using Mac OS X 10.2 or later can also connect to a Windows Network by clicking the "Network" icon on the left side of an open window. This will allow you to browse local Macintosh and Windows networks using the SMB protocol.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "D"
« Reply #44 on: March 28, 2014, 02:53:59 PM »
Domain Name

A domain name is used to identify a website. Businesses commonly have a domain name that is their name with the ".com" domain suffix after it. For example, the domain name of Microsoft's primary website is "microsoft.com." Some web-based businesses and organizations even name their brands after their domain name. For example, both the name and domain name of this website is "PC.net."

When you access a website in a web browser, the domain name is actually translated to a specific number called an IP address. This translation is performed by a system called DNS, which directs your browser to the appropriate location.

While all websites have a domain name, not all registered domain names have a corresponding website. For example, cybersquatters may register multiple domain names they intend to sell or use in the future. Until the website is published, the domain name will not be accessible on the Web.