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W3C
- Organization founded
in 1994 to develop common protocols for the evolution of the World Wide
Web.
Wafer
- Flat disk of silicon
crystal sliced from a larger piece. Used in semiconductor chip
manufacturing, these disks are approximately 1 / 30th-inch to 1/50th-inch
thick and 3 to 6 inches in diameter. Made to hold circuitry components,
wafers are eventually closed in another substance, such as plastic or
metal.
WAIS
- Refer to Wide Area
Information Server.
Wait
state - A pause in a
microprocessor's clock cycles that allows for differences in speed
between one component and others in a computer (such as input / output
devices or RAM). Wait states are common in systems where the
microprocessor has a much higher clock speed than other components,
requiring the latter to catch up. During a wait state, the microprocessor
idles for one or more cycles while data comes in from RAM or other
components. Although unnoticeable to users, this idling can affect a
system's performance because it involves the microprocessor's clock
speed; if clock speed is reduced, system performance will slow. Wait
states also are not uncommon between buses and expansion cards, where the
expansion cards run slower than their buses.
Wallpaper
- A bit mapped graphic
that appears as a backdrop on the Windows desktop and other operating
systems.
WAN
- Refer to Wide-area
network.
Wand
- Pen-like scanning
device pen commonly used with such hardware peripherals as bar code
readers. Also used to describe a stylus used with graphics tablets.
Warm
boot - Method of
resetting a computer system that is already powered on, commonly used to
recover from errors such as General Protection Faults (GPF's) This may be
executed by pressing the CTRL - ALT - DEL, keys simultaneously or by
selecting the restart command from an operating system menu. Warm boots
run faster than turning a computer off and on again.
Warm
link - The ability to
update spreadsheet data used in a different application such as a chart
or a graph.
Watt
- Unit of electrical
power equaling the product of amperage and voltage and representing the
amount of power a device needs in order to run. Common measurements are
kilowatts (1,000 watts), megawatts (1 million watts), million watts (.001
watt), and microwatts (.000001 watt).
Wave
- The pattern of a
signal, such as that generated by sound and light, that changes at
regular intervals.
Wave
audio - Sound wave
represented in a digital form that is based upon periodic samplings of
waveforms. Also called wave form audio.
Waveform
- Representation of
the pattern of analog signal (amplitude) changes over time during a
wave's signal.
Waveform
audio - Refer to wave
audio.
Waveform
editor - A program
that lets users record and manipulate wave audio.
Wavelength
- Measurement for the
distance between corresponding peaks of troughs on a transmitted wave
signal.
Wavetable
synthesis (WAV) - The
discreet playback of digitally sampled instruments, typically under
control of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). Wavetable
synthesis is a sound technology that's a little more expensive, but
preferred by musicians and other sound enthusiasts because of the high
quality playback, when compared to FM synthesis. Because it relies upon
instrument samples the sounds are more realistic than FM synthesis and a
computer together can produce.
Web
browser - A software
that gives access to and navigation of the World Wide Web (WWW). Using a
graphical interface that lets users click a button, icons, and menu
options to access commands, browsers show Web pages as graphical or
text-based documents. Browsers allow users to download pages at different
sites either by clicking hyperlinks or by entering a Web pages address,
called a Universal Resource Locator (URL).
Web
Page - Document
written in Hyper text Markup Language (HTML) that can be accessed on the
Internet. Web Pages are found by addresses called Universal Resource
Locators (URLs). Web page contain information graphics, and hyperlinks to
other Web pages and files. You are looking at a web page right now.
Web
site - A location
managed by a single entity that provides information such as text,
graphics, and audio files to users as well as connections or links to
other Web pages on the Internet. Every Web site has a home page, the
initial document seen by users, which acts as a table of contents to
other available offerings at the site.
What-if
evaluation - A
hypothetical calculation used in spreadsheets to create and compare
several financial scenarios, such as the total cost of choosing one car
loan and its corresponding interest rate and monthly payments over
another loan option. usually done by using formulas, situations are
changed by editing one or more elements of the formula.
What
You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) - The ability to get an exact match between what is seen on-screen and
what is seen when the file is printed.
What
You See is What You Print (WYSIWYP) - The ability to achieve on a printout the same colors and resolution that
are seen on-screen. The end result of WYSIWYP is achieved by using color
management system to calibrate printers and monitors.
White
noise - Random noise,
such as a hiss, screech, or static similar to the noise produced by a
radio frequency that isn't being used by a radio station.
White
space - The
characters, including space, tabs, and characters, that only appear as
blanks in on-screen or printed text. In desktop publishing, white space
is a section of a page that is unused by text, graphics, or other design
elements. White space often is used as a design element to call attention
to other objects on a page or to call attention to other objects on a
page or to prevent objects from appearing crowded.
Whole
numbers - A number not
using fractions or decimals.
Wide
Area Information Server (WAIS) - Search-and retrieval tool that digs through several hundred databases
and locates files that meet search criterion. Unlike some search tools,
WAIS looks through the content of files located on these database servers
instead of limiting itself to document title.s
Wide-area
network (WAN) - Collection
of computers connected (or networked) to each other over a geographic
area. Wide-area networks usually require special arrangements with
telephone companies because data is transmitted among locations (called
sites) across telephone lines.
Wideband
network - Refer to
broadband network.
Widow
- A short last line or
a paragraph, such as one word or the last half of a hyphenated word
sometimes found in word processing and desktop publishing. Visually
unappealing in any page layout or word processing document, this problem
generally can be resolved by simply editing the paragraph or retracing
text so more characters or words will be bumped onto the last line.
Wildcard
character - A symbol
that replaces one or more character in a file name, used in operating
system and application file management procedures. Wildcard characters
are most useful when a user wants to apply one command to several files
or to a file for which they can't remember the full name. The two most
common wildcard characters are the asterisk (*, also called
"star") and the question mark (?).
WIMP
- An acronym for
Windows, Icon, Menu, Pointing Device that once was used as a derogatory
term by text based interface (such as UNIX) aficionados toward graphical
interface (such as Windows or Macintosh) users.
Winchester
Disk - An early disk
drive developed by IBM Corp. that possessed two 30MB disks and offered a
30 millisecond (ms) access time. Still the core technology of today's
larger-capacity hard drives, this drive was named after the .30-caliber
Winchester rifle.
Windoid
- Mini-windows often
referred to as "floating palettes" because they are always on
top of other windows, such as a document or page layout window, and can
be moved anywhere on screen. Generally lacking title bars and minimize /
maximize buttons, they do have close icons.
Window
- Bordered area
on-screen that contains an application or document, often used in
graphical user interfaces (GUI) such as Microsoft Windows or Apple
Macintosh. Each window can be enlarged, reduced, or minimized to an icon,
which temporarily removes it. from view. A window provides for
multitasking and allows user to cut, copy, and paste information from one
window to another.
Windowing
environment - Refer to
Graphical User Interface.
Windows
- Operating
environment created by Microsoft Corp. Windows provides a consistent
interface and lets users set up hardware for all programs on a system.
Called a Graphical User Interface (GUI), Windows eliminates the need to
type commands at the prompt. Instead, a user can execute commands by
using a mouse to select choices from drop-down menus, dialog boxes, and
icons. Windows also provides multitasking for Windows-and DOS-compatible
programs. Windows also is a sound card standard.
Windows
3.x - Generally
describes versions of Microsoft's Windows operating environment beginning
with 3.0 up to 3.11. See our Windows 3.x Page
for additional information.
Windows
95 - 32-bit operating
system released by Microsoft Corp in August 1995 and to date one of the
biggest releases of Windows ever. Departing from the Program Manager of
Windows 3.1, Windows 95's launch pad is the start button; users also can
create shortcut icons to frequently used programs. These shortcuts can be
grouped according to application or project; this means users working on
a project requiring Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Power
Point, for example can have a shortcut group with icons for all of these
packages or for the documents created within them.
Windows
98 - Heir apparent to
Windows 95 Originally called Memphis, and then Windows 97, but Microsoft
changed the name when it realized that it was going to miss its target
1997 release date. Windows 98 offers support for a number of new
technologies, including FAT32, AGP, MMX, USB, DVD, and ACPI. Its most
visible feature however is the Active Desktop which was also included in
Internet Explorer 4.0 which allows the integration of the Internet and
the Windows desktop.
Windows-based
accelerator - Super
Video Graphics Array (SVGA) adapter specially created to run Windows
programs faster and which should not be confused with standard SVGA
cards. Although Windows is ordinarily responsible for some video card
functions and read-only memory built into this adapter stores routines
that alleviate some of this burden.
Windows
DOS session - A
"window frame" in which non-Windows-compatible DOS programs can
be run instead of having to exit Windows. A DOS session can be run
full-screen or resized to fit a portion of the screen.
Windows
for Workgroups - Latter
version of Microsoft Windows 3.1 that was created to run on local-area
networks (LANs). Using Windows for Workgroups eliminates the need to use
a separate network package, such as Novell NetWare. Using the same
graphical interface as Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups provides many
of the same built-in applications and uses the same commands while adding
such groups as Network, which provides applets such as Chat or Fax. Like
its predecessor, Windows for Workgroups can process 16 bits of data at a
time.
Windows
Metafile Format (WMF) - Type
of encoding method that allows users to share graphics between the
Windows operating system and Windows compatible programs. This method
uses Windows commands to store vector graphics bit maps, and text.
Windows
NT - With an interface
similar to Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows NT is a
bona fide operating system (rather than an operating environment) that
does not require MS-DOS in order to run, thus freeing it from the
limitations imposed by DOS on such elements as memory, however at the
same time loosing support for older hardware / software. Faster than its
predecessors, Windows NT can move data 32 bits at a time, providing
better multitasking and networking. The operating system also handles up
to 4GB of virtual memory (storage on a hard drive that acts as RAM).
Wizard
- Feature that
provides step-by-step instructions to lead users through certain tasks in
applications. Unlike on-line help menus, which often must be read before
executed a task or printed out, wizards use dialog boxes that walk users
through each step of a process. Also can describe an extraordinary
programmer.
WMF
- Refer to Windows
Metafile Format.
Word
- Standard data unit
in a computer. This is the largest amount of data a microprocessor can
handle at one time and represents the width of a PC's main data bus.
Expressed in quantities of 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit, this measurement
varies among computers. A 32-bit microprocessor, for example would have a
word length that is 32 bits (4 bytes).
Word
count - Total number
of words in a document. Word processors can perform word counts through
toolbar buttons or menus. For example, Microsoft Words Word count feature
is found on the tools menu; WordPerfect's for Windows 6.1's is under
Document information in the File menu.
Word
processing - The
ability to crate, store, and print documents using a special computer
program called word a word processor. Unlike typing on a typewriter which
requires retyping entire documents in order to make changes, word
processing lets users edit documents, move and copy text, insert
graphics, perform some desktop publishing functions, and delete text in a
far easier and more efficient fashion than possible with typewriters.
Word
processor - Software
that allows users to create Word processing documents and store, print,
and edit them there after.
Word
wrap - The automatic
placement of words on a new line when they reach the right margin of a
document and are too large to fit on the current line but, if moved to
the next line in their entirety, would leave a blank space on the
previous line. If an automatic hyphenation feature is turned on, a
portion of a word may be placed on one line split with a hyphen, and
continued on the next line.
Workaround
- A temporary method
or bypassing bugs or inoperable features of software. Workarounds, not to
be confused with a "fix" (which resolves a programming problem
in a program), can themselves often be ineffective, timed consuming, or
problematic.
Workbook
- Term used by the
Microsoft Excel to describe a spreadsheet file. A work book can contain
numerous spreadsheets in a single file.
Work
disk - The diskette
that holds data files from which users work.
Workgroup
- Group of computers
connected with network hardware and software so users working toward a
common goal can share resources such as an accounting department or
marketing division information.
Workgroup
productivity packages - Software
that lets users on a network communicate and provide features such as
schedulers and E-mail.
Working
directory - Refer to
current directory.
Workplace
shell - The main
screen of OS / 2 2/0. It provides the same function to IBM's operating
system that Program Manager gives Microsoft Windows 3.1 and that the
Start button gives Windows 95.
Worksheet
- Refer to
spreadsheet.
Workstation
- Setup composed of a
computer and peripheral device that enable someone to do their work. In
terms of processing power, workstations fall between personal computes
and minicomputers. Also can designate any computer connected to a
network.
World
Wide Web (WWW) - Graphical
interface for the Internet that is composed of Internet servers that
provide hyperlinks to other documents, multimedia files, and sites. These
links are graphics or different-colored text that contain programming
code which provides the actual connection to another site.
Worm
- Destructive program
containing code that replicates itself until it fills the target network,
thereby causing it to malfunction. Worms are sent out either as a
practical joke or for purely malicious reasons; for the recipient whose
computer or network has crashed however, worms are not fun.
WORM
- Refer to Write-Once,
Read Many.
Wrap
- Refer to text wrap,
word wrap.
Wrapper
- Casing around a
Pentium II CPU or can also refer to software that accompanies resources
or other software for the purposes of improving convenience,
compatibility, or security.
Wrist
rest - Ergonomic
device created to help computer users avoid wrist injuries, such as
carpal tunnel syndrome. This pad is placed along the bottom edge of the
computer and often is the same length as a standard keyboard. It helps
prevent users from bending their wrists by keeping them flat and
straight. Some wrists rests may be simple rectangular devices that lie
separate from a keyboard while others may have a bracket structure into
which the keyboard is placed, thus preventing the rest from moving and
causing injury.
Write
- The transfer of data
from a computer's memory to a storage or output device. The write process
includes such functions as saving data to a diskette or outputting a copy
to a printer.
Write
cache - Refer to write
back cache.
Write-back
cache - A portion of
memory that temporarily holds data until it can be permanently saved,
usually when there is a decrease in a system's activity. This delay
improves system performance over that which exists when there are
frequent disk writes, because the computer is not constantly pulling data
from or storing data to disk.
Write
behind cache - Refer
to write back cache.
Write
error - An error that
occurs during the transfer of data.
Write
mode - Allows users to
edit and then save files.
Write
one, read many (WORM) - CD-like
device that allows data to be recorded on it and then read over and over.
Popular for data archiving because of its large storage capacity, WORM
discs have yet to be given a standard format, thereby requiring users to
use the same format. Should not be confused with CD-ROM, which does not
allow data to be written onto the disc.
Write
protect - Means of
preventing users form editing or saving files to a storage medium.
Information can be write protected in at least three ways. Through an
operating system's file management features, users can activate a
read-only attribute on files by using the ATTRIB command. On network
sharing software can establish security settings that provide write
access to some users, but not others. Lastly diskettes have fairly
unsophisticated write protection mechanisms. ON a 5.25-inch diskette a
square notch is carved out of the side of the diskette covering the notch
with tape restricts users to read-only access. #.5 inch diskette has a
square hole in the upper corner of the disk (usually upper left) that has
a tab that can slide up or down to open or close the hole. Some disk may
not have this tab to prevent it to be written to or erased without
actually getting tape and covering it.
WWW
- Refer to World Wide
Web.
WYSIWYG
- Refer to What You
See Is What You Get.
WYSIWYP - Refer to What You See Is What You Print.
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