Here you find explanation for computer terms.

Our dictionary is sorted alphabetically so you can easily find the words you are looking for.




Sampling
Recording and digitalisation of an audio sequence (music, tones, sounds, speech) in order to make them computer editable or usuable for another purpose.


Scanner
The scanner is a device for the digitalisation of images and pictures. The data can be saved on the hard disk of the computer or a floppy disk. more...


SCSI
Small Computer System Interface - an interface and bus system standard characterised by a high transfer rate. more...


Screensaver
The original purpose of a screensaver is the protection of the monitor from a burn-in of the displayed image. more...


Script Language
Programming lanuage of a software which is used by the user to write scripts or macros for frequently tasks. This is also possible on the layer of the operating system, for example with AppleScript.


Scrollen
Line by line movement of text or images on the screen. It works with the help of the scrollbar, the arrow buttons oder the mouse's scrolling wheel.


Secam
Séquentielle couleur a mémoire. Television norm in France and Eastern Europe working with a resolution of 625 lines.


Serial Interface
Standardized interfaces for the serial data exchange from and to the computer, for example RS 232 and RS 422.


Server
A computer generating capacity within a network and providing ressources such as hard disks or printers. If a server is used as working station at the same time, as for example in peer-to-peer networks, it is called non-dedicated server, otherwise dedicated server.


Set Top Box
Spezialised graphic and communication computer which is connected to the television. The Set-Top-Box enables services such as video-on-demand, electronical catalogues with ordering function etc.


Shareware
The programmer or the producer make their software available for a certaint esting period of mostly 30 days for free. In order to go on using the software afterwards, the shareware fee has to be paid.


Shared Drives
Additional drives provided by a network which can be used just like local drives.


Single Pass Technique
Feature of modern colour scanners which are able to capture all three primary colours of RGB (red, green, blue) in die alle drei Grundfarben von RGB (Rot, Grün, Blau) in one scanning pass.


SMS
Short Message Service. Service for the transmission of a text message with up to 160 characters. It originally was developed for the GSM mobile telephone system (Global Systems for Mobile Communication) but can be used in the fixed line network as well in the meantime.


SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Certain format handling the exchange of e-mails between different servers.


Software
The notion software decribes all computer programs being able to be executed on a computer. These are programs like Word or Excel, but also the entire operating system.


Solaris
Solaris is the Unix operating system from Sun. While logging into the Solaris system, it reports itself SunOS.


Sone
Sone is the unit of noise, for the cound level as human beings sense it. Volume, kind and intensity of the sound are considered. 1 Sone corresponds for example to a quiet tick of an alarm clock.


Source Code
The uncompiled program code of software. The source code is mostly written in one of the widespread programming languages BASIC or C. The program is executable after compiling, but the code is not readable any longer.


SPAM
SPAM is orignally the notion for american meat in a can (Spiced Pork And Meat, spam.com). Someone must have disliked this as much as the numerous daily commercial e-mails. The notion became accepted for unrequested e-mails.


Sparc Station
RISK workstation on the basis of the Sparc chips developed by Sun. It works under the Unix operating system by SUN.


Spyware
Programs, files and functions sending data about the surfing behaviour to the producer of the spyware. Most of the time, these attachments get access to the system via free- and shareware. Please read also ad-ware.


SQL
Standard Query Language. Language for relational databases which enables queries of data over different platforms in form of standardised commands.


Supercomputer
Notion for very fast computer systems, offering a multiple of capacity of normal desktop computer. The Top 500 list of the best supercomputers worldwide is updated twice a year. A distinction is drawn between mainframe computers, consisting of several powerful processors, and the Grid Computing which can be used to transform normal PCs to supercomputers as well. The first supercomputers were built in the 1970's by the Cray company.


Swatch Internet Time
Time unit dividing the day into 1000 so-called beats. Independently from time zones, the internet time is identical around the world. This is useful for the arrangement of chat meetings, for example. One @-beat lasts exactly one minute and 26,4 seconds. The Internet Time is indicated from @000 to @999 angegeben. More at Swatch.com.


Switch
The switch serves as connector between several computer within a local area network (LAN). In contrast to a Hub the switch is able to remember which computer is connected to which port. This way, the data does not have to be sent to all connected computers first, this results in an advantage in speed compared to cheaper hubs. If the switch has an additional uplink port available, several switches can be connected to each other.


System Control
Windows program which is used to adjust settings, control connected devices and add or remove Windows components. Accesible via Start / Settings / System Control.