Compaq Presario Internet PC - Manual (Page 128)

G LOSSARY 14 M Y P RESARIO —G ETTING S TARTED AND B EYOND
serial port A small connector on the back
of the computer (or keyboard) for plugging
in a thin cable attached to a serial device,
such as a mouse. Serial devices transfer
data, one bit at a time, through a data wire.
The serial cable has two wires for
bidirectional communication (sending and
receiving information simultaneously). See
bit. See also parallel port.
server A computer with a large hard disk
that serves (provides information to) other
computers connected to it on a network. In
a local area network, several computers in
the same room or all of the computers in a
high-rise office building may be connected
to a server. The server stores everyone’s
files. The Internet is the largest computer
network in the world. It is a network of
servers. When you send or receive e-mail,
it travels through a series of servers to
which both the sender’s and receiver’s
computer are connected through a modem.
When you enter a Web site address in the
address box of your browser, Internet
protocol commands the Web server to
locate the site you requested, transmit the
files to your computer, and display them on
your monitor.
shareware Software you can try before
you buy. After a trial period, usually 30
days, the program uninstalls unless you
pay for it You can download shareware
from the Internet. See software.
shortcut An icon on the Windows desktop
that you double-click to launch a program.
Without the shortcut, you click the Start
button on the Windows taskbar, point to
Programs to display a menu of programs
installed on your computer, and click the
one you want to launch. You can create
shortcuts to your favorite programs. See
icon and double-click.
shortcut menu A menu that pops up
when you right-click an icon on the
Windows desktop or taskbar, the vacant
part of the desktop, a selection in a
document, or a file in Windows Explorer.
The options on the pop-up menu are the
most commonly used commands that relate
to the item you right-clicked. See
right-click.
sleep mode A low-power state that saves
electricity when the computer is not in use.
software A program that you can install
on a computer from a diskette, CD, DVD,
Zip disk, or the Internet. Software can be
upgraded or uninstalled. It may contain
system files for an operating system (OS),
an application for creating data files, a
utility for making the computer run
efficiently, or a game for entertainment.
See OS, data file, and utility.
surf To jump from place to place on the
Internet, searching for topics of interest, by
clicking hyperlinks. Instead of searching
for specific information, surfing is an
undirected type of Web browsing. You
amuse yourself by clicking whatever
catches your fancy. See hyperlink.
surge protector A device that protects a
computer from fluctuations in power. A
surge protector regulates the flow of
electricity to the computer and prevents