COMPUTER CONCEPTS Vocabulary Chapter 2 Software and Multimedia

COMPUTER CONCEPTS Vocabulary Chapter 2 Software and Multimedia CIS 120

Copyright A form of legal protection that grants certain exclusive rights to the author of a program or the owner of the copyright. CIS 120

Pirated software Copyrighted software that is copied and used without authorization from the software developer. CIS 120

Software pirates Individuals who illegally copy, distribute, or modify software. CIS 120

Software license A legal contract that defines the ways in which a user may use a computer program. CIS 120

Commercial software Copyrighted computer applications sold to consumers for profit. CIS 120

Multiple-user license Legal permission for more than one person to use a particular software package. CIS 120

Shrink-wrap license A legal agreement printed on computer software packaging, which goes into effect when the package is opened. CIS 120

Single-user license A legal usage agreement limiting the use of a software program to one user at any given time. CIS 120

Concurrent-use license Legal permission for an organization to use a certain number of copies of a software program at the same time. CIS 120

Shareware Copyrighted software marketed under a license that allows users to use the software for a trial period and then send in a registration fee if they wish to continue to use it. CIS 120

Site license Legal permission for software to be used on any and all computers at a specific location (for example, within a corporate building or on a university campus). CIS 120

Public domain software Software that can be freely used by anyone, either because it has not been copyrighted, or because the author has made it available for public use. CIS 120

System software Computer programs that help the computer carry out essential operating tasks. CIS 120

Operating system (OS) The software that controls the computer's use of its hardware resources, such as memory and disk storage space. CIS 120

External services Services provided by the operating system that help users start programs, manage stored data, and maintain security. CIS 120

Internal services Functions run by the operating system without user input, such as allocation of system resources and detection of equipment failure. CIS 120

System resource Any part of a computer system, such as disk drive space, memory capacity, or processor time, that can be used by a computer program. CIS 120

Microsoft Windows An operating system, developed by Microsoft Corporation, that provides a graphical interface. Versions include Windows 3. 1, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT, and Windows 2000. CIS 120

Multitasking Running two or more programs at the same time. CIS 120

MAC 08 The operating system software designed for use on Apple Macintosh and Imac computers. CIS 120

DOS (disk operating system) was the operating system software shipped with the first IBM PCs, then used on millions of computers until the introduction of Microsoft Windows. CIS 120

Linux A server operating system that is a derivative of Unix and available as freeware. CIS 120

Novell Net. Ware Operating system software designed specifically to run on microcomputer networks. CIS 120

UNIX A multi-user, multitasking server operating system developed by AT&T's Bell Laboratories in 1969. CIS 120

Formatting The process of dividing a disk into sectors so that it can be used to store information. CIS 120

Utilities A subcategory of system software designed to augment the operating system by providing ways for a computer user to control the allocation and use of hardware resources. CIS 120

Computer programming language A standardized set of specific Englishlike phrases or predefined instructions used for writing computer programs. CIS 120

Device driver The software that provides the computer with the means to control a peripheral device. CIS 120

Application software Computer programs that help you perform a specific task such as word processing. Also called application programs, applications, or programs. 66 CIS 120

Groupware Software that provides ways for multiple users to collaborate on a project, usually through a pool of data that can be shared by members of the workgroup. CIS 120

Office suite A number of application programs that are packaged together and sold as a unit. CIS 120

Productivity software Computer programs that help the user work more effectively. CIS 120

Desktop publishing software Software used to create high-quality output suitable for commercial printing. DTP software provides precise control over layout. CIS 120

Web authoring software Computer programs for designing and developing customized Web pages that can be published electronically on the Internet. CIS 120

Word processing software Computer programs that assist the user in producing documents such as reports, letters, papers, and manuscripts. CIS 120

3 -D graphics software The software used to create threedimensional wireframe objects, then render them into images. CIS 120

Bitmap image An image, such as a digital photo, that is stored as a grid work of colored dots. CIS 120

Graphics software Computer programs for creating, editing, and manipulating images. CIS 120

Photo editing software The software used to edit, enhance, retouch, and manipulate digital photographs. CIS 120

Rendering In graphics software, the process of creating a 3 -D solid image by covering a wireframe drawing and applying computer-generated highlights and shadows. CIS 120

Vector graphics Images generated from descriptions that determine the position, length, and direction in which lines and shapes are drawn. CIS 120

Wireframe A representation of a 3 -D object using separate lines, which resemble wire, to create a model. CIS 120

Paint software The software required to create and manipulate bitmap graphics. CIS 120

Presentation software Software that provides tools to combine text, graphics, graphs, animation, and sound into a series of electronic "slides" that can be output on a projector or as overhead transparencies, paper copies, or 35 mm slides. CIS 120

Mathematical modeling software Software for visualizing and solving a wide range of math, science, and engineering problems. CIS 120

Spreadsheet software Software for creating electronic worksheets that hold data in cells and perform calculations based on that data. CIS 120

Statistical software Software for analyzing large sets of data to discover patterns and relationships within them. CIS 120

Database Popularly refers to any collection of information; technically, a collection of data in related files or record types treated as a single unit. CIS 120

Database software The application software used to create and manage a database. CIS 120

Flat file The electronic version of a box of index cards which stores information about one entity on each card. CIS 120

Communications software Computer programs that interact with a computer's modem to dial up, and establish a connection with, a remote computer. CIS 120

Connectivity software A category of application software that includes communications software, remote control software, a-mail software, and Web browsers. CIS 120

E-mail software Software that manages one person's computer mailbox. CIS 120

Remote control software Computer programs used to establish a connection, via modem, between two machines that are located at a distance from each other. CIS 120

Online banking A means of using a computer and modem to conduct banking transactions, such as transferring funds among accounts and paying bills. CIS 120

Personal finance software Software geared toward individual finances that helps track bank account balances, credit card payments, investments, and bills. CIS 120

Horizontal market software Any computer program that can be used by many different kinds of businesses (for example, an accounting program). CIS 120

Vertical market software Computer programs designed to meet the needs of a specific market segment or industry (for example, medical record -keeping software for use in hospitals). CIS 120

Multimedia An integrated collection of computerbased digital media, including text, graphics, sound, animation, photo images, and video. CIS 120

Graphics card A circuit board inserted into a computer to handle the display of text, graphics, animation, and videos. Also called a "video card. " CIS 120

Digital animation A series of frames, stored as digital images. When displayed in sequence, the series of frames creates the illusion of movement. CIS 120

Digital video Video footage that has been converted into digital format so it can be stored, modified, and displayed on a computer screen. CIS 120

Desktop video Videos stored in digital format on a PC's hard disk or CD. CIS 120

System requirements 1) Specifications for the operating system and hardware configuration necessary for a software product to work correctly. 2) The criteria that must be met for a new computer system or software product to be a success. CIS 120

Downwardly compatible The ability of an operating system to run application software designed for earlier versions of the operating system, but not those designed for later versions. CIS 120