ADSL
A form of Digital Subscriber Line in which the bandwidth available for downstream connection is significantly larger then for upstream. Although designed to minimise the effect of crosstalk between the upstream and downstream channels this setup is well suited for web browsing and client-server applications as well as for some emerging applications such as video on demand.
The data-rate of ADSL strongly depends on the quality of the line connecting the end-user to the telco, most importantly on their distance. Typically the upstream  data flow is between 16 and 640 kilobits per second while the downstream data flow is between 1.5 and 9 megabits per second.

Bootstrap
To load and initialise the operating system on a computer. Normally abbreviated to "boot".

Cross Talk
Interference caused by two signals becoming partially superimposed on each other due to electromagnetic (inductive) or electrostatic (capacitive) coupling between the conductors carrying the signals. A common example of crosstalk is where the magnetic field from changing current flow in one wire induces
current in another wire running parallel to the other, as in a transformer. Crosstalk can be reduced by using shielded cables and increasing the distance between conductors.

Deep Blue
A super computer developed by researchers at IBM to explore the use of parallel processing to solve complex computing problems. It is known as the first computer to beat the current chess World Grand Master.

EPROM
A non-volatile storage device using a technique similar to the floating gates in EPROMs but with the capability to discharge the floating gate electrically. Usually bytes or words can be erased and reprogrammed individually during system operation.

FTP
A client-server protocol which allows a user on one computer to transfer files to and from another computer over a TCP/IP network.

GUI
The use of pictures rather than just words to represent the input and output of a program. A program with a GUI runs under some windowing system (e.g. The X Window System, Microsoft Windows, Acorn RISC OS, NEXTSTEP). The program displays certain icons, buttons, dialogue boxes etc. in its windows on the screen and the user controls it mainly by moving a pointer on the screen (typically controlled by a mouse) and selecting certain objects by pressing buttons on the mouse while the pointer is pointing at them.

HTTP Server
A server process running at a web site which sends out web pages in response to HTTP requests from remote browsers.

ISP
A company which provides other companies or individuals with access to, or presence on, the Internet. Most ISPs are also Internet Access Providers; extra services include help with design, creation and administration of World-Wide Web sites, training, and administration of intranets.

JDBC
Part of the Java Development Kit which defines an application programming interface for Java for standard SQL access to databases from Java programs.

KBS
Knowledge Bases System - A program for extending and/or querying a knowledge base.

Local Area Network
(LAN) A data communications network which is geographically limited (typically to a 1 km radius) allowing easy interconnection of terminals,microprocessors and computers within adjacent buildings. Ethernet and FDDI are examples of standard LANs.

MAPI
(MAPI) A messaging architecture and a client interface component for applications such as electronic mail, scheduling, calendaring and document management. As a messaging architecture, MAPI provides a consistent interface for multiple application programs to interact with multiple messaging systems across
a variety of hardware platforms.

Network Termination
(MAPI) A messaging architecture and a client interface component for applications such as electronic mail, scheduling, calendaring and document management. As a messaging architecture, MAPI provides a consistent interface for multiple application programs to interact with multiple messaging systems across
a variety of hardware platforms.

ODBC
A standard for accessing different database systems. There are interfaces for Visual Basic, Visual C++, SQL and the ODBC driver pack contains drivers for the Access, Paradox, dBase, Text, Excel and Btrieve databases.

Plug N Play
Hardware or software that, after being installed ("plugged in"), can immediately be used ("played with"), as opposed to hardware or software which requires configuration.

Quality Assurance
A planned and systematic pattern of all actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that the product optimally fulfils customer's expectations.

Remote Method Invocation
Part of the Java programming language library which enables a Java program running on one computer to access the objects and methods of another Java program running on a different computer.

Structured Query Language
A language which provides a user interface to relational database management systems, developed by IBM in the1970s for use in System R. SQL is the de facto standard, as well as being an ISO and ANSI standard. It is often embedded in other programming languages.

TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol.
The de facto standard Ethernet protocols incorporated into 4.2BSD Unix. TCP/IP was developed by DARPA for internetworking and encompasses both network layer and transport layer protocols. While TCP and IP specify two protocols at specific protocol layers, TCP/IP is often used to refer to the entire DoD protocol suite based upon these, including telnet, FTP, UDP and RDP.

 
Unified Modelling Language
A non-proprietary, third generation modeling language. The Unified Modeling Language is an open method used to specify, visualise, construct and document the artifacts of an object-oriented software-intensive system under development. The UML represents a compilation of "best engineering practices"
which have proven successful in modeling large, complex systems.

Virtual Memory
The address space available to a process running in a system with a memory management unit (MMU).
The virtual address space is divided into pages. Each physical address output by the CPU is split into a (virtual) page number (the most significant bits) and an offset within the page (the N least significant bits). Each page thus contains 2^N bytes (or whatever the unit of addressing is).

Video on demand
A planned system using video compression to supply programs to viewers when requested, via ISDN or
cable.

Wide Area Information Servers
A distributed information retrieval system. WAIS is supported by Apple Computer, Thinking Machines and Dow Jones. Clients are able to retrieve documents using keywords. The search returns a list of documents, ranked according to the frequency of occurrence of the keyword(s) used in the search.
The client can retrieve text or multimedia documents stored on the server. WAIS offers simple natural language input, indexed searching for fast retrieval, and a "relevance feedback" mechanism which allows the results of initial searches to influence future searches. It uses the ANSI Z39.50 service. Public domain
implementations are available.

XVGA – eXtended  Video Graphics Array
A display standard with a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels of 256 colours. IBM call this mode "8514".

YP –Yellow Pages
The original name for Sun's Network Information Service.

Z
A specification language developed by the Programming Research Group at Oxford University around 1980.  Z is used for describing and modelling computing systems. It is based on axiomatic set theory and first order predicate logic. Z is written using many non-ASCII symbols. It was used in the IBM
CICS project.