Appendix Glossary N

In the left margin you will find links to the glossary categorised alphabetically. Some of the pages are quite long and may take a few moments to load if you use a modem. This glossary is always being updated.

Glossary - N

Nanosecond - (ns) One billionth of a second. Memory data access times are in nanoseconds. For example, memory access times for typical 30- and 72-pin SIMM modules range from 60 to 100 nanoseconds.

Navigator - Netscape's Navigator is one of the two main web browsers in use today. The second is Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Both programs have essentially the same functionality, but it is worth noting that Navigator was around long before Microsoft introduced its own version in Internet Explorer.

NC - "Network Computer" The NC is a relatively new concept that was designed to make computers more affordable and easier to administer. An NC is a stripped-down computer with a very limited capacity as far as memory and disk space (virtually no capacity, compared to standard desktop units). The theory is that all the hard work can be done by the server to which the NC (or "thin client") is connected. If this sounds like a neat way to simplify your existing computer, feel free to send me your hard drive and any extra memory.

Near Letter Quality - (NLQ) A printing standard where the documents produced resemble the higher standard, "letter quality" produced on a quality typewriter. Laser printers produce letter quality documents. Although some inkjet printers advertise "near letter quality" performance, it is difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish NLQ from letter quality documents.

Nerd - A nerd is very similar to a geek, but with more RAM and a faster modem. Nerds often find geeks dull because geeks don't spend enough time talking about computers.

Net - When written with upper case N, short for Internet. When written with lower case n, .net is the suffix for a domain name or an email address such as unknown@uk2.net.

NetBIOS/NetBEUI - Another protocol for network data communications. Microsoft's LAN Manager and Windows NT protocols. Easy to set up, but not widely used for network game playing or Internet sharing.

Net PC - A computer designed by Intel and Microsoft with the intention of providing users with a low cost machine whose sole purpose is navigating the World Wide Web. As the cost of PCs continues to decline, the idea seems to have lost momentum.

Netiquette - The etiquette of using the Internet. To avoid breaching Netiquette, make sure that you investigate any FAQs or new user sections of newsgroups.

Netscape - Netscape is a software corporation that specialises in Internet packages. In addition to pioneering the industry standard in web browser software (Navigator, Communicator), Netscape markets a complete suite of web server software that is used by a very large share of the industry. If you're wondering what innovations Netscape introduced to the Internet, just ask the Microsoft "reverse-engineering" department.

Network - A system of hardware and software that is connected so as to be accessed by individual users who share the same information and resources, and who may be geographically distant from each other.

Network Computer - A computer that utilises the resources of a network. Such a machine doesn't have the need for a great deal of computing power such as memory and disk space.

Network Interface Adapter - Also called a network interface card, or NIC, it serves as the interface by sending and receiving data between the computer and the network cabling. Network interface adapters may work either internally, such as a PCI, or ISA card, or more rarely, externally, such as a SCSI adapter which connects to a computer's SCSI port.

Network Operating System - NOS. A special application that allows computers and other devices on the network the ability to communicate and accept and receive information. Windows 95, the Mac OS, and Windows NT are operating systems.

Neural Network - Computer programs loosely modelled after the functioning of the human nervous system. A type of artificial intelligence pioneered by Bernard Widrow of Stanford University that recognises and records sequences and patterns and makes subsequent evaluations based on previous conclusions. Such conclusions are approximations, and not definitive.

Newbie - A newcomer or novice in almost any field, in this context, to computers and the Internet.

News - Generic term for information transported on the Internet using the NNTP (Network News Transport Protocol). Often used to distinguish news from mail.

Newsfeed - Similar to a syndicate. The network sources from which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) receive news groups and make them available over the Internet.

Newsgroup - A USENET newsgroup is a discussion forum where participants read and post comments on an agreed topic.

Newsreader- Software for reading and posting articles (posts) and follow-ups to a USENET newsgroup.

Nibble - Half of an 8-bit byte, or 4 bits.

NIC - Network Interface Cards, also called adapter cards. Serves as the interface between the computer and the network cable for sending and receiving data.

NiCad Battery - (Nickel Cadmium) a common type of battery used in laptop computers.

NNTP - (Network News Transfer Protocol) the protocol used by both Web browsers and servers to send and receive USENET postings and news articles.

Node - Any device connected to a computer network as well as the point at which the devices are connected. Nodes include computers, servers, printers, modems, hubs, and routers. A network segment consists of one or more nodes.

Non Composite - An Apple Computer, Inc. term for a memory module that used a new technology and contained fewer but higher-density chips. Non-composite modules were more reliable and more expensive than composite modules.

Notebook Computer - A lightweight computer slightly smaller than a laptop with similar features such as a pop-up display monitor, battery pack, and disk drives.

Ns - (nanosecond) a billionth of a second. Typically used used in this context as a measurement of RAM speed.

NTSC - "National Television Standards Committee" NTSC is the standard video broadcast format used in America. It is not the only format in use in the rest of the world, however. Keep this in mind if you are ever ordering home videos from the backs of European magazines.

Numeric Keypad - A set of keys isolated from the main character keys on a computer keyboard. These include the numbers 0 through 9 as well as the Home key, NUM Lock key, Pg. UP and Down Keys, Arrows up, down, left and right keys, a D/L key, Ins key, and End key. The functions of the keys on the numeric keypad depend on whether the pad is in numeric mode or cursor control mode. Numeric mode is activated by pressing the NUM Lock key. Numeric mode allows the user to work with numbers, while cursor mode allows for the use of the arrow keys to move the cursor around the screen.

NUM Lock - A key found on the numeric keypad of a computer keyboard that switches functions between numeric mode and cursor mode.

NVRAM -Non-volatile Random Access Memory.