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Glossary of Computer Terms
Terms starting with alphabet 'I'
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| IC | An IC (integrated circuit) is a complete and compact circuit made up of tiny resistors, diodes, transistors, capacitors etc. |
| Icon | Icon is a small picture that represents an action that a computer can perform e.g. loading and starting of a program. |
| IDE | An acronym for either 'Intelligent Drive Electronics' or 'Integrated Drive Electronics'. An IDE interface is an interface on motherboard for connecting mass storage devices like hard disk or CD/DVD drive. |
| Inbox | A folder for receiving incoming mail. |
| Infrared | Infra-red is a type of light wave which we cannot see because it is outside the range of light our eyes can detect. It is used in computer to computer limited networking, for remote control operations and for computer to printer or computer to cell phone data transfer. Bluetooth is an improved technology over infrared technology. |
| Internet | Internet is "A network of networks" and is made up of thousands of LANs and WANs, all using TCP/IP to provide information services to millions of users. First incarnated as the ARPANET in 1969, the Internet is experiencing tremendous growth in the number of users, hosts, and domain names. It is also known by names "the net", "the information superhighway", and "cyberspace". |
| I/O Address | All hardware devices connected to the computer are identified by a unique I/O (Input/Output) address. |
| IGP | An IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) is a chip that is integrated into the motherboard and serves as a video card to process the graphics displayed on the computer. |
| Illegal Operation | Illegal Operation message is displayed by the system usually due to an error in the software, control program or some layer in the environment, the execution of the operation cannot be done. It is mostly due to a fault of poorly written programs and not due to any fault on the part of the user. |
| IMAP | IMAP is acronym for "Internet Message Access Protocol". IMAP is used for accessing e-mail messages on a server without having to download them to the hard disk. |
| Infotainment | A blend of information and entertainment. |
| Install | Most software programs need to be first installed on the computer to run them. A program on installation, writes necessary data for running the program on the hard drive usually by decompressing the data included with the program. |
| InterNIC | InterNIC is acronym for 'Internet Network Information Center'. It is an organization created to provide Internet information and domain name registration services. |
| Intranet | Intranet is an internal or private network that can only be accessed within the confines of a company or an organization. |
| IP | "Internet Protocol". It provides standard set of rules for sending and receiving data through the Internet. |
| IP address | A string of four numbers separated by periods (such as 122.156.162.178) is used to represent a computer on the Internet. Each three digit number can include a number from 0 to 255. |
| IRC | IRC is acronym for 'Internet Relay Chat' and is used for chatting through the Internet in real time by typing messages back and forth. |
| IRQ | IRQ (Interrupt Requests) are used by PCs to manage various hardware operations. |
| ISDN | ISDN is acronym for "Integrated Services Digital Network." ISDN is a data transfer technology that can transfer data significantly faster than a dial-up modem. ISDN enables wide-bandwidth digital transmission over the telephone network. The new, DSL technology is less costly to set up, is also easier to maintain and supports even faster data transmission. Therefore, ISDN technology has become outdated. |
| ISO | The ISO is acronym for 'International Organization for Standardization'. ISO works with standards institutes from over 150 countries to develop technology and product standards. These standards lead to standardized products including software and hardware for consumers. |
| IT | Acronym for 'Information Technology' |