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Posted on August 29, 2009 by Hugh McInnes | Posted under Reference and Education
Computer & Internet Jargon Demystified!
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Types of Data Sizes: So what’s a GIG? It’s a nickname for “Gigabyte” which works out to be around 1000 megabytes, or about 1 billion bytes. At a more granular level, ‘bits' and 'bytes' are terms used to describe how we measure things like file sizes, computer memory and internet download data. To understand how big a GIG is; imagine one gig is about 16 hours of your favourite MP3 music files, or about 1 movie download or 3 hours of watching TV over the Internet; and when it comes to web browsing, a gig lets you surf about 500 regular web pages (and yep, just looking at a page means you're downloading). Types of Audio files: Something which people are not aware about is that there are heaps of audio file types and each are different in their own little way. Some of the most common audio file types are: MP3 is the most popular audio file format for listening to music on your computer. They let you to listen to your favourite song in high quality and because they are so common and compress the music without sacrificing too much quality, you can easily send files onto your family and friends. AAC files are relatively new on the scene and they generally provide audio at a higher quality than MP3. If you have an iPod or use iTunes, you may have noticed that your songs are saved as AAC files and this is because AAC files are Apple's preferred file format. If you're a Windows user, you may have heard of WMA files as they were developed by Microsoft for use in Windows Media Player. The sound quality isn't as good as MP3 or AAC files but it's still a popular way to listen to music from your computer. So what's the best audio file to use? You can assess the above three types by having a think about the quality you require, your desired file size or what programs you use to listen to your music. Types of Image files: With so many file formats to choose from, it can be a little confusing working out the difference between them. Here's a breakdown of the most commonly used picture file formats to help decide the best way to save your photos or images: JPG, jpeg or Joint Photographic Experts Group is the most common format for photos and high quality images. The letters at the end of your file will help you determine that your image is a JPG as it will appear as imagename.jpg. Most modern digital cameras will automatically transfer photos to your computer in JPG format. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is best used for saving graphics - flat shapes with solid blocks of colour. Because of the way a GIF file is constructed, simple graphics get saved in maximum quality with minimum file size. GIFs have a limited colour range, but they support animation - so you can make moving pictures. PNG stands for Portable Networks Graphics. Unofficially, they're called "PNGs, Not GIFs". Think of a PNG as a grown-up GIF - they accommodate a wider range of colours and save graphics with a smaller file size, but don't support animation. PNG images are widely supported, but aren't as common as JPGs and GIFs, which have been around for longer. Types of Internet Connections: Dialup internet uses a modem and a phone line to dial in to your Internet Service Provider's modem. Think of this like making a phone call, except data is exchanged instead of words. DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line and is the parent word to describe the technology that allows the transmission of data over the copper line originally installed in the ground to connect you to your local telephone exchange in order to transmit your phone calls. This data represents your connection to the internet. ADSL describes a type of DSL and the 'A' stands for Asymmetric. The asymmetric puts more emphasis on the download (as this is where people need the fastest speeds), providing greater download speeds then upload speeds. ADSL2+ is a technical term used to describe a form of high speed broadband internet. This means that you can download up to 3 times faster than a normal ADSL connection, or over 400 times faster than dialup. DSLAM stands for Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer. A DSLAM is a special device used to connect you to the internet. About The Author: This article is on the topic of commonly used computer and internet jargon, including image file names, audio files, data sizes and types of internet connections. This list of technological terms will help you understand the fundamentals of internet connections such as high speed broadband, and computer file types. |
Tags: COMPUTER, INTERNET, JARGON, TECHNOLOGY, GLOSSARY, TECHNICAL, BROADBAND, IMAGES, FILES, AUDIO, DATA, SIZE
