[ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 ]

SCSI: Small Computer System Interface - With SCSI, you can add up to seven new devices to your computer and depend on them to deal with single-interface issues by themselves. It's a robust standard, and it's rendered even more so with its latest implementation, SCSI-2. Prounounced "scuzzy".

SDRAM: Synchronous dynamic RAM - SDRAM incorporates new features that allow it to keep pace with bus speeds as high as 100 MHz. It does this primarily by allowing two sets of memory addresses to be opened simultaneously. Data can then be retrieved alternately from each set, eliminating the delays that normally occur when one bank of addresses must be shut down and another prepared for reading during each request.

Serial Port: This is the communications port on your computer; it's also called the COM or RS-232 port. It's called serial because, although it has nine pins and many wires, the PC sends data on only one wire and receives data on one other wire. All the data bits have to follow one another on the single wire, as opposed to the parallel port, where eight separate wires transfer each bit of a byte.

SGRAM: Synchronous Graphics Random Access Memory - A special form of RAM that is designed specifically for graphics cards. SGRAM offers a little more bandwidth then SDRAM, however it costs more as well.

Shadow Mask: In monitors, the shadow mask is a metal plate with holes in it that focuses the beams from the electron guns at the back of the CRT. The distance between these holes is called the dot pitch.

Shareware: Software that you can download that is either limited in features, or by how long\many times you can run it. Paying a fee registers the program and releases the limitations.

SIM: Designed to be inserted into a mobile telephone, a SIM or "smart" card contains all subscriber-related data, such as phone numbers, service details, and memory for storing messages. With a SIM card, calls can be made from any valid mobile phone because the subscriber data--not the telephone's internal serial number--is used to make the call.

SIMM: Single In-Line Memory Module - RAM generally used in older 486 and pentium computers. Denoted by either 30 or 72 pin configurations, available from 1-32 megs.

Slave: A device that get's its instructions from another device, for example 2 hard drives or 2 CD-ROM's on the same cable. First in line is considered master and the second in line slave.


SMTP: When you're exchanging electronic mail on the Internet, SMTP is what keeps the process orderly. It's a protocol that regulates what goes on between the mail servers.

Socket: Socket usually refers to where the processor is placed. Examples are Socket A, Socket 370 and Socket 462.

Spam: Mass emailings that are used to market products or websites. Keeping your email private and using a free email address service for anywhere you post your email publicly goes a long way to avoiding this mess.

Spyware: Cookies or programs that track your surfing habits and use your internet connection to send this data to a third party. They can profile your shopping preferences, hijack your browser start page or pages, alter important system files, and can do this without your knowledge or permission. The security and privacy implications of these exploits should be quite obvious and undesirable on any system or network.

SRAM: Static RAM, extremely high speed RAM that doesn't need a constant refresh unlike DRAM. Because it is very expensive, SRAM is usually used as cache RAM on CPU's.

SSL: Secure Sockets Layer - Secure encrypted communication between a network (Internet). Used often by online stores for security. Developed by Netscape Communications.