Understanding Computer Terms

hard drive

The drive that reads and writes to the hard disk. If you have a large hard drive, it may be divided into several partitions. Each partition is designated by a different icon and a consecutive drive letter, beginning with the letter C. Partition C: contains the files the computer uses to start up. The other partitions contain no pre installed files.

hardware

The physical components of a computer-the parts you can physically touch. See software.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

The standard language for documents designed for viewing on the Web with a browser. Tags embedded in the documents mark the locations of other electronic files. Click the hyperlinks to jump from one Web site to another. Documents formatted for a browser can be identified by the file extension .htm or .html. See hyperlink. See also file extension.

http:// (hypertext transfer protocol)

This protocol commands the Web server to locate the Web site you requested and transmit the Web site to your computer. You communicate a request to your computer by using the keyboard or mouse. You type the Web site address (URL) in the address box of the browser or click a hyperlink on a Web page. Your computer communicates the request to the Web server by using hypertext transfer protocol. The Web server communicates the request to other servers and computers connected to the Web. Throughout the world, servers and computers recognize the same protocol. Their common language makes the World Wide Web possible. See URL, browser, hyperlink, and server.

hyperlink

An embedded link to another document or Web site. When you position the cursor over a hyperlink (colored text or image), a small hand is displayed. When you click the hyperlink, the browser displays the new document or Web site. See HTML.

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Learning More About Your Computer

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Compaq 277958-001 manual Hardware