Webster's New World Dictionary of Computer Terms, Seventh Edition - Softcover

Bryan, Phd. Pfaffenberger

9780028628844: Webster's New World Dictionary of Computer Terms, Seventh Edition

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0028628845 ISBN 13: 9780028628844

Publisher: Macmillan General Reference, 1999

Keeping pace with computer and Internet technology, this reference includes over 4,000 definitions of computer and Internet terms, acronyms, jargon, and slang.

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Review:

One of the downsides of the Information Age is that the average citizen has been bombarded with acronyms and technical terms that were once only of concern to workers in white labs coats. Even the daily newspapers routinely throw out terms such as "broadband" and "Java application" with only the most cursory of explanations.

Webster's New World Dictionary of Computer Terms will bring you up to date on such technical jargon. This handy reference guide covers everything from the most basic terms ("computer," "RAM," "modem") to phrases that only digerati will ever need to know, like "write precompensation."

Most of Webster's definitions are helpful (finally, a reference source that adequately explains "middleware" and "keystroke buffer" in simple terms), but occasionally the descriptions themselves need clarifications. You'll only get vaguely closer to understanding what "cloud" means after reading its definition.

The danger with this type of reference guide, of course, is that newer terms crop up faster than the time it takes to browse through the book. Webster's keeps itself remarkably current--this is the eighth edition of the dictionary--so you'll find entries for "Jini" and "Windows 2000."

Whether you're a computer novice or an aficionado who likes to keep up to date on the latest high-tech argot, Webster's New World Dictionary of Computer Terms will get you up to speed. There's even an entry for "geek." --John Frederick Moore

Review:

More than just a dictionary of computer and Internet terms, Bryan Pfaffenberger's book explains why a term is important and how it is related to other terms. Terms listed within this resource range from supergeeky, such as "symmetric key encryption algorithm," to superslang, such as "snaf." Within his definitions, Pfaffenberger italicizes any other words that you may not know, but that you can also access in the dictionary. One interesting feature is the list of common abbreviations used on Internet Relay Chat and Usenet (such as TTYL, for "talk to you later," and IMHO, for "in my humble opinion."). Webster's New World Dictionary of Computer Terms is pocket-sized, so it can easily travel along with you in your laptop case when you are working by remote access. --Cristina Vaamonde

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