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Technology Terminology
The more technology terminology you know, the easier it will be for you to learn new technology, report problems to service, and to communicate with peers and students when teaching using technology. Listed here are some common terms that are useful to teachers for teaching, learning, and reporting problems.
Common Hardware in District 62 |
| eMac (all eMacs are white) |
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iMac—currently, there are three distinct computer designs that bear the name "iMac." This can be confusing because they all look so different. These are the iMac models we have in District 62:
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| Indigo iMac (other colors include Blueberry, Tangerine, Grape, Lime, Strawberry, and Snow). |
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| iMac (sometimes called a "lampshade" iMac because it resembles a desk lamp) |
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| iMac flat panel (named because it has a flat-panel display) |
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| iBook—there are two distinct computer designs that bear the name "iBook." These are the iBook models we have in District 62: |
| Blueberry iBook (sometimes called" clamshell" iBook because of its shape) |
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| iBook (all iBooks of this design are white) |
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| MacBook (Black or white) the newest laptops, they run on an Intel processor and have a built-in iSight camera at the top of the screen. Note that these laptops cannot run Mac OS 9 ("Classic Mode") programs. |
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Common Terms in Mac OS X |
| Operating System—The software of a computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and resources of the computer. Operating System" is often abbreviated as "OS" [each letter is pronounced individually: "Oh," "Ess"]. Two examples of operating systems are WindowsXP and Mac OS X. |
Mac OS 9—was the last version of the "classic" Apple Macintosh Operating System. Mac OS 9 was introduced in 1999 and its development officially ended in 2001 with version 9.2.2. Although Mac OS 9 is no longer current, it is still used.
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Mac OS X [pronounced "Mac O S ten"]—The current operating system for Apple Macintosh computers. Mac OS X was released in 2001 with a redesigned user interface and many new features. As of October 2006, Mac OS X is in its fifth major release (version 10.4).
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| Finder/Desktop—The "Finder" in Mac OS X is the name of the environment in which you work. The Finder includes the Desktop, the area you see when all applications and windows are closed. The Finder allows you to locate, display, and organize all your files and folders. The image above shows the Desktop of Mac OS X's Finder. |
| Macintosh HD—The primary computer storage device which stores computer data and is usually found inside a computer. In Mac OS X, the hard drive is represented by a hard drive icon which is often called the Macintosh HD." |
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| icon—A picture on a screen that represents a specific file, directory, window, option, or application. This icon represents a folder. |
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| Application—A set of files that make up a software package. (The term "program" refers only to one set of instructions given to a computer while an "application" is the correct term for all of the pieces that comprise a piece of software.) Two examples of applications are AppleWorks and Microsoft Word. |
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| Applications folder—the folder in Mac OS X where all the computer’s applications are stored. |
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menu bar—a horizontal "bar" anchored to the top of the screen, containing all application menus ( e.g. File, Edit, View, Window, Help)
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Dock—the bar of icons that sits at the bottom of the screen in Mac OS X. It provides access to some applications and displays which applications are running. It is also the location of the Trash (the icon that looks like a waste basket).
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Close, Minimize, Resize controls—these controls are in the upper-left corner of all windows in Mac OS X. They allow you to close the window, minimize the window to the Dock, and resize the window between two sizes.
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Apple Macintosh Keyboard |
| Apple (also called "open Apple" or "command") |
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| option |
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| control (also labeled "ctrl" on laptops) |
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| eject (located on the top row of the keyboard) |
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| enter (located in lower-right corner of desktop Macs keyboard and on the bottom row of most laptops near the space bar; this is not the same as "return") |
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| return (always located on the far right of the "a, s, d, f..." row of keys; this is not the same as "enter") |
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| volume (located on the top row of the keyboard) |
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| esc (abbreviation for "escape") |
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| delete (on a Windows keyboard, this key is called "backspace") |
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Ports and Connections |
| Ethernet—used for connecting your computer to a network and the Internet. Appears similar to a modem/phone port, but is a bit larger. |
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| USB—used for connecting your computer to various devices such as mouse and keyboard, inkjet printers and digital cameras. |
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| FireWire—used for connecting your computer to various devices such as external hard drives and digital video (DV) cameras. |
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| AirPort—used for connecting your computer to a wireless network. This device is inside the computer; all District 62 laptops have wireless built in. |
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| MagSafe—the new power connector on MacBook notebook computers, it connects to the computer magnetically, allowing it to disconnect easily if tripped over. |
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| modem port—used for connecting your computer to a telephone cord to access the Internet with a dial-up" connection. This port is not used in District 62 since all computers are either connected to the network via ethernet or wirelessly. |
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General Terms
URL—the abbreviation for "Universal Resource Locator." This is the technical term for web address.
web browser—an application that allows you to view web pages on the Internet. The best choice in Mac OS X is Safari. Two other web browsers are Firefox and Internet Explorer. (Sometimes the term "web browser" is shortened to just "browser.")
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