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Tech Talk: Technology's Most Common Terms

VHS - A comman tape format.

Linear/Non-linear - These two terms are used in the video industry. The word linear is described as events that follow each other. When you are working with the VHS or any tape or film format you are working in a linear fashion. Conversely, when you are working on you computer organizing video clips in a preferred order you are working in a nonlinear fashion.

TCP/IP- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Protocol is simply rules that allow your computer to transmit and receive data. Used to transmit data, most commonly for the Internet or networking.

RAID - Redundant Array Of Independent Disk. Essentially these are hard drives that simply sit as backups for your system should another drive fail.RAM - Random Access Memory. The data stored on you hard drive is referred to as permanent memory. Example: You finish a document and save it to you hard drive it becomes permanently saved. Ram is temporary memory that remains temporary until you turn off your computer. RAM, for example is used when you “undo” changes in a document or application.

ROM - Read Only Memory. Your every day music CD is an example of ROM. ROM files cannot be changed or edited. The strip on your credit card is also a form of ROM.

DVD -Digital Video Disc

GB - Giga Byte. Think numerical for a minute Ten 1’s = 10, Ten 10’s = 100, Ten 100 = 1000 so and so forth. Now think like a computer:

8 bits =1 byte
1000 bytes = 1 Kilobyte(KB),
1000(KB) = 1 MegagByte(MB)
1000(MB) = 1 GigaByte
1000(GB) = 1 TaraByte
1000(TB) = 1 PetaByte

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