The letter S: A Glossary of Windows Terms

Satellite Internet Service – A subscription service to the Internet often used when a broadband connection is unavailable.

Segment – A section of cable on an Ethernet network.

Serial Port – A port that can transmit data one bit at a time. These days, serial ports aren’t used much because USB and FireWire ports are so much faster.

Server – A computer that provides a service on a network and is created to manage the network or its users. There are e-mail servers, authentication servers, print servers, and data servers, to name a few.

Shareware – Software shared with others for a small fee or free of charge. Because shareware is often created by a single person and distributed via the Internet, there is little overhead involved.

Skype – A voice over IP protocol used to make free phone calls to other Skype users.

Smart Card – A card about the size of a credit card that is used to authenticate users. Smart cards are used in conjunction with smart card readers, and the user slides the card through the reader for authentication.

SMTP – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A protocol used to manage outgoing email. When configuring Outlook, Mail, or other e-mail program to send and receive POP3 mail, the POP3 and the SMTP server names must be entered.

Software – A generic term used to describe applications and programs you can install on a computer for the purpose of performing tasks. Microsoft Office is a software suite, and Photoshop CS4 is a software program.

Spyware – Software that is installed on a user’s computer that is unwanted and potentially dangerous. Spyware can acquire personal information, copy keystrokes, or damage the system or its data.

Static IP address – An IP address assigned to a PC manually. By comparison, most IP addresses are assigned dynamically using DHCP.

Streaming – The process of sending media over the Internet and playing them in real time.

SuperFetch – A memory management program used in Windows Vista designed to get applications up and running more quickly than previously possible.

Swap File – An area of the hard drive used as memory when RAM is full.

Switch – A piece of hardware that is more sophisticated than a network hub but less sophisticated than a router. Switches are used to forward data from one destination to another.

This post is part of the series: Windows Glossary

Learn the definitions for the terms used in the Bright Hub Windows Channel. This series starts with the letter “A” and runs all the way to “Z”.

1. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “A”
2. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “B”
3. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “C”
4. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “D”
5. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “E”
6. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “F”
7. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “G”
8. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “H”
9. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “I”
10. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “J” and “K”
11. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “L”
12. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “M”
13. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “N”
14. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “O”
15. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “P”
16. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “Q”
17. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “R”
18. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “S”
19. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “U and V”
20. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “W”
21. A Glossary of Windows Terms – “X”, “Y”, and “Z”