The letters X, Y, and Z: A Glossary of Windows Terms

X Terminal – A computer that does not have a disk drive and can offer an inexpensive interface to a company server, the Internet, or other network resource.

X86 – A series of computer processors that include the Pentium line, Celeron line, and Athlon line that can be used in all Windows-based PCs, Mac OSX, and more.

Xbox – A video game system developed by Microsoft in 2001. An Xbox can also be used as a media extender on a home network for the purpose of sharing media among users.

XD Picture card – A memory card about the size of a stamp that can be inserted in compatible cameras and similar devices for the purpose of storing data.

XM – Satellite radio that offers hundreds of channels, many of which have no commercial interruptions. XM radio is a subscription service.

XML – Extensible Markup Language. A more flexible markup language than HTML, XML can be used in areas other than Web documents and is a technology available in the Microsoft Office 2007 suite.

Yahoo! – A popular Internet search engine, directory, and web mail site.

Y2K – A term that refers to the year 2000 when technological problems arose due to the way the dates were programmed. For instance, a date with the year 99 (in 1999) may be construed as the year 1900 when the date changed to 00.

Zap – When a computer component is “zapped” it has been damaged by static electricity or an electric current. The term is also used in the phrase “Zap the Pram”, which is a troubleshooting task applied to Mac computers when you want to reset the Mac’s parameter random access memory.

Z Machine – A virtual machine created to run virtual tutorials and interactive programs.

Zine – A term used to represent a magazine made available on the Web. It is short for electronic magazine.

ZIP – A technology used to compress files. WinZip is a popular zipping application.

Zoom – The ability to make the information in a window or on a Web site smaller or larger.

ZUNE – Microsoft’s answer to the iPod, a musical platform for managing, sharing, and taking music with you, no matter where you are.

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”