| Backbone | Just like the human backbone carries signals to many smaller nerves in the body, a... |
| Backside Bus | There are two types of buses that carry data to and from a computer's CPU. They... |
| Backup | Backup is the most important computer term you should know.
A backup is a copy... |
| Bandwidth | Bandwidth refers to how much data you can send through a network or modem... |
| Banner Ad | Whether you like it or not, much of the Web is run by advertising. Just like... |
| Base Station | The term "base station" was first used to refer to the towers you see on the side... |
| Baseband | A baseband signal is an original transmission signal that has not be modulated, or... |
| BASIC | Stands for "Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code." BASIC is a computer... |
| Batch File | A batch file is a type of script that contains a list of commands. These commands... |
| Batch Process | As most computer users know, some computing tasks can be tedious and repetitive... |
| Baud | Contrary to popular belief, baud is not a direct measurement of data transfer... |
| Bcc | Stands for "Blind Carbon Copy." When you send an e-mail to only one person, you... |
| Bespoke | The term "bespoke" comes from England where it originally referred to custom or... |
| Beta Software | Before a commercial software program is released to the public, it usually goes... |
| Binary | Binary is a two-digit (Base-2) numerical system, which computers use to store data... |
| BIOS | Stands for "Basic Input/Output System." Most people don't need to ever mess with... |
| Bit | The computer term "bit" comes from the phrase "Binary DigIT," which is different... |
| Bitmap | Most images you see on your computer are composed of bitmaps. A bitmap is a map of... |
| Bitrate | Bitrate, as the name implies, describes the rate at which bits are transferred from... |
| BitTorrent | BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing protocol designed to reduce the... |
| Blob | If you're like me, you picture a blob as a enigmatic green object that lacks a... |
| Blog | Short for "Web Log," this term refers to a list of journal entries posted on a Web... |
| Blu-ray | Blu-ray is an optical disc format such as CD and DVD. It was developed for... |
| Bluetooth | This wireless technology enables communication between Bluetooth-compatible... |
| BMP | Short for "Bitmap." It can be pronounced as "bump," "B-M-P," or simply a "bitmap... |
| Bookmark | Similar to a real-life bookmark, an Internet bookmark acts as a marker for a Web... |
| Boolean | This is the logic that computers use to determine if a statement is true or false... |
| Boot | When you boot a football, you kick it really far. When you boot a computer, you... |
| Boot Disk | A boot disk is actually not a computer disk in the shape of a boot. If it was... |
| Boot Sector | A boot sector is the first section of a hard drive or other data storage media. It... |
| Boot Sequence | Each time a computer boots up, it goes through an initial series of processes... |
| Bot | This is an automated software program that can execute certain commands when it... |
| Botnet | A botnet is a network of computers that are controlled from a single source. While... |
| Bounce | The term "bounce" has several different IT related meanings, yet none of them... |
| bps | Stands for "Bits Per Second." (The "b" is lowercase because it stands for bits, not... |
| Bridge | When a road needs to extend across a river or valley, a bridge is built to connect... |
| Broadband | This refers to high-speed data transmission in which a single cable can carry a... |
| Browser | You are probably using a browser to read this right now. A Web browser, often just... |
| Buffer | A buffer contains data that is stored for a short amount of time, typically in the... |
| Bug | In the computer world, a bug is an error in a software program. It may cause a... |
| Burn | When you "burn a disc," you write data on it. If you were taking an SAT test, the... |
| Bus | While the wheels on the bus may go "round and round," data on a computer's bus goes... |
| Byte | A byte is a set of 8 bits that represent a single character in the computer's... |
