Random House Webster's Computer and Internet Dictionary, 3rd Edition [Paperback]

Philip E. Margolis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 22, 1998

Are you still in sleep mode? Here's a book that gets you out of your wait state . . . and welcomes you to both personal computers and the Internet--a book that can tell you about the cells in your spreadsheets, about authoring tools for your Web pages, and whether your Document Object Model is compatible with your browser.

This is the book for you. The Next Step. The shortcut key.

Don't let the computer world confuse you. Whether you need to familiarize yourself with the basic vocabulary of computers or the latest item of tech talk, the Random House Webster's Computer & Internet Dictionary, Third Edition, explains computer terminology in clear, simple language. At last, a book that is easy to understand--but doesn't treat the reader like someone with fewer than 12 function keys on the keyboard.

This is the computer dictionary that:

not only understands the experienced hacker, but welcomes the newbie into cyberspace
answers your FAQs
explains the bells and whistles in your software
upgrades you from plain ASCII to Unicode; from vanilla to true color; from crippled version to virtual reality and the World Wide Web


With more than 3,000 essential computer terms, carefully linked with abundant cross references and illustrated with more than 75 clear line drawings, this book will comfort and charm you as it informs.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Are you a computer novice, burdened with FAQs? Or maybe you know the difference between a mouse and a Gopher, but still feel overwhelmed by the number of technical terms? Even experienced users, fluent in "computerese," come across terms they don't understand. What's a half duplex? What's a command buffer? And what, pray tell, is pincushion distortion?

As anyone who has ever read a "help manual" (surely a misnomer) knows, computerese is a separate language. Philip E. Margolis has used his 20 years of technical-writing experience to compile this helpful dictionary. This new edition reflects the changes in computerese caused by the explosion of the Net, with nearly 1,000 new entries. Each of the over 3,000 terms, from aliasing to Z-buffering and analog to zettabyte, is clearly defined in common English and thoroughly cross-referenced. Whether you're a newbie or an experienced phreaker, you'll learn something new.

Though aimed at the advanced computer user--you don't really need to understand load balancing, command buffers, or object-oriented programming to check e-mail and surf the Net--the Computer & Internet Dictionary will be helpful to anyone who wants to know more about this rapidly changing technology. --C.B. Delaney

From the Inside Flap

Are you still in sleep mode? Here's a book that gets you out of your wait state . . . and welcomes you to both personal computers and the Internet--a book that can tell you about the cells in your spreadsheets, about authoring tools for your Web pages, and whether your Document Object Model is compatible with your browser.

This is the book for you. The Next Step. The shortcut key.

Don't let the computer world confuse you. Whether you need to familiarize yourself with the basic vocabulary of computers or the latest item of tech talk, the Random House Webster's Computer & Internet Dictionary, Third Edition, explains computer terminology in clear, simple language. At last, a book that is easy to understand--but doesn't treat the reader like someone with fewer than 12 function keys on the keyboard.

This is the computer dictionary that:

not only understands the experienced hacker, but welcomes the newbie into cyberspace
answers your FAQs
explains the bells and whistles in your software
upgrades you from plain ASCII to Unicode; from vanilla to true color; from crippled version to virtual reality and the World Wide Web


With more than 3,000 essential computer terms, carefully linked with abundant cross references and illustrated with more than 75 clear line drawings, this book will comfort and charm you as it informs.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Random House Reference; 3 edition (December 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375703519
• ISBN-13: 978-0375703515
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sets the standard., January 21, 2000

By 

Jonathan Leach - See all my reviews

This review is from: Random House Webster's Computer and Internet Dictionary, 3rd Edition (Paperback)

I spent a good half-hour comparing this dictionary against the other computer dictionaries on the bookstore shelf, and concluded that this one was far superior. I have not regretted my decision. The definitions are clear and concise. As a computer "civilian," I especially appreciate Margolis's indicating when one term (e.g., "environment") may have more than one meaning in computer-speak; he is careful to distinguish between various shades of meaning. There are lots of cross-references, allowing the reader to grasp the context of and relationships between terms. In addition, loads of crisp line drawings and tables enhance the book's usability. Everything is well laid out and user-friendly. Jam-packed with authoritative information. Geeks as well as novices should find this book extremely useful. (Solidly made, too: this book is not going to fall apart on you.)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth to buy it, absolutely!, January 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Random House Webster's Computer and Internet Dictionary, 3rd Edition (Paperback)

Sometimes I just feel like there are so many tech terms needed to be fit into my brain especially for a CIS student. I start to look for a good computer dictionary for awhile. Some of them are good but out of date. Some of them have lots of words but they look like spelling-check books to me. Until I found this one. It has most uptodate information about computer technical terms and cover more than 3000 words. The best part of this dictionary is that it tells you where you should look at the relative words of the one you are reading it. Thanks to the author. Excellent book!