B

BBS (Bulletin Board System)
A computer system that serves as an information and communication source for dial-up users. It offers a wide variety of files, including hardware drivers and utilities, software updates, and virus detection software.

benchmark
A test used to measure hardware or software performance.

bidirectional printing
The ability of some printers to print both left to right and right to left. Bidirectional printing speeds up printing substantially, because no time is wasted returning the print head to the beginning of the next line.

binary
Having only two possible states or values: e.g. either true or false, open or closed, 0 or 1.

BIOS
Pronounced "bye-ose": acronym for basic input/output system, a set of routines that work closely with the hardware to support the transfer of information between elements of the system, such as memory, disks, and the monitor. On IBM and compatible computers, the BIOS, or ROM BIOS, is built into the machine's read-only memory (ROM). Although critical to performance, the BIOS is usually invisible to computer users. The BIOS can, however, be accessed by programmers.

bit
Short for binary digit; either 1 or 0 in the binary number system. In processing and storage, a bit is the smallest unit of information handled by a computer. Considered singly, bits convey little information a human would consider meaningful. In groups of eight, however, bits become the familiar bytes used to represent all types of information, including the letters of the alphabet and the digits 0 through 9.

bitmap
An image stored pixel by pixel, with every pixel represented individually in the memory or storage device. The term 'bitmap' is used because it is possible for the state ('on' or 'off') of a single bit to represent the state of a corresponding pixel, just as a point on the surface of an ordinary map represents a corresponding point in the piece of country concerned. Because graphics generally contain a large number of pixels, each of which has not only position but color and intensity, bitmap storage uses a large amount of memory or disk space. However, unlike Vector graphics it needs no mathematical calculations to generate images, and is preferred for images of subtlety and detail. Also, bitmap is the only practical way of storing scanned-in digitized graphics.

bits per second
The communication speed of a serial interface. Sometimes loosely called the baud rate.

blooming
When image brightness increases, the CRT�s electron beam tends to spread out and lose focus. This loss of focus in bright portions of an image makes the image appear to expand, or "bloom", and lose detail.

bow
A type of distortion in which opposite sides of the screen image curve in the same direction.

brightness
Light output measured at the face plate of the CRT; typically measured in foot lamberts (Fl). A minimum brightness level of 20Fl when viewing at full page size is considered acceptable.

Broadband network
Multiple carrier frequencies transmitting multiplexed signals on a single cable. Several networks may coexist on a single cable without interfering with one another.

broadcast
To send data or transmit to multiple unspecified recipients on a channel or multiple channels.

brouter
In networks a device that routes through specific protocol layers such as TCP/IP and IPX, and bridges other protocols, thereby combining the functions of both routers and bridges.

browser
On the Internet a suite of programs that allows both viewing and navigation from one node (or address) on the Internet to another. Examples of browsers are Mosaic, Netscape and Tapestry. All browsers act as clients to the remote servers.

Btrieve
An ISAM data storage and file management system for PCs.

bug
An error in hardware or software. In software, a bug is an error in coding or logic that causes a program to malfunction or to produce incorrect results. In hardware, a bug is a recurring physical problem that prevents a system or set of components from working together properly.

Bulletin Board System (BBS)
A low-cost method of local communication access to the Internet through a shared facility on a server.

burn in
To keep a new system or device running continuously so that any weak elements or components will fail early and can be found and corrected before the system becomes an integral part of the user's work routine.

bus master technology
Bus mastering is a high performance method of data transfer in which the host adapter's on-board processor handles the transfer of data directly to and from a computer's memory without intervention from the CPU.

byte
A unit if information consisting of 8 bits; in computer processing and storage, the equivalent of a single character, such as a letter, a numeral, or a punctuation mark. Because a byte represents only a small amount of information, amounts of computer memory and storage are usually given in kilobytes (1024 bytes) or megabytes (1,048,576 bytes).