Computer Technology Fundamentals

A debit card functions like an electronic check because it deducts funds directly from a checking account at the time of transaction, similar to how a paper check works. Credit cards extend credit, smart cards have embedded chips, and debit cards are the closest electronic equivalent to checks.

Fleet cards are payment cards specifically for vehicle fuel and maintenance expenses, but they're not a payment card technology like magnetic stripe or smart card technologies. They're a specialized application layer that uses existing payment card technology, not a technology themselves.

The x86 architecture is the generic name for Intel processors that followed the 8086 processor, including the 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentium, and subsequent processors. The name comes from the 8086 processor and the '86' naming convention that continued through the family.

V-RAM (Video Random Access Memory) is specialized memory designed to store video and graphics data that the computer's display hardware needs to render images on screen. It's dual-ported memory, allowing the CPU to write to it while the video controller reads from it simultaneously for smooth display output.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates a secure, encrypted connection over a public network like the Internet. All data passing through a VPN is scrambled, making it unreadable to interceptors, which provides privacy and security for sensitive information transmitted online.

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a comprehensive database language that supports creating database structures, modifying existing data and schemas, and querying data to retrieve specific information. DDL commands handle creation, DML handles modification, and DQL handles querying.

A raw file contains unprocessed, uncompressed data directly from a source with no alterations or manipulation by the computer. Raw files preserve all original data without compression algorithms or other processing, making them ideal for applications requiring maximum fidelity and editing flexibility.

Bandwidth in networking refers to the maximum data transfer rate of a communication channel - the amount of data that can be transmitted per unit time. While technically related to frequency range, bandwidth is commonly used to describe data throughput capacity (like Mbps or Gbps).

IBM introduced NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) in 1983 as a networking protocol API that allowed applications on different computers to communicate over a local area network. It was an enhancement to BIOS specifically for network operations.

Apple used big cat naming for Mac OS X versions: Cheetah (10.0) in 2001, Puma (10.1) in 2001, Jaguar (10.2) in 2002, and Panther (10.3) in 2003. This naming convention continued through subsequent releases until switching to California locations in 2013.