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Computing terms explained in plain English
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A device, held in both hands, that is used to control video games.
A computer designed primarily for playing video games, and which connects to a television.
Correcting the overall brightness of an image.
Gigabyte. A measure of storage capacity, often used for memory and hard disks. 1GB is equal to 1,024MB (Megabytes).
Gigabits per second. A measure of data transfer speed.
Short for Genealogical Data Communication. A file format used by genealogy programs to share data.
A serious error that will cause the program to crash.
Gigahertz. A measure of how many instructions a chip can process per second. 1GHz is equal to 1,000MHz.
Grahics Interchange Format. A type of image file often used on the web, but now largely superseded by PNG.
A very fast networking standard that can transfer data at up to 1,000Mbits/sec.
General Midi. A type of music file that should play on any Midi device.
An online payment processing service like Paypal but provided by Google. Also used on Android mobile phones.
General Packet Radio Service. A type of mobile phone internet connection that's not as quick as 3G or HSDPA.
Global Positioning System. Uses a network of satellites to determine the position of a device. Also commonly used to refer to devices that use GPS to provide driving directions.
Graphics Processor Unit. A chip designed to create 3D graphics, but which can also be used for other computing tasks.
In an image-editing program a gradient is a gradual transition from one colour or pattern to another.
A component in a computer that produces the image shown on the monitor.
A chip designed to create 3D graphics, but which can also be used for other computing tasks.
An alternative to a mouse designed for graphics work. The tablet is a flat surface onto which you can draw with a special pen.
Global System for Mobile Communications. The system for digital mobile phones used in the UK and Europe.
Graphical User Interface. Any system that allows users to interact with a computer using images on screen. Windows uses a GUI.
Updating your subscription status 
A technology for downloading files. Allows even very large files to be downloaded quickly.
Save money by switching to fast 3G broadband
