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802.11 - Also referred to as IEEE 802.11, this refers to a family of specifications developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for wireless LAN technology. 802.11 specifies an over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base station or between two wireless clients. Several categories of specifications govern different types of wireless LANs: 802.11a, b and g. 802.11b, also known as Wi-Fi, applies to wireless LANs and provides wireless functionality comparable to Ethernet.
10/100Base-T Ethernet Card - Provides either 10Mbps or 100Mbps Ethernet connections automatically depending on network support. These network interface cards have been proved in the business environment to provide reliable networking connections between computer products. Not only does the NIC card give you a network connection, but it is also used for connecting the latest high-speed modems (for example, external DSL or cable modems) to the computer.
3 x 3 Matrixing - A mathematical operation that takes the RGB (red, green, blue) components of a color separation and creates a new RGB output based on the relative values for the input components. Also called "color matrixing" or "color mixing."
See also RGB.
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Active-matrix Liquid Crystal Display - A liquid crystal display that uses microelectronic switches in series with each pixel to isolate those pixels to which a voltage has been applied. Red, blue and green filters on the pixels, mixed as in a cathode-ray tube, provide full color for high-quality television display.
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) - An interface specification developed in 1997 by Intel Corporation. It is based on the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus and was designed to facilitate three-dimensional graphics. AGP creates it own dedicated channel, so the graphics controller can directly access main memory, rather than use the PCI bus. This point-to-point channel is 32 bits wide. It runs at 66MHz but supports data transmission at both the rising and falling ends of the clock cycle for increased speed. The total effective bandwidth is 533Mbps at double speed (2X) throughput. Three-dimensional textures are stored in main memory, rather than in video memory. Among the requirements for implementing AGP are the OSR 2.1 version of Windows 95 or Windows 98 and a Pentium hardware system with an AGP bus slot. Optional features of AGP include:
- Direct Memory Execute mode, which allows textures to be stored in main memory
- Multiple throughput rates: 1X (266Mbps), 2X (533Mbps), 4X (1.07Gbps)
- Pipelining, which allows the graphics card to send multiple instructions at once, rather than one at a time
- Sideband addressing, which hastens data transfer by sending command instructions over a separate parallel channel
Algorithm - A mathematical equation that uses a sequence of steps to achieve an end result.
See also Demosaic Reconstruction, Interpolation.
Aperture - The variable diameter opening in a camera lens that allows control of the intensity of light reaching the CCD. A camera's aperture and shutter speed determine a photo's exposure. Aperture diameters are expressed in f-numbers (for example, f/11). As the f-number increases, the lens opening decreases. The lens opening, which is adjustable, allows more or less light to enter the camera.
See also F-Stop, CCD.
Archive - Storing files or photos onto a medium such as a CD ROM, ZIP disc or the hard drive of the computer.
Auto Exposure - The camera or scanner feature that automatically selects optimal exposure (light gathering) settings to maximize image quality. This feature sets shutter speed and aperture settings to suit the image, captures needs of different lighting situations and, as a result, improves image quality.
Auto Find - The scanner recognizes different parts of the scanned document such as text, photos or drawings.
Auto Focus - A feature that selects the most primary component of the framed subject and balances focus to make details of the image crisp by automatically focusing the camera lens on a picture subject.
Auto Type - This function identifies the type of image on the scanner and makes automatic settings, such as DPI and bit depth, for the image.
See also Bit Depth, DPI.
Automatic Document Feeder - A tray or attachment that feeds one page at a time into a printer or scanner.
Automatic Deskewing - An HP scanning function that captures the scan accurately even if the document is not placed perfectly on the scanner bed, maximizing OCR accuracy.
See also OCR.
Automatic Paper Sensing - An optical sensor on a printer "reads" the unique media "signature" of the paper, or detects the type of paper, by measuring inherent physical properties and comparing them with the signatures of other types of media. Once the media is identified, the printer optimizes printing for different media types.
Automatic Two-Sided Printing - The printer automatically outputs a two-sided page without having to manually reverse and feed the paper. Automatic Two-Sided Printing is an option and does not have to be selected. It is standard with some high-end HP printers.
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Bays - The physical frame of a microcomputer case, a space for installing an internal drive or a peripheral.
Bit - The abbreviation for binary digit: the smallest unit of digital information, represented by 1 or 0. Computers and peripheral devices usually use many bits to represent information about each pixel of an image.
Bit Depth - The number of bits used to represent colors or tones. An 8-bit image (24 bit depth) has 256 shades per color channel (red, green, blue). 256 (R) x 256 (B) x 256 (G) = 16.8 million colors. 8 bits per color channel = 24 bit depth (8 x RGB).
See also Pixel, RGB.
Bitmap - An image defined by discrete values that are assigned to each pixel. Also, a common graphic file format in which the image is stored as a pattern of dots.
See also Pixel.
Bluetooth® - Secure personal area networking (PAN) technology that allows customers to wirelessly communicate between devices that have Bluetooth wireless technology. Communications can be established among wireless phones, Pocket PCs, notebook PCs, printers and desktop PCs with Bluetooth capabilities.
Brightness - An adjustment to control the lightness and darkness of an image measured by the percentage of light reflected.
Buffer - An amount of memory, which temporarily stores data to help compensate for differences in the transfer rate of data from one device to another. In CD-Recorders, the buffer helps to prevent buffer underruns.
Burst Mode - The option on some digital cameras that allows the user to take several photos in rapid succession (sometimes called continuous shooting mode).
See also Capture mode, Compression.
Bus - 1. The connection or path between the CPU and the input/output (I/O) devices or the connection between two processors. Types of buses that have traditionally been used in IBM-compatibles include ISA, VESA and PCI. The NuBus system was used on older Macintosh computers. In 1995, Apple Computer replaced the NuBus with the 64-bit PCI bus in selected Power Macintosh models. 2. A signal- or power-transmitting conduit that allows two or more lines to be connected and their signals to be mixed.
Byte - Eight bits that are able to represent any eight-digit number from 0 to the 256th decimal (or from 00000000 to 11111111 binary). A megabyte is 1,024 kilobytes (1,048,576 bytes), and a gigabyte is one billion 8-bit bytes (1,073,741,824 bytes).
See also Bit.
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Cache - Portion of processor memory that holds recently accessed data, designed to speed up subsequent access to the same data. When data is read from or written to main memory, a copy is saved in the cache, along with its address in main memory. The cache monitors the address of subsequent reads to determine whether the data requested is already in the cache. If it is, the situation is referred to as a cache hit and the instruction to read the data from main memory is aborted. If a cache miss occurs, the data is fetched from main memory and saved in the cache. Typically, a cache is constructed with faster memory chips than those in the main memory, so a cache hit returns data much more quickly than normal memory access does. When a processor writes to main memory, the data is first written to the cache on the assumption that it will be read again soon. In a write-through cache, data is written to main memory only when it is forced out of the cache.
Camera Memory Card - A small, reusable card that stores images. Examples: CompactFlash, SmartMedia.
Capture Mode - An operational mode that allows the user to record an image onto a camera memory card, or in the camera's internal memory (such as CCD or CMOS).
See also Camera Memory Card, CCD, CMOS.
Carriage - The fixture in the print device that holds the print cartridge. The carriage may slide on a carriage rod (or rods) to scan (pass over) the media.
CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) - An integrated micro-electronic device that refers to a light-sensitive image sensor chip in a digital camera or scanner that records an image. The CCD image sensor is a silicon chip containing hundreds of thousands to a few million light-sensitive cells that convert light to electricity. A CCD sensor, combined with the digital image processing capability, is the functional equivalent of film in a digital camera. Larger CCDs allow manufacturers to place a higher number of pixels on the chip (more resolution) or they can make the pixels more sensitive to light.
See also CMOS, Digital Camera.
CD-DA (Compact Disc-Digital Audio) - Jointly developed by Philips and Sony and launched in October 1982, CD-DA was the first incarnation of the compact disc, used to digitally record and play back music. The standard under which CD-DA discs are recorded is known as the Red Book.
CDR (Compact Disc Recordable) - A CD that can be recorded onto once (or until full).
Capture Mode - An operational mode that allows the user to record an image onto a camera memory card, or in the camera's internal memory (such as CCD or CMOS).
See also Camera Memory Card, CCD, CMOS.
CIS (Contact Image Sensor) - A sensor within a scanner that can only capture images that lie perfectly flat on the scanner bed. CIS scanners use a special sensor that covers the entire width of the scanned area at once, often providing poor depth of field. These sensors must be very close to the original or the image will be out of focus. Color quality is limited as well. All HP scanners use CCD sensors rather than CIS sensors.
Clarity - 1. A print quality attribute that refers to the degree to which elements of the printed image are visually unobscured. 2. Free of distracting spatial or geometric imperfections. Clear prints are not obscured by visual noise such as unintentional patterns, extraneous marks or ragged edges.
Color Balance - A print quality attribute that refers to the overall color cast of an image. Unbalanced images appear to have an underlying color so that grays do not appear neutral.
Color Layering Technology - See PhotoREt.
Compression - Squeezing a file (or an image) into a more efficient form to reduce the amount of storage space required.
CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) - A light-sensitive image sensor chip in the digital camera that records an image. CMOS chips are less sensitive than CCD, and sometimes prone to noise.
See also CCD, Digital Camera, Noise.
CMYK - An acronym to represent Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, the process colors used in correct proportions to create the color range of a digital image. These are general names for the color hue of the colorants (dyes and pigments) typically used in formatting (including inkjet printing). These four colors are used to create all colors in this type of digital image.
Coalescence - Light and dark patches from ink dyes that don't cover the paper uniformly.
Color by Correlation - A technique used by a digital camera to achieve colors the way they are remembered. The colors in the image are compared to an embedded database of possible colors under a variety of light conditions.
Color Depth - See Bit Depth.
CompactFlash Card (CF Card) - A small, reusable camera memory card onto which images can be stored. CompactFlash is the most common type of memory card. CompactFlash, as compared to SmartMedia, has a higher capacity on-board processor, so it can be used in other CompactFlash compatible equipment, including handheld devices, laptops and other digital cameras. CompactFlash memory typically has a higher capacity than other forms of camera memory.
See also Camera Memory Card, SmartMedia.
Compression - Reducing the size of a file for electronic storage.
See also JPEG.
CopySmart - HP technology that digitizes an image, evaluates it and automatically enhances it as it is copied.
CPM (Copies Per Minute) - the measurement for copy speed.
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) - The basic device that drives the television screen and the PC monitor. A CRT works by moving an electron beam back and forth across the back of the screen. Each time the beam makes a pass across the screen, it lights up phosphor dots on the inside of the glass tube, thereby illuminating the active portions of the screen.
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DDR SDRAM - Double Data Rate (DDR) Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) is a type of memory that supports data transfers on
both edges of each clock cycle, thereby doubling the memory chip's data throughput. DDR SDRAM also consumes less power, which makes it ideal for notebook PCs.
Dedicated Print Server - A PC in a network dedicated to managing the available printers.
Demosaic Reconstruction - The camera reconstructs missing color data by analyzing the area surrounding the missing information, over a region up to 9 x 9 pixels. Demosaic Reconstruction is more accurate than typical interpolation, which only analyzes the pixels immediately adjacent to the missing data (3 x 3 pixels).
See also Interpolated Resolution, RGB.
Depth of Field - The depth in a scene from the foreground to the background that will be in sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field varies with aperture, lens focal length and camera-to-subject distance. Depth of field is primarily affected by the aperture, subject distance (closer subject would produce a shallower depth of field) and focal length (28mm lens at f/11 produces a greater depth of field than a 50mm lens at the same aperture). The smaller the aperture used, the greater the area of a scene that will be sharp.
See also Aperture, Focal Length.
Digital Camera - A camera that records a visual image in a computer readable digital format. Rather than film, the digital camera uses a light-sensitive image sensor chip to capture the image.
See also CCD, CMOS.
Digital Zoom - The camera crops around the center of the image. Some digital cameras use interpolation to expand the image to its original size, typically reducing image quality.
See also Optical Zoom.
DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module) - A high-density RAM package, similar to a single in-line memory module (SIMM), but with dual rather than single connections to the motherboard.
DMA (Direct Memory Access) - In computing the process of moving data to and from memory without routing it through the central processing unit (CPU).
Dot - The number of dots printed per inch (DPI) is referred to as the printer's resolution.
DPI (dots per inch) - Dots per inch of resolution. A measurement of resolution of an image that defines the output of a display or printer. A screen font usually appears at 72 DPI, whereas a laser printer usually prints at 300 DPI (minimally). Dpi is only one factor in image quality.
See also Pixel, Resolution.
DRAM (Dynamic RAM) - Dynamic random access memory; a type of memory component in which the memory cells require periodic recharging. Information stored in the memory cells as positive or negative charges may be accessed randomly. DRAM consists of an integrated circuit (IC) that uses a charged capacitor.
Driver - Software that comes with a peripheral (for example, printer, scanner, camera…) that allows the peripheral to communicate with the PC. Also refers to an electronic circuit that supplies input to another electronic circuit.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - A twisted-pair copper wire connection with a special modem at either end that filters out background noise and interference and allows high-speed data transfer. This standard phone line filters interference and allows high-speed data transfer. It is limited to a transmission distance of 18000 feet. ISDN is a DSL application with a transfer rate of 160 kilobits per second (Kbps), which far exceeds the peak rate of 33.6Kbps upstream that analog modems can achieve. Typically, High-Data-Rate DSL (HDSL) is used to implement T1 connections. The Asymmetric DSL (ADSL) application is a further advance in this technology, supporting up to nine megabits per second (Mbps) throughput, compared with the maximum of 2.048Mbps handled by ISDN.
Dual-Scan Twisted Nematic (DSTN) or Double-Layer Supertwist Nematic - a passive-matrix LCD technology that uses two display layers to counteract the color shifting that occurs with conventional supertwist displays.
Duty-cycle - The maximum number of printed pages per month that a printer can print.
DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) - A DVD that has a greater capacity to store data, such as video, music, etc., than any other existing format. Generally refers to an optical disc with multiple data layers that exceeds the capacity of a standard CD-ROM and that may contain video, audio or any other type of digital data. In the areas of home entertainment and computer data storage, it has the capacity to replace all existing audiotape, videotape, CD-ROM and video game formats.
Dye-Sublimation Printer - A high-quality, photo-specific printer type that creates continuous-tone, glossy images by heating CMYK dyes until they turn to gas. The gas interacts with a special paper to create a continuous tone image. "Sublimation" refers to the dyes passing from the solid phase to the gas phase without going through the liquid phase. Most dye-sub printers are less than 300 DPI.
See also CMYK, Gloss.
Dynamic Range - The range of light that can be faithfully captured in a single scene from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights. Many photographic scenes have a very wide dynamic range. If the dynamic range of the camera is smaller than the dynamic range of the scene, highlight texture and shadow detail will be lost. Some new HP cameras can obtain a 4000 to 1 range compared to 1000 to 1 range in most other cameras.
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EIO - This is the more widely used type of connectivity slot, and is compatible with many of today's HP LaserJet and other HP printers. Be sure to check for your customer's printer compatibility.
Enhanced Color Layering Technology - See PhotoREt III.
Ethernet - Ethernet is a LAN that was developed by Xerox in 1976. The different Nodes on the Network are connected by Coaxial Cable. This cable can be thin (which can connect 2 Nodes up to a distance of about 1,000 feet) or thick (which can connect 2 Nodes up to a distance of about 3,300 feet). The Ethernet standard has a provision to transmit data at a rate of 10 megabits per second.
Expansion Slot - A socket on a microcomputer motherboard into which an expansion board may be inserted. Half-sized circuit boards fit into an eight-bit ISA slot, whereas full-sized boards use a 16-bit slot. PCI boards pass 64 bits of data simultaneously and require a special type of socket for their edge connector. Examples of expansion boards that fit into slots include sound cards, video adapters, internal modems and host controllers. The slots in multimedia computers are often filled with cards that perform special digitizing functions.
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Fast Ethernet (100Base) - A shared language media of LANs, Fast Ethernet is the fastest and soon-to-be most popular LAN system. Fast Ethernet transmits at 100Mbps.
File Format - A format, like a template or blueprint, which is used for capturing, storing, retrieving and sharing digital data. It is a digital file is a grouping of related binary data that represents words, graphics or photographs. Different file formats may be used to store and transfer recorded data. Most digital cameras shoot JPEGs.
See also Capture Mode, Digital Camera, JPEG.
FireWire - High-speed external connection used for connecting peripherals, also referred to as "IEEE 1394."
See also Port Connection.
Firmware - Low-level software that runs in a digital camera, printer, scanner, etc., and controls the functionality and user interface.
Focal Length - The feature of a camera lens that makes subjects appear either closer or farther away. This is the distance between the center of the lens and the CCD sensor in the digital camera when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length is specified in millimeters (for example, 28mm). 28mm or less = wide angle; 35-50mm = normal field of view, and 75mm or greater = telephoto.
See also CCD, Depth of Field.
F-Stop or F-Numbers - The number corresponding to the diameter of the lens aperture. Dividing the focal length of the lens by the F-Number specifies the aperture diameter. For example, f/8=1/8 is smaller than f/2=1/2 by a factor of 4, so the lens opening is 4 times larger at f/2 than at f/8. Thus, f/2 lets in more light, which allows shorter exposure times.
See also Aperture.
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GB (Gigabyte) - 1024 megabytes, 2^10 bytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes.
GIF (graphics interchange format) - An image file that has been compressed, used primarily for online storage and distribution. A GIF file represents colors using 256 or fewer colors, and uses lossy compression to reduce the file size, which results in a loss of image quality. This format is smaller in size than the BMP format. GIF files are commonly used for web page graphics because the file sizes are small, and therefore take less time to open.
Gloss - The amount of light reflected by the surface of the paper, relative to the smoothness of the paper.
GPRS - General Packet Radio Services is the standard governing wireless
communication that run at speeds up to 115 kilobits per second. GPRS
technology supports a wide range of bandwidths and is particularly suited
for e-mail, Web browsing, text messaging and voice communications.
Grade - Brightness is the determining factor for a paper's grade number. The higher the brightness, the lower the grade number (for example, the best offset papers are called Premium Number 1).
GSM - Global System for Mobile Communication is the international standard for wireless phone access and messaging.
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Halftoning - A process that places dots of ink in patterns that, when viewed from a distance, appear to blend and create a new color. Digital halftoning simulates many colors by spatial distribution of component color pixels (for example, mixing 25% cyan with 25% yellow to make light green).
High Performance Architecture (HPA) - Technology in some HP printers that allows for much of the processing power to take place in the printer rather than in the PC. Compressed RGB data is passed from the host computer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) in the printer. Together, the digital ASIC and HP-designed firmware perform color matching and halftoning (processes that are handled by the host computer in previous printer platforms). With the assistance of color maps that use RGB values as an index, the digital ASIC and firmware translate RGB monitor space into printer CYMK values. With HPA printers speed is increased, quality is improved and more resources are available on the PC, increasing task speed and freeing up resources on the PC.
High-Performance Addressing (HPA) - This is a form of passive matrix LCD display that improves the response time of the display. HPA screens still suffer from the same contrast problems that make passive matrix inferior to active matrix TFT LCD screens.
HP Color Copy Utility - The software that comes with every HP Scanjet, turning your computer into a desktop color copier. With HP Color Copy Utility, the user can select the number of copies desired, whether to reduce or enlarge the item being copied or set the brightness of the copy.
HP Color Layering Technology (also called PhotoRET) - HP's exclusive printing technology that creates more colors by placing more drops per dot and layering the colors. Color layering allows the printer to print the highest quality photos without sacrificing print speed. This technology combines HP developed hardware, firmware and software advancements to produce exceptional, photo-realistic image quality and fast color printing. HP Color Layering precisely places many very small drops of ink in a single dot, creating more colors per printed dot and finer color control. HP's unique application of new halftoning algorithms works in conjunction with Color Layering Technology to enable the new generation of Deskjet printers to deliver superior dot placement, uniformity and color.
HP Color Smart (and Color Smart II, Color Smart III) - Printing technology that generates unique and optimal settings for each element on the page (text, graphics and images) for the best possible output. Color Smart Technology allows the printer driver to generate optimal settings for the type of document the user wants to print. It does this by scanning the contents of each page and determining the printer settings based on that scanned module.
HP Copysmart - A technology that digitizes an image, evaluates it and automatically enhances it as it is copied. A copy is automatically sharpened and enhanced while the user determines whether to clone, fit 2 to 1, mirror or perform other manipulations to a digitized document.
HP Color Layering Technology (PhotoREt III) - An HP advancement that places up to 29 very small (5 picoliter) drops of ink in a single dot.
HP Imaging Technology - State-of-the-art image-processing technology developed by HP that gives HP cameras the ability to capture sharp, colorful images with exceptional levels of detail. This technology instantly optimizes each image and produces great detail in highlights and shadows. This revolutionary technology took more than 50 engineering years to develop!
HP SmartFocus - A feature in HP ColorSmart technology that sharpens details in low-resolution images printed from the Internet.
HP Webjet Admin Software - An HP software product designer to set up and administer printer networks. It allows the user to monitor network printers, configure or reconfigure printers, map networks and more, all from a remote location.
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IEEE 802.11 - See 802.11
IEEE 802.11b - See 802.11
Image Pipeline - The image processing that occurs in a digital camera. The processing that occurs in a digital camera that converts light coming in through the lens to the sensor, and then into an image file that can be displayed or printed.
Index View - The view on a camera that allows the user to see a series of thumbnail images on the screen. Also refers to a feature with HP Photosmart printers, which allows the printing of a page of thumbnail images.
Infrared - A type of connection that allows data to be wirelessly transmitted from the camera directly to another device when the infrared window on the camera is lined up with an infrared sensor on the other device. Also known as IrDA.
Inkjet - A printing technology that comes in three varieties: 1. inkjet, drop-on-demand - Drops are ejected from nozzles only when required to form an image. This is the HP thermal inkjet type; 2. inkjet, continuous flow - Electrostatic acceleration and deflection are used to select the dots required to form the image. Unselected drops are caught in a gutter and are usually recycled into the ink supply; and 3. piezoelectric inkjet - Piezoelectric technology places ink on the paper by using a piezoelectric material that expands and contracts when voltage is applied.
Inkjet Printer - A non-impact printer that uses drops of ink to form images (characters or graphics) on plain paper in a matrix format.
Interpolation - A way to change the size, resolution or colors in an image by calculating the pixels used to represent the new image from the old ones.
Interpolated Resolution - An electronic method of "increasing" the resolution of an image. Interpolation estimates and fills in missing color information by analyzing the pixels immediately surrounding the missing information.The digital camera or scanner captures an image at a lower resolution and then creates the pixels not captured by analyzing the color and brightness of the captured pixels.
See also Demosaic Reconstruction, Digital Camera, Pixel.
I/O (Input/Output) - Reference to the flow of information to and from computers and their attached devices.
ISO Number - The standard rating for film or CCD sensitivity as ranked by International Organization for Standardization rating for film, CCD or CMOS sensitivity. ISO is not an acronym, rather it is derived from the Greek term "isos", meaning "equal". The larger the ISO number, the greater the sensitivity.
See also CCD, CMOS.
ISP (Internet Service Provider) - A company that delivers Internet access to other companies and to individuals.
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Jaggies - The jagged rendering sometimes seen in diagonal lines.
Jargon - A bunch of technical stuff that sounds important, but the customer really doesn't want to hear.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) - A file format standard that reduces the size of an image file by compressing it. JPEG files have the extension "jpg."
See also Compression, File Format, GIF.
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kbps - Short of kilobits per second, a measure of data transfer speed. Modems and fax
machines are measured in kbps. Note that one kbps is 1,000 bits per second, whereas a KB (kilobyte)
is 1,024 bytes. Technically, kbps should be spelled with a lowercase k to indicate that it is a decimal
but almost everyone spells it with a capital K.
Kogation - Residue build-up on the ink cartridge resistor from firing over time.
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LAN (Local Area Network) - A Local Area Network is a group of PCs, other computers and peripheral devices that are linked together where each device is located in close proximity to all the other devices. LANs typically consist of a number of PCs, shared printers, shared directories and files.
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) Panel - A screen on a digital camera that allows the user to view the image before or after taking a picture.
Lens - A device for focusing light rays onto a CCD or film.
Lightfastness - The ability of printed photo paper to resist fading. HP works closely with ink vendors to develop special fade-resistant dyes for use in its ink formulation. As a result, HP inks are able to maintain their color gamut even after repeated exposure to the same levels of ultraviolet light, temperature, humidity, ozone levels and environmental factors that cause other inks to fade.
LocalTalk - A LAN access media method made by and for Apple (Macintosh) computers. LocalTalk transmits at 230,400 bps (2.3 Mbps).
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Macro Focus - A focusing lens that allows extreme close-ups.
Media - The material that is printed upon, such as paper, glossy paper or transparency film.
Megapixel - Means "a million pixels" and is the measurement of a digital camera's resolution. Example: A CCD that has 1000(W) x 1000(H) = 1,000,000 pixels, and produces a good quality 5" x 7" print.
See also Digital Camera, Pixel.
Memory Card Reader - A device that connects to the computer via serial, USB or parallel
interface. The user inserts a camera memory card into the reader to transfer
images to a computer. Serial or USB devices read CompactFlash or SmartMedia
memory cards (CF or SM), much like a floppy disk drive. The devices allow
digital camera owners to easily transfer images from the camera memory card
to the PC and, in the case of USB reader, faster than the serial connections
that come standard with most digital cameras.
See also Camera Memory Card, CompactFlash, SmartMedia.
MIO - This printer connectivity slot is for the HP Deskjet 2500cm professional series printers and legacy HP LaserJet printers. Be sure to check for your customer's printer compatibility.
Moiré - A scan with unwanted pattern or interference ("noise") that appears as an objectionable pattern, often produced when you rescan a halftone and a second screen is applied on top of the first.
Mosaic - An array of red, green and blue color filters, in an ordered pattern, is placed over the CCD to generate a color image. Any one pixel accurately captures only one-third of the color information in the scene.
See also CCD, RGB.
MP3 - MP3 is a scheme for compressing audio. MP3 files do not maintain the quality of audio CD tracks, and cannot be recorded directly to CD as standard audio tracks. They can be recorded as data tracks and played back via a computer using appropriate player software, or converted to WAV files and then recorded to CD.
Multi-tasking - Ability to perform several tasks at one time. For example, while printing, a same user can scan, queue up a copy job or queue up more print jobs.
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NIC (Network Interface Card) - A printed circuit board installed in an expansion slot of a computer to allow the computer to be connected to a network.
Ni-Cd Battery - (pronounced ny-cad) Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium) refers to a type of re-chargeable battery. To optimize performance, this type of battery should be completely discharged (drained of energy) before recharging.
NiMH Battery - NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) refers to a type of rechargeable battery that usually has a longer life than the Ni-Cd Battery. Unlike Ni-Cd, this battery can be recharged at any time without damage.
Noise - A distortion of an image's analog signal, especially background distortion, from random information that affects the image's appearance. Once a signal is digitized it is relatively immune to noise.
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OCR (Optical Character Recognition) - 1. The process of converting an image of text into an editable format through the use of OCR software. 2. Software used to convert printed characters into editable text as bitmap images.
OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) - Software specification that allows developers to integrate information created by different applications. It accomplishes this by making simple extensions to existing graphics applications. OLE is a standard that defines how objects interact and it provides a software channel for passing objects. A program called storage.dll manages the OLE files as well as the links between originators and users. In any application that supports OLE, the copy-and-paste operations will transparently link objects to documents.
Opacity - A measurement of how easily light passes through the paper after printing.
Optical Resolution - The true resolution of a digitally scanned or photographed image, as opposed to digital resolution created by interpolation.
See also Interpolated Resolution, Optical Sampling Rate, Pixel, Resolution.
Optical Sampling Rate - The highest possible sampling rate (ppi for scanners) at which an image could potentially be captured without interpolation as determined by the CCD array, the optical system and the motion of the carriage.
See also CCD, Interpolated Resolution, Pixel.
Optical Zoom - A traditional zoom lens that moves the focus closer to the subject to enlarge the image. Rather than digital zoom, optical zoom retains the true resolution of the image.
See also Digital Zoom, Optical Resolution.
Oversampling - Adding information to a scanned image using interpolation.
See also Interpolated Resolution.
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PAN - Personal Area Network is a short-range network that can be established
for ad hoc wireless connectivity among Bluetooth-enabled devices. A
PAN may include communication between digital cameras, Pocket PCs or
notebook PCs, printers, scanners and desktop PCs.
Parallel & Parallel Port - Interface from a computer system through which multiple bits of data are transferred in or out. This type of interface carries one bit on each wire, thereby multiplying the transfer rate obtainable over a single wire. The widely used Centronics port transfers eight bits at a time. SCSI and Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) are special types of parallel ports.
Passive-matrix Screens - Are a type of flat panel display technology comprised of a grid of horizontal and vertical wires with an LCD controller at every pixel. The controller either lets light in or blocks it out, depending on the image. A typical LCD screen contains from 480,000 to well over a million pixels. Typical drawbacks to this technology are low contrast, limited viewing angle, limited image quality, fewer colors and slower response time.
PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) is a local standard interface for communication between high-speed devices. PCI is a 64-bit bus that runs at clock speeds of 33 or 66MHz. Although developed by Intel, PCI is not tied to a particular family of microprocessors.
PCL (Printer Control Language) - HP's standard language for printer control. The PCL language defines a standard for printer features and feature access by software applications. It provides the highest level of communication between the system and the printer. PCL is designed to be independent of the host system, device drivers, I/O interface and network communications. Its purpose is to bring together all HP printers under a consistent control structure that provides feature compatibility from printer to printer.
PDA - A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is a handheld device that combines computing, telephone, fax, Internet and networking features. A typical
PDA can function as a cellular phone, fax sender, Web browser and personal organizer. Palmtops, handheld computers and pocket
computers are often referred to as PDAs.
Pen - A print cartridge. (Print cartridge manufacturers usually refer to their products as "pens" while printer manufacturers generally refer to them as "print cartridges.")
PhotoREt - HP's photo resolution enhancement technology combines a set of HP-developed technologies, including a color-ink cartridge (the HP photo cartridge), hardware, firmware and software to enable its Deskjet printers to produce photo-quality color images.
PhotoREt II - (see PhotoREt) Has an ink drop size of 10 picoliters. As a result, more drops of ink can be placed on an individual pixel, creating more colors per printed dot. PhotoREt II places 16 drops of ink on a single dot and delivers 13 levels of color intensity or shades per primary color.
PhotoREt III - (see PhotoREt) Has an ink drop size of 5 picoliters. As a result, even more drops of ink can be placed on an individual pixel than in PhotoREt II, creating even more colors per printed dot. PhotoREt III places 29 drops on a single dot and delivers 17 levels of color intensity or shades per primary color.
PhotoRET I, II & III - See also HP Color Layering Technology.
Photo Tray - An additional paper tray included with HP Photosmart and Deskjet 952 printers that holds HP 4" x 6" photo paper. User can print 4" x 6" images without changing paper size.
Pixel - The smallest element that can be assigned to an independent color and intensity and displayed on a computer monitor screen or on a LCD. A pixel is a dot with either a square or rectangular shape. Digital images displayed on a monitor screen or LCD are composed of thousands of pixels.
Pixelization - Graininess in an image that results when the pixels are too big. The smaller the pixels, the greater their number and the less apparent the "pixelization" of the image.
See also Pixel.
Playlist - List of music titles that can be organized in the order to be played.
Plug & Play - An Intel standard that allows additional hardware to be added to and subtracted from a system without having to reconfigure or restart the computer.
POS - Personal Operating Space refers to the ability to establish peer-to-peer networks to enable communication within a specified working space.
Port Connection - A communication link between hardware components. Types of connection include Fire Wire, Parallel, USB, Serial and SCSI.
See also FireWire, SCSI, USB.
PPM (Pages Per Minute) - the measurement for printer speed.
With inkjet printing it's important to note in what "mode" the printer is set. Most brands of inkjet printers offer:
*"fast" or "draft" modes at the maximum PPM but at lower print quality
*"normal" mode at a moderate PPM and print quality
*"best" mode at a significantly lower PPM but optimum print quality
Users can select whichever mode they desire for whatever type of job they need to do.
With laser printers, listed PPM is the speed of the printing at its optimum, laser-print quality. This print speed nearly always greatly exceeds the print speeds of inkjet printers set at comparable print qualities.
See also CPM.
Precision Scan - The scanning software that is included with every HP Scanjet. This exclusive scanning software provides image editing tools and automated scanning features, and pushes technology to interface with other TWAIN-compliant applications. HP software that lets you adjust image color, size and more. Versions include: HP Precision Scan Pro SJ5370, SJ6300 Series, and SJ5300 for Mac users, HP Precision Scan SJ5300 for PC users, HP Precision Scan LTX SJ3400 and SJ4300, HP Precision Scan LT SJ3300.
See also TWAIN.
Preserved Page Format - The ability of an HP scanner to capture all images, fonts and formatting on a page and transfer that information in an editable, unchanged format to another application.
Prepotting - Molded-in-place wiring that ensures greater durability in cables.
Print Quality Problems -
- Bleeding - Two color inks run into each other.
- Blooming - Ink absorbs into the paper, spreading beyond the ink dot size applied to the page.
- Cockling - Paper ripple due to ink moisture.
- Haloing - Lightening of black ink when it is next to color.
- Wicking - Ink spreads along the fibers in the paper, creating a "spider web" effect.
Print Cartridge - The device that integrates the printhead, ink container and ink delivery systems.
Printhead - The electro-mechanical functionality that allows the delivery of ink dots; typically the drop-firing substrate and nozzles.
Print Zone - The portion of the paper the printer is capable of printing.
Protect - Marking an image so that no one can delete it.
See also Camera Memory Card, CompactFlash, SmartMedia.
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RAM (Random Access Memory) - Random Access Memory is a temporary storage area that the processor uses to execute programs and hold data. Information is put into RAM and held there. Once the RAM becomes full, information has to be removed to make space for the current task being performed. A PC with limited RAM will take a long time to perform the simplest task as the information in the RAM is constantly being replaced. RAM requires a constant electric supply to keep the information intact. Should the user switch off the PC the contents of RAM will be lost forever.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) - 1. All colors defined as percentages of red, green and blue. 2. Light comprises three colors: red, green and blue. Varying percentages of these colors create all colors seen in the full color spectrum. To help understand the concept of RGB, look very closely at a color TV screen (not too long though, remember what Mom always said…), and see that the color is composed of a variation or combination of individually colored dots (like pixels).
See also Pixel.
Red Book - The Philips/Sony specification for audio (CD-DA) compact discs.
Red Eye - Refers to a subject's eyes that appear red in captured images, which is caused by using the flash on a camera.
Reflective Screen - A reflective screen, often used on Pocket PCs, is a front-lit display that uses both internal and external light sources making it ideal for indoor or
outdoor use. Reflective displays exhibit high brightness, excellent contrast
(14:1) and wide viewing angles.
Resolution - A measure of image clarity based on the number of pixels used to reproduce the subject. For example, camera resolution is the number of pixels in the captured image.
See also Pixel.
Rewrite - To erase and re-record a CD-ReWritable disc.
RSR - Retail Sales Representative
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Saturation - Refers to the intensity of hues in an image. Photos in need of a saturation boost are often ones that were overexposed or shot under hazy conditions.
Scale - The size of an image, used when defining relationships between images or to change the size of an image.
SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) - (pronounced "SKUH-zee") An independent standard for a system-level interface between computers and such peripherals as hard disks, CD-ROMs, printers and scanners.
SD - Secure Digital memory (SD) is a small, lightweight memory card that
increases storage capacities of many personal electronic devices. SD
cards for Pocket PCs provide enough memory to transfer and store music
and pictures.
SD I/O Slot - Secure Digital Input/Output slot. The SD I/O slot in Pocket PCs allows for upgrades to the device and expands the Pocket PC's capability by attaching an expansion pack. Added capabilities include increased file storage, a bar code reader, a digital camera and a roadmap locator and navigation system.
SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) - A type of RAM that has been increasingly used since the mid-1990s, SDRAM is considerably faster and more reliable than standard RAM.
See also RAM.
Shutter - The part of a camera that opens and closes to control how long the CCD or film is exposed to light. A shutter is a set of metallic, fabric or plastic surfaces that block light from the film or image sensor in a camera. When the shutter is released, the surfaces open for a predefined time, admitting a measured amount of light.
See also CCD, CMOS.
Shutter Speed - The length of time the shutter remains open when the shutter release is activated. Shutter Speed time is measured in fractions of a second (for example, 1/125th).
Slide Show - The viewing of previously shot images on the camera's LCD display, computer screen or television screen.
SmartMedia - A thin memory card onto which images from a digital camera can be stored.
See also Camera Memory Card, CompactFlash, Digital Camera.
SVGA (Super Visual Graphics Array ) - A SVGA monitor can display up to 1280 x 1024 pixels using over 16 million different colors.
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TFTs (Thin-Film Transistors) - The most common type of active-matrix screen.
See also Active-matrix Liquid Crystal Display.
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) - A graphic file format that stores grayscale and color images.
Token Ring - A local area network in which computers are configured in a ring, and a message called a token is passed from station to station. The token is used to avoid conflicts in transmission; a machine can only transmit messages while it holds the token. The IEEE 802.5 standard defines token ring.
Transflective Screen - Transflective display technology is used on many Pocket PCs and wireless phone screens. Transflective screens combine higher contrast and color saturation to provide crisper images and clearer text.
TTL - (Transistor-Transistor Logic) - a common type of digital circuit in which the output is derived from two transistors. The first semiconductors using TTL were developed by Texas Instruments in 1965. The term is commonly used to describe any system based on digital circuitry as in TTL monitor.
TWAIN - (technology without an interesting name) Programming logic that allows graphics manipulation software to capture images from a scanner in a particular format that is readable by the software.
Type III Card - PC cards that operate as a removable hard drive on Pocket PCs to expand memory. Manufactured by Kingston Technology, these cards are credit-card-sized hard disk drives that can replace the existing hard drive or be added as a secondary drive.
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USB (Universal Serial Bus) - An input/output (I/O) bus capable of data transfer at 12 megabits (1.5 megabytes) per second (MBps) with up to 127 devices connected in a daisy chain. The USB specification was published in 1996 by a consortium of companies led by Intel Corporation, including Compaq, Digital Equipment Corporation, IBM, Microsoft, NEC Technologies and Northern Telecom. In addition to a keyboard, a mouse and a printer, a peripheral such as a CD-ROM drive or a modem may be connected to a single port on a PC. Typically, each device connected to a computer uses its own port. USB supports multiple isochronous data streams for multimedia applications. The USB specification supports self-identifying peripherals, a feature fully compatible with plug and play (PnP) systems. USB devices may be hot plugged, which means that power does not have to be turned off to connect or disconnect a peripheral. The operating system must support USB in order for it to function. Original versions of Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 do not support USB, but the OEM Service Release 2 (OSR-2) release of Windows 95 does. Windows 98 and Windows NT 5.0 fully support USB. It is expected that USB will become a primary means of connection in IBM-compatible PCs. Most major hardware, software and telecommunications providers support USB.
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Vector Graphic (or Image) - An image represented by mathematically defined shapes, such as lines, polygons, text and groups of objects—as opposed to bitmaps of these entities.
VGA (Video Graphics Array) - A graphics display standard introduced in 1987 by IBM for PS/2 computers. The basic specification provides for 640 x 480 pixel resolution and 256 simultaneous colors. The standard has been expanded by graphics card manufacturers.
VRAM (Video RAM) - (pronounced "VEE-ram") Video random-access memory; a special memory chip that is designed for video applications and that usually has a special port for video information. Other data travels through another port.
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WAN - Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network that spans a relatively large geographical area. Typically, a WAN consists of two or more local area networks (LANs). Computers connected to a wide-area network are often connected through public networks, such as the telephone system. They can also be connected through leased lines or satellites. The largest WAN in existence is the Internet.
WAP - Wireless Application Protocol is a secure specification (not yet a formal standard) that allows users to access information instantly via handheld wireless devices such as wireless phones, pagers, Pocket PCs and two-way radios. WAP is specifically devised for small screens and one-hand navigation without a keyboard.
Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity, a term meant to be used generically when referring to any type of 802.11 LAN network. Any products tested and approved as "Wi-Fi Certified" by the Wi-Fi Alliance are certified as interoperable with each other.
See also 802.11.
WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network is a local network set up to accommodate communications among wireless devices such as cell phones, headsets, keyboards, Pocket PCs, vending machines, cameras and bar code readers.
WPAN - Wireless Personal Area Network that is established among Bluetooth-enabled wireless devices.
See also Bluetooth, PAN.
Write - To record data (which cannot be erased) to a CD-Recordable disc.
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"X" - Speed relative to CD. Refers to kilobytes (KB) per second to which music is listened. 1x = 150KB per second.
XGA (Extended Graphics Array) - A high-resolution graphics standard introduced by IBM in 1990. XGA was designed to replace the older 8514/A video standard. It provides the same resolutions (640 by 480 or 1024 by 768 pixels), but supports more simultaneous colors (65 thousand compared to 8514/A's 256 colors). In addition, XGA allows monitors to be non-interlaced.
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