Computer Jargon

There is a lot of jargon around in the tech world, and it is not always obvious what these terms mean.

Here is a small list of commonly used words and their explanations.

Desktop The screen that appears on the computer soon after the computer is turned on. It
contains a number of icons, or images, that you can click on to start programs.

Taskbar – this usually at the bottom of your desktop and shows icons of the programs you use
mostly. You will also see the Start button here, as well as the date, time, volume, and other icons
you wish to add. Apple Mac users may be more familiar with the term “dock”.

Browser – a program used to find information on the Web. Examples are Google Chrome,
Firefox or Microsoft Edge.
Address bar or box – the narrow, rectangular box on the topmost part of a browser window
where you can type in a web address (e.g. google.com.au)

Bookmark, sometimes also known as Favorite – a way of saving a webpage so you can easily go
back to your favorite locations on the Web. On Google Chrome, you can bookmark by clicking
on the star on the rightmost part of the address bar.

Search engine – programs that search the web for specified keywords and returns with a list of
web pages where the keywords are found. Commonly used search engines are Google, Bing and
Yahoo!

Link or hyperlink –a highlighted or underlined feature on a web page that, when clicked, takes
you to another web page. When you point to an underlined word or image, you will know that it
is a link when your cursor turns into a pointing hand.