Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary or type the term on which you want to search.

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SLIP

(Serial Line Internet Protocol) a standard for using a modem and telephone to connect to the Internet. see PPP.

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slot

synonymous with the term socket, an opening where a plug-in circuit board (often referred to as a card) may be attached.

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Smalltalk

an object-oriented program language and operating system developed by Xerox Corporation in the 1970s utilizing a graphical user interface environment. Smalltalk had a profound influence on the development of both the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems.

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smart terminal

a keyboard and display monitor system containing a small amount of processing power, allowing the terminal enhanced functions. A dumb terminal has no processing capabilities.

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Smartdrive

a disk caching system developed by Microsoft and used in earlier versions of Windows and DOS that provided faster access to data on a hard disk by caching. see cache.

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SmartMedia

an ultra-compact flash memory format developed by Toshiba and introduced in 1995. About the size of CompactFlash, but as thin as a credit card, SmartMedia cards were popular storage for digital cameras for a while, but capacities never reached beyond 128MB. Available in 3.3 and 5 volt variations, SmartMedia cards require no assembly in manufacture as they are actually flash memory chips in a unique chip package. The cards can be plugged into a SmartMedia socket or into a standard Type II PC Card slot with a PC Card adapter.

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SMDS

(Switched Multimegabit Data Services) a standard for high-speed data connections whereby local area networks (LANs) can be connected to form a wide area network (WAN).

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smiley

an emoticon. A smiley is a grouping of common keyboard characters put together to show how the sender or poster is feeling. The most common smiley is, :-). see emoticons, assicons.

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smoke test

a slang term referring to the first time a computer is started. The pun is, “Will smoke come out?”

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SMS

(Short Message Service) a text message service that enables short messages of generally no more than 140-160 characters in length to be sent and transmitted from a cellphone. SMS was introduced in the GSM system and later supported by all other digital-based mobile communications systems. Unlike paging, but similar to e-mail, short messages are stored and forwarded at SMS centers, which means you can retrieve your messages later if you are not immediately available to receive them. SMS messages travel to the cellphone over the system's control channel, which is separate and apart from the voice channel.