Palettes
These are panels which display image information, tools and options to help you perform editing tasks.

Pan
While zooming in on an image magnifies each object, panning allows the user to move around the zoomed image and take a closer look at the magnified details.

Patch
Sometimes called an update, this is a file downloaded from the internet that fixes problems with hardware and games.

PDF Portable Document Format
PDFs enable users of different computer systems to view documents with complex formatting, without having to install the original program used to create the document.

Phishing
The act of trying to get someone to give away personal details, such as bank access codes, credit card details or other personal information.

Photo paper
While the majority of printing can be done on any inkjet or copier paper. Photos need special paper to produce professional printouts. If you use the brand and type recommended for your printer, you are guaranteed the best results. However, feel free to try other types and brands to see if they can produce similar results without the costs associated with branded paper.

Photoshop
The standard image editing program used by professional designers.

Picture tubes
A collection of themed clipart images you can use creatively in your own work.

Pixel
An abbreviation of ‘Picture Element’, a pixel is a single point in a graphic image. In graphics monitors, a picture is displayed by dividing the screen into thousands, or millions, of pixels. These points are arranged on the screen in rows and columns, but you cannot see them individually.

Playlist
A collection of music tracks that you have chosen to group. To save looking through the entire library, you can create different playlists.

Plug and play
A type of hardware, including all modern PC parts, that is automatically recognised by the system. As soon as it is connected to the computer, the installation process will start.

Plugin
A feature that can be added to a program, adding extra effects or other benefits.

Points
Font sizes are traditionally measured in points (abbreviated to ‘pts’), with 72pt equal to 2.5cm. In Windows, you can display text at any size. However, on an A4 document, it is hard to fit a word on a line with text larger than 128pt.

POP 3
Post Office Protocol is a method used to download messages from a server to your computer.

Pop-up ads
A form of online advertising in which advertisements open in new windows that ‘pop-up’ when a web page is visited. They are often intended to redirect users to a website, either to increase traffic or capture email addresses.

Port
A socket on a computer to which you can attach other devices such as printers and scanners.

Portal
A website or page that has lots of links to a particular subject. Wikis are ideal for building portals as much of the content can be linked.

PostScript fonts
These are high quality, and detailed fonts, often used for professional printing purposes.

PowerPoint
A program that creates slideshows that can contain text and images that are either static or animated.

PowerToys
A range of extras that add to and improve Windows features. They are free to download.

Process
A small program that is a part of Windows. It may be part of the system itself or called upon by your applications. You will often see several versions of the same process running.

Processor
Technically known as the CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU processes instructions and manages the information flow for your system.

Program event
Any occasion that requires your attention in Windows, such as opening a new program, closing down the computer, or receiving an important system message. Most events use a sound effect and message box to alert you. Lesser events, for example pressing a wrong button, produce only the sound effect.

Progress bar
This lets you know that a web page is opening in your browser. A coloured line moves across the bar indicating the speed at which the page is loading.

Project file
A document that contains all the elements of your video, such as titles, transitions and links to the video clip. These are saved so that they can be re-edited and changed, if you want to alter a production at a later date.

Properties
The changeable details of a record, program or file.

Proportional font
A font that has characters of varying widths. A ‘w’ would probably be wider, for example, than an ‘x’.

PS/2
Personal System/2. A type of port used to connect keyboards and mice to a PC. There are separate PS/2 ports for both devices.

PSD
The native file format for the Adobe Photoshop graphics program.

PSU
Power Supply Unit. A standard part of all desktop PCs that takes mains power and converts it into the regulated power required by the motherboard and components.

Public Domain
A type of file or program that is freely available and can be used by anyone.

Public Profile
Information that other Live Messenger users can find out about you. Only put details there that you are comfortable sharing.

Quick Launch
The area immediately to the right of the Start button. It contains shortcuts to often-used programs.

QWERTY
The name given to the standard keyboard layout, derived from the first six letters at the top-left corner of the keyboard.

RAM
When you open a program, your PC loads it from your hard drive into an area known as the RAM or Random Access Memory. RAM is accessed much quicker than reading from the hard drive, allowing your programs to respond faster. The more RAM you have installed, the more data can be loaded simultaneously. This means a better overall PC performance.

Readme
The name commonly given to a document containing installation information. The document accompanies a new program.

RealAudio
The sound format that is used by Real Networks, the company that provides RealPlayer.

Record
A collection of fields that is used to describe a single item in the database. For example, each person in a contacts database would have details of name, age, telephone number and address fields entered.

Red Eye
The effect of a flash from a camera on the eyes of the subject in the photo, making eyes glow bright red.

Refresh button
This lets you know that a web page is opening in your browser. A coloured line moves across the bar indicating the speed at which the page is loading.

Registry
A database of information on your PC that contains settings and options for your system as well as installed software.

Reinstall
When Windows becomes too damaged to work properly or too slow through lack of maintenance, reinstalling creates a new copy of the system that works perfectly and performs faster.

Removable media
Storage devices such as CD-Roms, DVDs, memory cards for your camera or flash memory drives that can be linked to a computer. Some connect via a range of data ports; others use a disk drive.

Resolution
This is the number of pixels or individual coloured dots that make up an image. The more pixels, the higher the resolution and the clearer the picture.

Resource
Any device connected to a network such as a printer, scanner or hard disk.

Restart
Closes down and automatically starts the computer again. All unsaved work is lost.

Restore point
A file that stores your computer’s essential settings at the time it was created. If you use the restore point, your PC’s settings will revert to that point in time.

Rewritable discs
These are discs that you can copy data to over and over again, deleting the older files, or adding new data until the disc is full. They are ideal for frequent back ups, as long as you keep a copy that cannot be deleted somewhere else.

Rip
The process of copying audio or video files from a CD-Rom or DVD onto a hard disk.

Root
The starting folder of a drive or FTP site, from which all other folders are accessed.

Rotate
Click and drag on this green handle to rotate and change the angle the text on your Word document.

RSS
Really Simply Syndication. Describes the technology used to produce web feeds.