| P-mail |
Regular postal service or snail mail.
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| P.O.D. |
Piece Of Data (rather than a programming instruction).
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| P5 |
Pentium. The Intel high-performance microprocessor introduced in 1993, also called 586 or 80586. It is about twice as fast as the 486.
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| P6 |
The Pentium Pro. Successor to the Pentium microprocessor; also called 686 or 80686. The P6 has internal RISC architecture and a CISC-RISC translator. It is faster than the Pentium for 32-bit software but slower for 16-bit software.
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| PA-RISC |
A RISC chip used in HP minicomputers and workstations.
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| PABX |
Private Automatic Branch Exchange. A private automatic telephone exchange that allows calls within the exchange and also calls to and from the public telephone network.
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| pack |
To store data in compressed form in such a way that the data can be restored to its original form (unpacked).
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| packaged software |
An application program or collection of programs developed to meet the needs of a variety of users, rather than custom designed for a specific user or company. Packaged software is sold to the general public.
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| Packard Bell Electronics, Inc. |
A leading U.S. computer vendor based in Sacramento, California. Packard Bell originally started in 1926 as a radio manufacturing company, and now markets complete computer systems in major retail chains.
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| packed decimal format |
A means of storage in which each byte holds two decimal digits (four bits per digit), except the rightmost byte which contains one digit and the sign (+ or -). See unpacked decimal format.
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| packet |
A unit of data formatted for transmission on a network. Data is broken up into packets for sending over a packet switching network. Each packet has a header containing its source and destination, a block of data content, and an error-checking code. All the data packets related to a message may not take the same route to get to their destination; they are reassembled once they have arrived.
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| packet assembler / disassembler |
(PAD). A hardware device that makes it possible for a data terminal not set up for packet switching to use a packet switching network. It assembles data into packets for transmission, and disassembles the packets on arrival so they can be used.
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| packet cellular |
Packet transmission of data via cellular network.
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| packet driver |
Local area network software that divides data into packets for sending on the network, and reassembles the data into its original form when it arrives at its destination.
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| packet internet groper |
(PING). A program used to test whether a particular network destination is online, by sending an Internet control message protocol (ICMP) echo request and waiting for a response. (Also called packet internet gopher).
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| packet overhead |
On a packet-switched network, the time it takes to transmit the extra bytes of formatting information included with each packet, and to assemble and disassemble the packets. The total transmission time includes packet overhead as well as the time it takes to transmit the raw data.
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| packet radio |
(PR). The transmission of data packets between computers by means of amateur radio. Packet radio provides electronic mail, BBS service, chat, file transfer, and games.
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| packet switch node |
(PSN). A dedicated computer which routes packets for a packet-switched network.
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| packet switching |
A technology for sending packets of information over a network. Data is broken up into packets for transmission. Each packet has a header containing its source and destination, a block of data content, and an error-checking code. All the data packets related to a message may not take the same route to get to their destination; they are reassembled once they have arrived. The international standard for packet switching networks is X.25.
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| packet-switched network |
A network that in which a temporary connection is established between points for the transmission of data in the form of packets.
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| packets per second |
(PPS). The measurement of transmission speed in a local area network.
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| packing density |
The number of electronic components on a given area of an integrated circuit.
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| PackIt |
A Macintosh compression format used to pack together a collection of small files before transferring them.
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| PAD |
Packet Assembler / Disassembler . A hardware device that makes it possible for a data terminal not set up for packet switching to use a packet switching network. It assembles data into packets for transmission, and disassembles the packets on arrival so they can be used.
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| pad |
To fill unused portions of a data structure with dummy data such as zeros, blanks, or nulls.
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