Words You May Want to Know

APP (noun)

What it isn't: A form you fill out to get a job or into a school.

What it is: APP is short for Application which is short for Application Program which is long for Program. An application is a program that lets you do things you want to do such as write letters, make address lists or search the Internet for information you need. On the new phone I just got, I can play games too.

Mathematical Assistance: App = Application = Program therefore App = Program.

BOOT (verb)

What it isn't: Low-heeled, calf-high footwear made out of white plastic that many of us girls wore in the 60's, and served as inspiration for Nancy Sinatra's 1966 number-one hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and that's just what she did. For more info on how to boot, go to Nancy's web site.
What it is: A fancy way of saying, "Hey, turn on your computer!" If you are told to "re-boot" then turn your computer off, wait a few minutes, and then turn it back on again.

MOTHERBOARD
What it isn't: What the Beach Boys affectionately called their surf boards.

What it is: Also called a main board, system board or logic board (because if one new term is good, four terms for the same thing are even better), the motherboard is an actual board that has a lot of wires and things attached to it for the electricity to run through so your computer works. It looks a lot like the transistor radio my dad and I built when I was a kid...only a lot bigger.

OPERATING SYSTEM (noun)
What it isn't: A way to perform hip replacement surgery, something more and more of us seem to need.
What it is: An Operating System (OS) is the main program on your computer or phone that makes all of your other programs work. For a computer or phone to work, it must have an operating system, so make sure you have one installed by someone 30 years of age or younger before you leave the store. It is sometimes called the Boot Program (and other times called a Pain in the Neck.)