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PC And Internet Hints

PC And Internet Glossary - Including File Extensions - Z

Z Buffering

A term associated with 3D graphics, I think.

Zinf

A program which plays music files such as MP3 and Ogg files. The program was originally called FreeAmp but it was then discovered that name was already being used by another company so it was changed to Zinf, which is a recursive acronym for "Zinf Is Not FreeAmp".

ZIP

"Zip".
  1. File extension. A compressed file created by the PKZIP or WinZip programs. The PKZIP system is non-lossy and is very commonly used for distribution files for programs downloaded over the Internet. Files created by the system are often called "archives". The PKZIP system can be used for any archiving purposes.

    Programs such as Zip Magic make ZIP files appear as folders, with the files they contain made available without needing to be extracted. While this facility is extremely useful, there is a need to guard against backup routines copying the contents of ZIP files in an uncompressed format.

    Java class files can be distributed as ZIP files. In some cases the extension of such files is JAR (Java Archive) instead of ZIP. It is not clear to me whether the contents of these files must be extracted before they can be used or not.

  2. Iomega Zip drive: a 100MB or 250MB exchangeable magnetic disk system. This meaning is completely unrelated to the previous meaning.

  3. Non-computer meaning: a postal code in the USA (Zone Improvement Program).

Zork

A series of puzzle-solving adventure games, mostly set in and around the GUE (Great Underground Empire). The series parallels the development of computer technology. Early titles were text-only, requiring commands to be typed in. Later versions had still graphics and the latest versions have panning graphics and some animation. For a non-US audience some of the attempts at humour may grate or simply not register but the puzzles tend to be worthwhile if sometimes very difficult. Nowadays, if you get stuck then a search on the Internet will quickly find a solution in most cases.
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