Windows Vista & XP Glossary: W

WAP: Wireless access point; a device that brings wireless connectivity to an existing wired network.

webcam: A video camera that attaches to your computer and allows you to upload images or video to the Web.

WEI: The Windows Experience Index, Microsoft's assessment tool that analyses the hardware on your PC and determines how efficiently your system will be able to handle Windows Vista.

WEP: Wired Equivalent Privacy; the encryption for a computer network.

WiFi: Wireless fidelity; the original 802.11b standard wireless base station.

Windows Experience Index: Microsoft's assessment tool that analyses the hardware on your PC and determines how efficiently your system will be able to handle Windows Vista.

Windows Firewall with Advanced Security (WFwAS): Windows' limited outbound firewall interface.

Windows Registry: A portion of the Windows system that contains a wide variety of information that instructs Windows how to handle registered applications.

WinSAT (Windows System Assessment Tool): The measurement tool that Windows Vista uses to assess your system's capabilities and to create the WEI index for your PC.

wireless: Making a connection between computers or a computer and devices without physically connecting them with wires or cables; usually involves using radio signals to send and receive information.

word processor: A computer program in which you generate, edit, store, transmit, or duplicate electronic text documents.

workgroup: A group of computers that all share a similar location or organization in a network.