Nano Machines and Microbes (See Security)

Nanotechnology -http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ubiquit.htm 

Napster/Gnutella = software for sharing files over the Internet.  The cover story entitled "The War Over Napster" by Steven Levy appeared in the June 5, 2000 issue of Newsweek Magazine, pp. 46-53. Although most of the controversy over Napster concerns copyright and royalties, the way in which Napster broadcasts online directly from multiple servers to a single user is revolutionary and should be of great interest to accountants and financial analysts.  In essence, every browser becomes a server for whatever files a person wants to share with the world.  This is a very complicated issue that in tantamount to a paradigm shift in web serving, searching, and file sharing.  See http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/napster.htm.  Also see P2P.

Native = The availability of a software package written directly for an operating system as opposed to running in emulation under some type of translation process. Emulation usually runs slower and possibly less effectively than native versions. For example, Word Perfect and Microsoft Word have native versions for both Power Mac and Windows Chicago operating systems. Most Windows and DOS programs must be run in emulation on PowerPCs such that the speed advantages of the PowerPC are virtually lost due to not being able to run in native form. Francis (1994) reports that the main drawback that is holding down sales of Apple Corporation' s Power Mac is that "no one is building mainstream (native) productivity applications for the Power Mac." Whether or not Windows Chicago is truly better than the IBM and Apple competition operating systems may be a moot point if there are over 40 million Windows users that have installed or soon will install Windows Chicago. Market share determines the number of native software applications being developed for operating systems. Mac, UNIX, and other operating systems are losing the native software development war to Windows Chicago and Windows 2000. Windows Chicago is almost certain to become the PC operating system standard of choice until its upgrade called Windows Cairo rolls off the line and/or Windows 2000 with upgraded object-oriented programming features become the operating systems of choice among users having newer hardware speed and memory components. (See also Operating system)

Navigation = The navigation of a reader or user through learning and entertainment materials such as electronic books, courseware, and networks. (See also Hypertext and Hypermedia)

NC = Short for network computer. Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison popularized this term for a simple device connected to the Internet that can do many tasks associated with PCs, but for a fraction of the cost. A good review as of the end of 1996 is provided in Information Week, November 18, 1996, pp. 14-16. For interactive computing on the web, see Distributed Network Computing.

NCSA = National Center for Supercomputing Applications, 605 E. Springfield, Champaign, IL 61820 (217-244-0072). This University of Illinois center produces high-end video imaging of art and scientific data. The NCSA also develops software for multimedia education and research. (See also Mosaic)

NetBIOS = A network communication protocol that NetWare can emulate.

Netcasting = (See Castanet.)

NetWare = A network operating system produced by Novell Incorporated.

Network address = A hexadecimal number used to identify a network cabling system.

Network computer = (See NC)

Networks = Linkages between computers allowing data and other digitized information to be transmitted between computers. Networks may be local, regional, national, or international. Commercial vendors such as Prodigy, America Online, CompuServe, and World of Boston provide relatively user friendly instructions about how to use networks. Internet users no longer have to acquire greater expertise in Unix coding for creating web documents and FTP usage. For a summary of alternatives, see Document 6 at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen. For a sampling of professors who use network technology for courses, go to Document 4 at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen . Alternatives such as email, BBS services, and Groupware for networked PC instruction are compared at Texas A&M University by Klemm and Snell (1994). They conclude that desktop conferencing is the best alternative and compare alternative vendor products for such purposes. For accounting educator Internet networks see also ANet, International Internet Association, PIC-AECM, and RAW. Prentice-Hall was the first publishing company, to our knowledge, to offer an interactive two-way network dialog between adopters of selected textbooks and the authors of those books, including a bulletin board of latest readings related to the text, abstracts of related literature, and classroom aids (see ABKY for an illustration). CD-ROMs can be used on network servers using new hardware described in PC Computing, December 1994, p. 144. (See also America Online, DAB/DAR, Delta Project, CompuServe, eWorld, Interchange, Prodigy, LAN, Video/audio networking, Video server, Internet, and SLIP)

Newsgroups = (See Newsgroups)

NexGen = Next Generation microprocessor RISC chip from Alaris (a venture company formed with seed money from Compaq, Olivetti, Paine Webber, and others) that was independently designed from Intel chips but is aimed at being equal to or better than the best Pentium alternatives from Intel. Alaris may be contacted at Phone 510-770-5770 or Fax 510-770-5769. Major manufacturers such as IBM and Compaq are offering NexGen alternatives to Pentium. At present, NexGen can deliver most performance efficiencies of the best Pentium alternatives at significantly lower prices. (See also RISC and Pentium)

NEXTStep = An operating system developed by Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer. For a comparative analysis with other current operating systems see PC/Computing Special Report (1994). NEXTStep is a leader in GUI interfaces and has some native applications software such as Word Perfect and Mathematica up and running. The future of NEXTStep was uncertain until Apple Corporation purchased the OS for $400 million in 1997 with the intention of making it the core of the future Mac and PowerMac operating systems. a revolutionary operating system from Apple Corporation that is based upon NEXTStep technology. Apple plans to deliver two operating systems for the next several years. First will be the Mac OS, which we will continue to upgrade and improve to support the current Macintosh customers worldwide, approximately 60 million users. Second will be a new OS based on NeXT Software's operating system technologies, NEXTStep and OPENStep. The powerful and advanced NeXT technologies are years ahead of competitive offerings, and will provide the foundation for a new OS, code-named Rhapsody. In addition to leveraging the NeXT technologies, Rhapsody is designed to run Mac applications through a Mac OS compatibility environment. Rhapsody's user interface will combine elements from both the Mac OS and NEXTStep, but will be closer in look and feel to the Mac OS Finder. We realize that customers need a consistent interface in the two operating systems to deploy them throughout a single organization. It's important for training and ease of use. One of the advantages of NeXT's technology is the easy support of multiple user interface paradigms. (See also Operating system and Rhapsody.)

NFS = The abbreviation for Network File System, NFS is a protocol suite developed and licensed by Sun Microsystems that allows different makes of computers running different operating systems to share files and disk storage.

NIC = The abbreviation for Network Information Center, NIC is an organization responsible for supplying information for component networks that comprise the Internet.

NIC = The Network Interface Card is a circuit board that is installed in the file server and workstations that make up the network. It allows the hardware in the network to send and receive data.

Nintendo/SGI Media Cartridges = Refer to data storage cartridges that are much faster than present CD-ROM alternatives for storing computer games, audio, and video files. The outlook for CD-ROM in the long haul is not so rosy. Billups (1994), p. 100 predicts the following:

As a lingering vestigial remnant of the mechanical age, the CD-ROM has no place in a fully digital communications environment and is no doubt destined to the same scrap heap as the eight-track. The new Nintendo/Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) media environment, for instance, uses a silicon cartridge that is two million times faster than CD-ROM. The storage capacity of this new environment has doubled in the last two months and the price unit has dropped more than half. By the time it hits the market it will set a new standard overnight.

In our viewpoint, however, the CD-ROM will remain the standard until better alternatives can be recorded as simply and as cheaply in homes and offices as CD-ROM discs can now be mastered (burned) for less than $20 per disc on desktop recorders costing less than $3,000. (See also Games)

NOC = The abbreviation for Network Operations Center, NOC is the organization responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Internet's component networks.

Node = A workstation, file server, bridge, or other device that has an address on a network.

Non-core = Those Chapter 3 attributes commonly found in course authoring systems that are not part of the core attributes of course management systems (CMS). (See also Authoring and CORE)

Nonlinear presentation = (See Hypermedia and Timeline presentation)

Notebook computer = A portable computer about the size of a standard ring binder notebook. Original laptop computers were about the size of a briefcase. Notebook computers later emerged that could be carried inside a briefcase. Next, sub-notebook computers were introduced that could be carried inside a suit pocket, although the most popular models presently are notebook size portables. Multimedia versions are slightly larger and heavier. Although notebook computers do not have expansion slots for hardware modifications, SCSI, Ethernet, ISBN, video caputure, and other hardware options are available on PCMCI cards. Also, docking stations allow notebook computers to have most of the features of desktop computers, including expansion slots. (See also Docking station, PDA, and PCMCIA)

Novell = A company based in Provo, Utah, that produces the NetWare network operating system.

NNTP = (See Internet Messaging).

NPTN = National Public Telecommunication Network in Cleveland that is dedicated to making communication, bulletin boards, and networking services freely available through linkages of privately funded sources. (See also Freenets)

NREN = National Research and Education Network (NREN). In December 1991, the U.S. Congress passed the High Performance Computing and Communications Program. This will expand international networking to thousands of times its present capacities and uses. Although intended primarily for research and education, the NREN will carry commercial traffic in research and education in addition to the types of noncommercial traffic carried presently on the Internet. The NSFNet is now referred to as the "Interim NREN. (See also Internet)

NSFNet = National Science Foundation Network connecting research universities and other research centers in the United States. (See also NREN)

NSP = Native Signal P rocessingsoftware from Intel that improves multimedia playback.

NTSC = National Television Standards Committee standards adopted in the 1960s by most nations in the Western Hemisphere, Japan, and other parts of Asia. These standards differ from PAL and SECAM standards in other parts of the world. For example, videotapes recorded under NTSC standards will play on videotape players sold in the United States and Canada. NTSC videotapes will not, however, play in European countries which have not adopted the NTSC standards. (See also PAL and SECAM)

NYSERNet = An Internet network that links rural libraries with a high speed communications network. This network is a nonprofit, equal-access network that has strong backing from major computer vendors and publishing firms. For details see EDUCOM Update, July/August 1993, pp. 3-4.