NETWORKÜ

noun and verb (Science and Technology) noun: A system of interconnected computers, especially within a business organization etc.; a local area network (see LAN) or wide area network (see WAN). Sometimes abbreviated to net. transitive verb: To link (computers or other electronic equipment) together to form a network, so as to make it possible to transfer data, share resources, or access the system from a number of different locations. Also as an adjective networked; action noun networking. Etymology: A further specialized development of network in the sense of 'something which resembles a net in its complex organization and interconnectedness'; earlier examples had included the broadcasting network. History and Usage: The first computer networks were set up in the sixties; by the early eighties the word was frequently used as an abbreviation of the longer terms local area network and wide area network, especially by those who did not feel comfortable with the acronyms LAN and WAN. The further abbreviated form net originated in the jargon of computer scientists in the seventies, but by the mid eighties was beginning to gain a wider currency. The general public perhaps met it most frequently as a suffix for the proper names of large computer networks or their components, such as Ethernet and Internet. Extras:...ECONET network interface. Which Micro? Dec. 1984, p. 20 The net requires you to have intelligence at the terminals but the PCs don't have to be flash and you have to be careful the network will support them. Today's Computers Nov. 1985, p. 125 One result of buying different types of equipment has been their lack of compatibility within a network. Daily Telegraph 21 Nov. 1986, p. 4 The term 'ION' stands for 'Image Online Network' and means that this camera has the potential to be connected--or 'networked'--to a range of other equipment, such as computers, desktop publishing systems and copiers. Video Maker July/Aug. 1990, p. 37 See also neural