A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

I

IE
Abbreviation for Microsoft Internet Explorer, one of the two most popular Web browsers.

imagemap
Also image map. A graphic on a Web page that is divided into parts which link to different sites. Areas of the image are "mapped" with "hot spots" that function as links.

Intel
A major manufacturer of computer microprocessors like the Pentium processors that run many Windows computers.

interlaced GIF
A kind of GIF that gradually improves in overall resolution as you download a page. Noninterlaced GIFs, by contrast, first display only the top of the image and then gradually fill in the rest of the image below as the page loads. Interlaced GIFs are used to give visitors a quick, overall view of the graphic.

Internet
"Net" for short.
That thing we're all excited about.
A computer network connecting tens of thousands of smaller computer networks all around the globe that use the TCP/IP protocol. Any computer can communicate with any other computer on this network.
The Web is part of the Internet.

intranet
An internal network used primarily by companies to increase internal communications efficiency. Intranets function much like the Internet as a whole but files and Web pages are only accessible from computers connected within a local network. Intranets that are open to selected partners and clients are called extranets.

IP number
Every computer on the Internet has a unique IP number, which consists of four parts separated by dots. The number identifies the computer on the Internet. Domain names are the much-easier-to-remember alternative to IP numbers.

IRC
Internet Relay Chat. A protocol used to enable real-time chatting on the Internet.

ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network. A special kind of high-speed phone service that allows simultaneous voice and data transmission over the same phone line. ISDN lines provide transmission speeds of around 128Kbps, or double the fastest modems.

ISP
Internet Service Provider;  a company that provides access to the Internet, as well as other types of services, such as original content, gaming, and Web page development. An ISP owns or rents the equipment required to have POPs on the Internet. Larger ISPs have their own high-speed leased lines so that they are less dependent on the telephone companies and can provide better customer service.