Online Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Translation Utilities
Tech Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The plethora of new tech terms can be intimidating, especially to the new computer user trying to get educated on the ways of the computer world -- So, if you don't know an ISP from ISDN from an IRC, don't fret. There are plenty of online computer dictionaries and encyclopedias that explain technology concepts in simple terms. Here are some of the best:

• Whatis.com ( http://www.whatis.com )

• PC Webopaedia ( http://www.webopedia.com ) This is my personal favorite because it’s easy to navigate and you can find almost every term!

• TechWeb's Technology Encyclopedia: (http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.cgi)

• NetLingo ( http://www.netlingo.com )

• Free Online Dictionary of Computing ( http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/ )

Online Translation Utilities
Whether you want to read a web page in a foreign language or translate e-mail into your native tongue, there are translation resources online that can help you out.

• Travlang's Traveling Dictionaries ( http://dictionaries.travlang.com ) are free interactive utilities that enable you to translate more than a dozen languages, ranging from Spanish to Afrikaans.

• Alta Vista's Translation Services ( http://babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn ) enables you to translate between English and French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portuguese. Just cut and paste the text into the search box, and the service will translate it instantly for free.