368 articles
Shift key
The Shift key is a modifier key on typewriter and computer keyboards that capitalizes letters and produces upper symbols, named for the carriage it once physically shifted, introduced in 1878.
SIMM
A SIMM (Single In-line Memory Module) is a memory module with one row of edge contacts, standard in PCs from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s.
Sinclair QL
The Sinclair QL, also known as the ZX83 or Quantum Leap, is a 32-bit personal computer launched by Sinclair Research in January 1984, twelve days before the Macintosh.
Small Form-factor Pluggable
Small Form-factor Pluggable, also known as Mini-GBIC or SFP, is a hot-swappable transceiver module that plugs into network switches and routers to link their circuitry with fiber-optic or copper networks.
Smart card
A smart card, also called a chip card, is a credit-card-sized plastic card with an embedded chip used for secure payments, identification, and access control.
Smartglasses
Smartglasses are ultra-portable, hands-free devices worn like eyeglasses, some with a built-in display, camera, and voice input, from Google Glass in 2013 to Ray-Ban Meta.
Socket AM3
Socket AM3 is a CPU socket introduced by AMD in February 2009 for its 45 nm Phenom II desktop processors, supporting both DDR2 and DDR3 memory.
Socket AM3+
Socket AM3+, also designated Socket AM3b, is AMD's zero insertion force desktop processor socket for FX-series CPUs, replacing Socket AM3 and launching with the FX-8150 in October 2011.
Socket AM5
Socket AM5 (LGA 1718) is AMD's current desktop CPU socket, introduced in September 2022 with the Ryzen 7000 Series, its first mainstream LGA design with pins in the motherboard, and support for Ryzen CPUs through 2029.
Sound Blaster
Sound Blaster is a family of PC sound cards made by Creative Technology, first launched in 1989 and the de facto PC audio standard of the DOS era.
Sound Blaster Audigy
The Sound Blaster Audigy is a family of PC sound cards produced by Creative Technology from 2001, known for EAX Advanced HD environmental audio and a built-in FireWire port.
Sound card
A sound card, also called an audio card, is an expansion card or integrated circuit providing audio input and output for a computer, converting digital audio data to analog signals.
SoundFont
SoundFont is a sample-based synthesis file format developed by E-mu Systems and Creative Technology, introduced with the Sound Blaster AWE32 in 1994; its current version, 2.04, dates from 2002.
Southbridge (computing)
The southbridge, called the I/O Controller Hub on Intel platforms, handled a PC motherboard's slower I/O like storage, USB, audio, and networking, replaced by Intel's Platform Controller Hub.
Space bar
The space bar, or space key, is the longest key on a computer keyboard, typically 6.25U wide on ANSI boards, entering a space character and carrying shortcuts.
SPIDAR
SPIDAR (Space Interface Device for Artificial Reality) is a string-based haptic interface family developed at Tokyo Institute of Technology, using motor-driven strings to track the hand and apply force feedback in virtual environments.
Steam Controller (2026)
Valve's second-generation Steam Controller (2026), successor to the discontinued 2015 model: dual haptic trackpads, TMR thumbsticks, gyro with Grip Sense, $99, ships early 2026 with Steam Machine and Steam Frame.
Steam Frame
The Steam Frame is a standalone virtual reality headset developed by Valve, launched in September 2026 for wireless streaming of a PC's Steam library, replacing the Valve Index.
Steam Machine
The Steam Machine is a small-form-factor gaming PC made by Valve that runs SteamOS, with a first generation from third-party makers in 2015 and a 2026 second generation.
Stylus
A stylus is a pen-shaped input device used to point, write, and draw on screens, ranging from simple conductive tips to powered pens reporting pressure and tilt.
Supermicro
Supermicro (Super Micro Computer, Inc., Nasdaq: SMCI) is a San Jose-based server and storage maker founded by Charles Liang in 1993, known for Building Block Solutions, liquid-cooled AI GPU systems, and U.S.-based manufacturing.
Surface Book
Surface Book is Microsoft's line of detachable 2-in-1 laptops, announced in 2015, in which the screen unlatches from a keyboard base that adds a GPU and battery.
Surface Laptop Studio 2
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is Microsoft's convertible touchscreen laptop, released in October 2023 with a sliding hinged display and upgraded Intel and NVIDIA hardware.
Surface Pro
The Surface Pro, also called the Microsoft Surface Pro, is a line of 2-in-1 Windows tablets made by Microsoft since 2013, known for its integrated kickstand and detachable keyboard.
Surface Pro (11th generation)
The Surface Pro (11th generation), sold as Surface Pro, 11th Edition, is a 2-in-1 Windows tablet PC released in June 2024 as a launch Copilot+ PC.
Surface Pro (2017)
The Surface Pro (2017), also known as the Surface Pro 5, is a 2-in-1 detachable tablet computer released by Microsoft on June 15, 2017, starting at $799.99.
Surface Pro 10
The Surface Pro 10 is a 13-inch 2-in-1 Windows tablet sold by Microsoft to businesses from 2024, its first Surface Pro with an Intel Core Ultra processor and a Copilot key.
Surface Pro 3
The Surface Pro 3 is a 12-inch 2-in-1 tablet computer developed by Microsoft, announced in May 2014 and marketed as the tablet that can replace your laptop.
Switched-mode power supply
A switched-mode power supply (SMPS), or switching power supply, regulates its output by rapidly switching a transistor between fully on and off states, achieving 60%–95% efficiency.
System bus
A system bus is a shared communication link, a single set of wires, connecting a computer's processor, memory, and input/output devices; its width is a major determinant of performance.