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taskbar

The bar that contains the Start button and appears by default at the bottom of the desktop. You can use the taskbar buttons to switch between the programs you are running. The taskbar can be hidden, moved to the sides or top of the desktop, or customized in other ways. See also desktop; taskbar button; status area.

taskbar button

A button that appears on the taskbar when an application is running. See also taskbar.

text box

A standard Windows control in which a user can enter and edit text (also referred to as the edit field).

text file

A file containing text characters (letters, numbers, and symbols) but no formatting information. A text file can be a "plain" ASCII file that most computers can read. Text file can also refer to a word-processing file. See also ASCII file.

thumbnail

Thumbnails are smaller versions of larger graphic image displayed in the panel (instead of icons) to make it easier to recognize them.

time-out

If a device is not performing a task, the amount of time the computer should wait before detecting it as an error.

title bar

The horizontal bar (at the top of a window) that contains the title of the window or dialog box. On many windows, the title bar also contains the window icon and the Maximize, Minimize, and Close buttons.