White box

Updated: 01/31/2023 by Computer Hope
white box

A white box may refer to any of the following:

1. With testing, a white box, also known as a clear box or glass box, refers to software used to measure the internal behaviors of a currently running program. The white box was developed in the early 1970s. The white box user must have an understanding of the design of the program. A black box is required for a complete test.

2. With computer hardware, white box refers to packaging containing only the hardware, with limited or no software or documentation. A white box product is commonly cheaper than the standard product purchased from a retailer and is commonly only made available to an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or a bulk purchaser.

3. A white box computer is a generic PC that only uses off-the-shelf computer components. In contrast, an OEM computer may have proprietary hardware.

Barebone, Beta testing, Black box, Hardware terms, Prebuilt, Software terms