| Computer Glossary |
Machine Language:- The lowest-level computer language, consisting of strings of binary digits and readable by the CPU.
Macintosh:- Computer developed by Apple Computers. The Macintosh was one of the first computers to use a Graphical User Interface
(GUI) - Today, Apple continues to produce many different models of Macintosh.
MacOS:- The operating system produced for their Macintosh computers.
Macro:- A stored list of commands in a program that can be launched at the push of a button. Macros used properly can automate
tedious and often repeated tasks.
Mailing List:- A collection of E-mail addresses of people who have an account with an on-line service or Internet Service Provider.
Mailto:- Is a clickable function (hyperlink) on a web page that will allow the viewer to send an E-mail message to the person listed as the
mailto contact.
Mainframe:- A large computer with enormous memory capacity and the ability to handle multiple input-output units.
MBPS:- Megabits per second (one million bits per second). Speed at which data is transferred.
Media:- Items used to hold data, including floppy disks, hard disks, tapes, CD-R0Ms, etc.
Megabyte (MB):- Equal to 1,048,576 bytes, usually rounded off to one million bytes.
Megahertz (MHz):- One million cycles per second. Describes the speed at which a computer runs. Abbreviated MHz or Mhz. Do not take
the speed at which a processor runs to be absolute.
Memory:- A computer device or series of devices that store information. This is a temporary storage area for information that empties out
when the computer is turned off or re-booted.
Memory Protection:- A capability of some operating systems to control a program's access to memory, so that one program cannot
corrupt the memory allocated to another program.
Menu:- A list of options displayed on the computer monitor that you can choose from.
Menu Bar:- A one-line, horizontal menu at the top of the screen, usually found in GUIs.
Menu Driven:- A system operated by selecting from a list of options that are displayed on the screen. It is much more "user friendly" than
Command Driven systems.
Merge:- To combine two or more files into a single file arrangement.
Metafile:- A vector-based graphic. Metafiles are represented as collections of lines rather than pixels, so you can manipulate them
without the distortions common to bitmap graphics.
MFLOPS:- Million Floating point Operations Per Second.
Micro Channel Architecture (MCA):- A non-industrial standard architecture used by some IBM PS/2's.
Microchip:- A small, silicon object containing microscopic circuitry.
Microcomputer:- A personal computer containing a central processing unit (CPU) and one or more memory circuits.
Microprocessor:- A complete central processing unit (CPU) contained on a single silicon chip.
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface):- The interface between computers and digital devices that simulate musical instruments.
This allows your computer to be used as a pseudo-music studio.
MIME:- Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. A protocol for allowing E-mail messages to contain various types of media (text, audio,
video, images, etc.).
MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second):- Used to describe speeds at which a CPU can process instructions.
Modem:- Modulate-Demodulate. A hardware device that allows communication with another computer or fax machine over a telephone
line.
Moderator:- Someone who controls the posting of messages in a forum or discussion group to ensure conformity with the topic and
policies.
Modified Frequency Modulation (MFM):- An early standard for hard disk data storage and transfer that is no longer used.
Module:- A collection of declarations, statements, and procedures stored together as one named unit.
Monitor:- A video display terminal used to display the visual output of a computer.
Monochrome:- A monitor that displays only one color. Some monochrome monitors can also display various shades of gray and are
called gray-scale monitors.
MOSAIC:- a software program designed to provide a user-friendly graphical interface when browsing the World Wide Web.
Mother Board:- The main circuit board in a computer, also called the system board. The CPU is located on the motherboard.
Mouse:- A small hand-held device for controlling the cursor movement on the screen by moving the "mouse" back and forth on a flat
surface.
MPEG:- Motion Picture Experts Group. A video file format offering excellent quality in a relatively small file.
MS-DOS:- An operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation.
Multimedia:- Software application technology that combines text and graphics with sound and animation. A multimedia PC contains the
hardware to support these capabilities.
Multiprocessor:- A computer system that uses more than one CPU running in parallel for faster performance.
MultiSync:- In a monitor, the ability to run at different scan rates, allowing the monitor to display different resolutions.
Multitasking:- The execution of more than one computer program at a time. An example would be receiving a fax at the same time you
were printing a document without noticing any delay. Windows 95 is an example of a true multi-tasking environment.
Multithreading:- The ability to have more than one task occurring in an application.
Macintosh:- Computer developed by Apple Computers. The Macintosh was one of the first computers to use a Graphical User Interface
(GUI) - Today, Apple continues to produce many different models of Macintosh.
MacOS:- The operating system produced for their Macintosh computers.
Macro:- A stored list of commands in a program that can be launched at the push of a button. Macros used properly can automate
tedious and often repeated tasks.
Mailing List:- A collection of E-mail addresses of people who have an account with an on-line service or Internet Service Provider.
Mailto:- Is a clickable function (hyperlink) on a web page that will allow the viewer to send an E-mail message to the person listed as the
mailto contact.
Mainframe:- A large computer with enormous memory capacity and the ability to handle multiple input-output units.
MBPS:- Megabits per second (one million bits per second). Speed at which data is transferred.
Media:- Items used to hold data, including floppy disks, hard disks, tapes, CD-R0Ms, etc.
Megabyte (MB):- Equal to 1,048,576 bytes, usually rounded off to one million bytes.
Megahertz (MHz):- One million cycles per second. Describes the speed at which a computer runs. Abbreviated MHz or Mhz. Do not take
the speed at which a processor runs to be absolute.
Memory:- A computer device or series of devices that store information. This is a temporary storage area for information that empties out
when the computer is turned off or re-booted.
Memory Protection:- A capability of some operating systems to control a program's access to memory, so that one program cannot
corrupt the memory allocated to another program.
Menu:- A list of options displayed on the computer monitor that you can choose from.
Menu Bar:- A one-line, horizontal menu at the top of the screen, usually found in GUIs.
Menu Driven:- A system operated by selecting from a list of options that are displayed on the screen. It is much more "user friendly" than
Command Driven systems.
Merge:- To combine two or more files into a single file arrangement.
Metafile:- A vector-based graphic. Metafiles are represented as collections of lines rather than pixels, so you can manipulate them
without the distortions common to bitmap graphics.
MFLOPS:- Million Floating point Operations Per Second.
Micro Channel Architecture (MCA):- A non-industrial standard architecture used by some IBM PS/2's.
Microchip:- A small, silicon object containing microscopic circuitry.
Microcomputer:- A personal computer containing a central processing unit (CPU) and one or more memory circuits.
Microprocessor:- A complete central processing unit (CPU) contained on a single silicon chip.
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface):- The interface between computers and digital devices that simulate musical instruments.
This allows your computer to be used as a pseudo-music studio.
MIME:- Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. A protocol for allowing E-mail messages to contain various types of media (text, audio,
video, images, etc.).
MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second):- Used to describe speeds at which a CPU can process instructions.
Modem:- Modulate-Demodulate. A hardware device that allows communication with another computer or fax machine over a telephone
line.
Moderator:- Someone who controls the posting of messages in a forum or discussion group to ensure conformity with the topic and
policies.
Modified Frequency Modulation (MFM):- An early standard for hard disk data storage and transfer that is no longer used.
Module:- A collection of declarations, statements, and procedures stored together as one named unit.
Monitor:- A video display terminal used to display the visual output of a computer.
Monochrome:- A monitor that displays only one color. Some monochrome monitors can also display various shades of gray and are
called gray-scale monitors.
MOSAIC:- a software program designed to provide a user-friendly graphical interface when browsing the World Wide Web.
Mother Board:- The main circuit board in a computer, also called the system board. The CPU is located on the motherboard.
Mouse:- A small hand-held device for controlling the cursor movement on the screen by moving the "mouse" back and forth on a flat
surface.
MPEG:- Motion Picture Experts Group. A video file format offering excellent quality in a relatively small file.
MS-DOS:- An operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation.
Multimedia:- Software application technology that combines text and graphics with sound and animation. A multimedia PC contains the
hardware to support these capabilities.
Multiprocessor:- A computer system that uses more than one CPU running in parallel for faster performance.
MultiSync:- In a monitor, the ability to run at different scan rates, allowing the monitor to display different resolutions.
Multitasking:- The execution of more than one computer program at a time. An example would be receiving a fax at the same time you
were printing a document without noticing any delay. Windows 95 is an example of a true multi-tasking environment.
Multithreading:- The ability to have more than one task occurring in an application.
