Glossary of Computer Terms—M
M
MACHINE
LANGUAGE: Sets of numeric binary code instructions in a
computer which execute its operations. All other programming languages (SOURCE
PROGRAMS) must be translated into machine language (OBJECT PROGRAM) before
entering the CPU.
MACRO: A combination
of commands, instructions, or keystrokes which may be stored in a computer’s
memory to be executed as a single command by a single keystroke or a
simultaneous combination of keystrokes.
MACROASSEMBLER: An assembly
language translator that converts macro expressions into several machine
language instructions. Although macros simplify program coding and speed up
execution of a program, a code for each macro must also be generated.
MAC OS: An operating
system with a graphical user interface, developed by Apple? for Macintosh?
computers. Current System “X.1” (10) combines the traditional Mac interface
with a strong underlying UNIX? operating system for increased performance and
stability.
MAILING LIST: An e-mail based
discussion group. Sending one e-mail message to the mailing list’s list server
sends mail to all other members of the group. Users join a mailing list by subscribing.
Subscribers to a mailing list receive messages from all other members. Users
have to unsubscribe from a mailing list to stop receiving messages forwarded
from the group’s members.
MALWARE: The adware
designed to monitor your keyboard keystrokes so that the author of the software
can gain access to your password protected accounts are referred to as
“malware” due to its malicious intent. MEGABYTE (MB): About a million
bytes of space. Actually it’s 2 raised to the 20th power or 1,048,576 bytes of space.
MEMORY: Temporary
storage for information, including applications and documents. The information
must be stored to a permanent device, such as a hard disc or CD-ROM before the
power is turned off, or the information will be lost. Computer memory is
measured in terms of the amount of information it can store, commonly in
megabytes or gigabytes.
MENU: A
context-related list of options that users can choose from.
MENU BAR: The horizontal
strip across the top of an application’s window. Each word on the strip has a
context sensitive drop-down menu containing features and actions that are
available for the application in use.
MERGE: To combine two
or more files into a single file.
MHz: An abbreviation
for Megahertz, or one million hertz. One MHz represents one million clock
cycles per second and is the measure of a computer microprocessor’s speed. For
example, a microprocessor that runs at 300 MHz executes 300 million cycles per
second. Each instruction a computer receives takes a fixed number of clock
cycles to carry out, therefore the more cycles a computer can execute per
second, the faster its programs run. Megahertz is also a unit of measure for
bandwidth.
MICROPROCESSOR: A complete
central processing unit (CPU) contained on a single silicon chip.
MINIMIZE: A term used in
a GUI operating system that uses windows. It refers to reducing a window to an
icon, or a label at the bottom of the screen, allowing another window to be
viewed.
MICROCOMPUTER: A
microprocessor-based computer, consisting of an MPU, internal semiconductor
memory, input and output sections, and a system bus, all on one, or several
monolithic IC chips inserted into one or several PC boards. The addition of a
power supply and connecting cables, appropriate peripherals (keyboard, monitor,
printer, disk drives, etc.), an operating system and other software programs
can provide a complete microcomputer system. The microcomputer is generally the
smallest of the computer family, however, the improvement in performance
capability of newer microcomputer systems can make the microcomputer as
powerful as larger systems.
MICROPROCESSOR
UNIT (MPU): The Central Processor Unit (CPU) implemented in
monolithic IC technology, usually, but not necessarily, on one VLSI chip. In
many cases, the SYSTEM BUS is also included on the MPU chip.
MIDI: Stands for
Music Instrument Digital Interface. It allows a computer to store and replay a
musical instrument’s output.
MINICOMPUTER: Considered to
be more capable than a microcomputer but less powerful than a mainframe.
Generally, the WORD-WIDTH of the minicomputer is between 12 to 32 bits.
MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions): A set of Internet
functions that extends normal e-mail capabilities and enables computer files to
be attached to e-mail. Files sent by MIME arrive at their destination as exact
copies of the original so that you can send fully-formatted word processing
files, spreadsheets, graphics images and software applications to other users
via simple e-mail. Aladdin’s Stuffit Expander will automatically convert MIME
files.
MNEMONIC: A symbolic
label or code reminder that assists the user in remembering a specific
operation or command.
See ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE.
MODEL: A
representation of a process or system that can be controlled to demonstrate the
effects that various actions will have on the process or system.
MONITOR: The visual
readout device of a computer system. A monitor can be in several forms:, a
cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), or a flat-panel,
full-color display. See DISPLAY.
MODEM: A device that
connects two computers together over a telephone or cable line by converting
the computer’s data into an audio signal. Modem is a contraction for the
process it performs: modulate-demodulate.
MOSAIC: The first Web
browser to have a consistent interface for the Macintosh, Windows, and Unix
environments. It was created at the National Center for Supercomputing
Applications (NCSA). The success of this browser is really responsible for the
expansion of the Web.
MOUSE: A small
hand-held device, similar to a trackball, used to control the position of the
cursor on the video display; movements of the mouse on a desktop correspond to
movements of the cursor on the screen.
MP3:Stands for MPEG
(Moving Picture Expert Group) Audio Layer 3. This is a compression standard
that was developed to create a small audio file size while keeping a high
quality sound. The small file size allows the sound to be streamed or
downloaded over the Internet with ease.
MP4: Stands for
MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group): 4. Finalized
toward the end of 1998, this became an International Standard in the beginning
of 1999. This was developed to provide low bandwidth multimedia applications.
MPEG: Stands for
Motion Picture Experts Group. A format to make, view, and transfer both digital
audio and digital video files.
MULTITASKING: The technique
of using several applications programs (tasks) in a computer system or on
several terminals in a network at the same time. Multitasking can
simultaneously work with several programs or interrelated tasks that share
memories, codes, buffers, and files.
MULTIUSER: The term
describing the capability of a computer system to be operated at more than one
terminal at the same time.
MULTIPLEXER This is a piece
of hardware that allows one item to take the place of several. An example would
be using a multiplexer to allow 10 computers to attach where only one could
before.
MULTIMEDIA: Software programs that combine text and graphics with sound, video, and animation. A multimedia PC contains the hardware to support these capabilities.
MULTIMEDIA: Software programs that combine text and graphics with sound, video, and animation. A multimedia PC contains the hardware to support these capabilities.
No comments:
Post a Comment