A macro is a series of commands carried out at the request of the user. For example if you repeatedly perform the same tasks every time you open a
spreadsheet, you can
record your keystrokes,
save this as a macro. Next time you open the spreadsheet these keystrokes can be performed by simply running the macro
A media on which computer
data can be stored - similar to a video tape. Very popular for
backups.
The
file or
directory where your incoming e-mail messages are stored on the computer of your
Internet Service Provider.
A single E-mail address comprised of several different E-mail addresses. For instance I have a mailing list called "Glossary Notification" which contains all of the E-mail addresses of those wonderful people who wish to be informed of changes to the Glossary.
Messaging
Application Programming Interface
Abbreviation for
megabyte
Multimedia Command Interface
A Mega
byte is a unit of measure for
Data Storage. 1 Megabyte is equivalent to 1024
Kilobytes or 1,048,576 Bytes or 8,388,608
Bits.
The measure of how fast a Chip can work and equals 1000 Hz.
Chips that hold information that the PC needs to use. These chips are connected via a bus to the
Microprocessor. There are two types of Memory Chip:
Random Access Memory (
RAM); Read Only Media (
ROM).
A Menu is a list of options presented to the user to enable them to perform a specific task. Each option on the list will perform a different task.
In
windows, a bar across the top of the current window which contain the headings of a number of available
menus
Application programs by which the user completes tasks by selecting options from
menus
An
API that allows
application programs running under
windows to access
data from messaging application programs (E-mail and fax for instance)
The header information located in the
HTML programming code that makes up a
Web page. This is what Web robots explore when indexing information to locate on their
search engine
software. This is typically what we call "key words". They are used to describe the Web
site and some of its content. Every Web site on the Web typically has 25
keywords to describe content,
location, themes, and titles names.
Another term for a PC - a computer small enough to fit on a desktop
The Microprocessor is built onto a single piece of silicon, known as a wafer or chip. Its size is about 0.5 cm along one side and no more 0.05 cm thick. It can be prog
rammed to perform a great number of information-handling tasks. It can serve as a general-purpose computer for instructional or word-processing use, to control other machines or industrial processes such as making food products, and for hand-held calculators. Its advent was brought about by the progressive miniaturization of integrated circuits and by advances in semiconductor technology. A microprocessor may function by itself in a wide range of applications, incorporating f
rom as few as 1000 or as many as several hundred thousand elements on its single chip. It may also serve as the
CPU of a PC, when it is combined with support chips containing computer memories and is equipped with input-output devices.
Microcomputers gained great importance in the 1970s and '80s with the growth of the PC. A microprocessor chip typically contains a read-only
memory (ROM)-that is, a memory that can be read repeatedly but cannot be changed-but it may also have some random-access memory (RAM) for holding transient
data. Also present are a
register for holding computing instructions, a register for holding the "address" of each instruction in turn, similar data registers, and a logic unit. It also has interfaces for connecting with external memories and other systems as needed. Microprocessors are classified in terms of the number of "bits" of information that can be transferred in parallel and held in their registers. This number has been steadily increasing with the growth of circuit technology. Thus 4-bit, 8-bit, and 16-bit microprocessors are now common, and 32-bit chips have also been developed.
Microsoft's version of
DOS.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
Multipurpose
Internet Mail Extensions
An exact
copy of a popular web
site on a different
file server - designed to spread the load. This Glossary has a mirror site - the main site is in Australia but the majority of users access the mirror site in the UK.
Multi Media eXtensions
Modem comes from the 2 words Modulation & Demodulation. A Modem converts information from Analog to Digital & vice versa. Digital Information is represented in a series of 1's & 0's. Analog information varies continuously such as a
sound wave. Typical when you send an E-mail, your Modem converts the digital E-mail message to analog.
The Monitor is used to display the
images which are generated by a PC's Video Adaptor.
A
Web Browser developed at the National Centre for Super-computing Applications in Champaign Illinois
The main circuit board containing the vital components of a PC such as the
processor & the
RAM.
A Mouse is a common pointing device used to maximize the benefits of a
Graphical User Interface. Generally a mouse has two buttons which action various tasks either by a single or a double
click.
Windows 95 has some features that are activated via a triple click. The mouse also has a
pointer on the screen that is moved by moving the mouse up or down or from side to side.
A standard used on the World Wide
Web for video & audio
files -
compression techniques are used which enable the files to be transmitted across the
internet significantly quicker than other audio & video files. The web
browser you are using must be capable of running
MPEG files
Compression standard for music. Although the compression rate may be very high, you'll have almost no loss of quality. This makes it a very attractive method to
copy CDs. It's no wonder that the music industry is not very happy about these MP3
files...
Moving Picture Experts Group
Microsoft
Disk Operating System
Multimedia is the presentation of video,
sound,
graphics, text & animation by
Software.
A method for controlling
multimedia devices from within the
Windows operating system
A standard by which people can send each other E-mail messages that contain pictures, videos or
sounds. Used by
Web browser programs to identify Web
page content for proper display.
A Multitasking
operating system is one that allows a PC to perform more than one task at a time. There are several types of multitasking. Different types include: Context switching - Only the foreground applications utilizes the
processor; Cooperative multitasking -
Background tasks utilize the processor during idle times; Time-slice multitasking - Each task utilizes the processor's for a fraction of a second.
A technology which is featured in a number of the latest
Processors designed mainly for Multi-Media applications. To benefit form
MMX the application running must have been written to take advantage of MMX technology
A music definition language and communications
protocol enabling electronic instruments to communicate musical information