Author Topic: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"  (Read 17044 times)

Offline MysteRy

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Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« on: April 05, 2014, 07:20:06 AM »
Source : PC.net


MAC Address

Stands for "Media Access Control Address," and no, it is not related Apple Macintosh computers. A MAC address is a hardware identification number that uniquely identifies each device on a network. The MAC address is manufactured into every network card, such as an Ethernet card or Wi-Fi card, and therefore cannot be changed.

Because there are millions of networkable devices in existence, and each device needs to have a unique MAC address, there must be a very wide range of possible addresses. For this reason, MAC addresses are made up of six two-digit hexadecimal numbers, separated by colons. For example, an Ethernet card may have a MAC address of 00:0d:83:b1:c0:8e. Fortunately, you do not need to know this address, since it is automatically recognized by most networks.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2014, 07:20:44 AM »
Mac OS

This is the operating system that runs on Macintosh computers. It is pronounced, "mack-oh-es." The Mac OS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Since then, it has been continually updated and many new features have been added to it. Each major OS release is signified by a new number (i.e. Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9).

Since the core of the Mac OS was nearly decades old, Apple decided to completely revamp the operating system. In March of 2001, Apple introduced a completely new version of the Mac OS that was written from the ground up. The company dubbed it "Mac OS X," correctly pronounced "Mac OS 10." Unlike earlier versions of the Mac OS, Mac OS X is based on the same kernel as Unix and has many advanced administrative features and utilities. Though the operating system is much more advanced than earlier versions of the Mac OS, it still has the same ease-of-use that people have come to expect from Apple software.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2014, 07:22:23 AM »
Macintosh

This is the name of the computers that are made by Apple Computer. The first Macintosh was introduced in 1984 and was seen as a major innovation in computing ease-of-use. The Macintosh was the first personal computer to use a graphical user interface (GUI), which allowed the user to interact with the operating system by using a mouse to click and drag objects. Since 1984, Apple has continually revised and upgraded the Macintosh product line and now makes both laptop and desktop versions of the Macintosh. The Macintosh product line includes the following models:

1. Power Mac - a high-performance desktop computer for professionals

2. PowerBook - a high-performance laptop computer for professionals.

3. iMac - a creatively designed consumer desktop computer

4. iBook - a laptop computer for students and home users

5. eMac - an all-in-one desktop computer for educators and entry-level consumers

6. Mac mini - a super-small, fully functional computer sold without a monitor, keyboard, or mouse

Apple also makes other equipment such as displays, MP3 players, and networking hardware, but the Macintosh is the heart and soul of the company. Macintosh computers run the Macintosh operating system, creatively named the "Mac OS."

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2014, 07:23:43 AM »
Macro

Macro has two computer-related definitions, both of which involve making your computer experience more efficient.

1. A Keyboard Shortcut

The term "macro" is often used synonymously with "keyboard shortcut." Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that perform commands, such as saving a file, closing a window, or copying and pasting data.

2. A Small Program

A macro can also be a small program, or script, that automates common tasks. These scripts are usually run within programs and can often be created by the user. For example, a user might record a macro for Microsoft Word that inserts his entire address when he presses a custom key combination. A Microsoft Excel user might record a macro to format the data in the selected column of a spreadsheet.

While Word and Excel both make it easy to create custom macros, many other programs allow users to create macros as well. However, not all programs refer to the automated commands as macros. For example, Photoshop allows users to record changes made to an image and saves the series of steps as an "action." These actions can then by applied to other images. Regardless of what they are called, macros can save you a lot of time by automating repetitive tasks. If you find yourself doing the same thing over and over again when using a certain program, you may want to simplify the process by recording a macro.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2014, 07:24:20 AM »
Mainframe

A mainframe is an ultra high-performance computer made for high-volume, processor-intensive computing. They are typically used by large businesses and for scientific purposes. You probably won't find a mainframe in any household. In the hierarchy of computers, mainframes are right below supercomputers, the most powerful computers in the world. (Which is why they are aptly named "supercomputers.") Yet a mainframe can usually execute many programs simultaneously at a high speed, whereas supercomputers are designed for a single process. Currently, the largest manufacturers of mainframes are IBM and Unisys.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2014, 07:25:44 AM »
Malware

Short for "malicious software," malware refers to software programs designed to damage or do other unwanted actions on a computer system. In Spanish, "mal" is a prefix that means "bad," making the term "badware," which is a good way to remember it (even if you're not Spanish).

Common examples of malware include viruses, worms, trojan horses, and spyware. Viruses, for example, can cause havoc on a computer's hard drive by deleting files or directory information. Spyware can gather data from a user's system without the user knowing it. This can include anything from the Web pages a user visits to personal information, such as credit card numbers.

It is unfortunate that there are software programmers out there with malicious intent, but it is good to be aware of the fact. You can install anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities on your computer that will seek and destroy the malicious programs they find on your computer. So join the fight against badware and install some protective utilities on your hard drive!

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2014, 07:26:22 AM »
MANET

Stands for "Mobile Ad Hoc Network." A MANET is a type of ad hoc network that can change locations and configure itself on the fly. Because MANETS are mobile, they use wireless connections to connect to various networks. This can be a standard Wi-Fi connection, or another medium, such as a cellular or satellite transmission.

Some MANETs are restricted to a local area of wireless devices (such as a group of laptop computers), while others may be connected to the Internet. For example, A VANET (Vehicular Ad Hoc Network), is a type of MANET that allows vehicles to communicate with roadside equipment. While the vehicles may not have a direct Internet connection, the wireless roadside equipment may be connected to the Internet, allowing data from the vehicles to be sent over the Internet. The vehicle data may be used to measure traffic conditions or keep track of trucking fleets. Because of the dynamic nature of MANETs, they are typically not very secure, so it is important to be cautious what data is sent over a MANET.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2014, 07:27:04 AM »
Markup Language

Example: "HTML is a markup language used to define the content of webpages."

A markup language is a type of syntax used for defining elements within a document, such as a webpage or data file. It uses tags to define the beginning and end of each element. Since markup files are saved as plain text files, the code can be viewed and edited in a text editor.

Popular markup languages include HTML, SGML, and XML. HTML, which is a subset of SGML (the Standard Generalized Markup Language), is used to define the layout of webpages, as well as the elements within each page. A typical HTML page starts with a <head> section, which may include a title, metadata, and references to one or more CSS files. The <body> section of an HTML page defines the content, which may include text, references to image files, and links to other pages.

XML files contain custom tags that are used to define elements and sub-elements within a document. While HTML files are used to format how information is displayed, XML files are generally used to store data in a structured format. For example, an <employee> tag could be used to define an employee element within an XML data file. The tags <name> and <title> could be used as sub-elements to define the employee's name and position. The simplicity and flexibility of XML has made it a popular choice for sharing structured data between programs.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2014, 07:27:58 AM »
Mashup

The term "mashup" has several meanings. It was originally used to describe songs that meshed two different styles of music into one song. For example, a classic rock song put to a well-known hip-hop beat may be considered a mashup. It is also used to describe videos that have been compiled using different clips from multiple sources. For example, a skateboarding movie created from several different skateboard videos found would be considered a video mashup.

A mashup also describes a Web application that combines multiple services into a single application. For example, a Web forum may contain a mashup that uses Google Maps to display what parts of the world the users are posting from. Yahoo offers a mashup called Yahoo! Pipes that aggregates RSS feeds into a single page that can be navigated using a graphical interface.

The primary purpose of most Web mashups is to consolidate information with an easy-to-use interface. Because the combinations of Web applications are limitless, so are the possibilities of mashups. Therefore, as mashups continue to evolve, don't be surprised to see them popping up on your favorite websites. After all, we can always use new tools that help make information easier to find!

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2014, 07:28:33 AM »
Maximize

Example: "If you need to view more of the window's contents at one time, try maximizing the window."

Maximizing a window makes it larger. In Windows, a maximized window fills the entire screen, while on a Mac, it takes up only as much space as needed. The maximize button in Windows is located in the upper-right corner of the window, next to the close button. If you double-click the title bar, it will also maximize the window. On a Mac, the maximize button is three green button located next to the red and yellow buttons in the upper-left corner of the window.

To hide an open window, you can click the minimize button, which is located next to the maximize button on both Macintosh and Windows computers.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2014, 07:29:09 AM »
Mbps

Stands for "Megabits Per Second." One megabit is equal to one million bits or 1,000 kilobits. While "megabit" sounds similar to "megabyte," a megabit is roughly one eighth the size of a megabyte (since there are eight bits in a byte). Mbps is used to measure data transfer speeds of high bandwidth connections, such as Ethernet and cable modems.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2014, 07:29:44 AM »
MBR

Example: "Microsoft's Fdisk utility can be used to create and update the master boot record."

An MBR, or "master boot record," is a special section on a hard disk that defines the disk partitions and contains the boot code. It is located in the first sector of the disk and is only 512 bytes in size.

Master boot records were introduced in the early 1980s and were used by DOS-compatible computers for over twenty years. However, MBRs can only define up to 2TB of space, which means they are not meant to be used by storage devices larger than two terabytes. Therefore, most computers now format disks using the GPT (GUID partition table), which does not have a two terabyte limit.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #12 on: April 05, 2014, 07:30:21 AM »
MCA

Stands for "Micro Channel Architecture." It is an expansion bus created by IBM that was used in the company's PS/2 desktop computers. An expansion bus allows additional cards to be connected to the computer's motherboard, expanding the number of I/O ports. These include SCSI, USB, Firewire, AGP, and DVI connections, as well as many others.

The MCA standard was designed to take the place of the AT and ISA buses used in previous IBM PC/AT compatible computers. While the MCA bus architecture was an improvement in both size and speed over AT and ISA, it was kept as a proprietary standard by IBM. This discouraged other manufacturers from adopting the standard, since the MCA architecture was not compatible with other standards. Most PC companies incorporated the more universal PCI and AGP expansion buses into their computers, which are both widely used today.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #13 on: April 05, 2014, 07:31:03 AM »
Mebibyte

A mebibyte is a unit of data storage that equals 2 to the 20th power, or 1,048,576 bytes.

While a megabyte can be estimated as 10^6 or 1,000,000 bytes, a mebibyte is exactly 1,048,576 bytes. This is to avoid the ambiguity associated with the size of megabytes. A mebibyte is 1,024 kibibytes and precedes the gibibyte unit of measurement.

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Re: Computer Terms Beginning with "M"
« Reply #14 on: April 05, 2014, 07:31:50 AM »
Media

In general, "media" refers to various means of communication. For example, television, radio, and the newspaper are different types of media. The term can also be used as a collective noun for the press or news reporting agencies. In the computer world, "media" is also used as a collective noun, but refers to different types of data storage options.

Computer media can be hard drives, removable drives (such as Zip disks), CD-ROM or CD-R discs, DVDs, flash memory, USB drives, and yes, floppy disks. For example, if you want to bring your pictures from your digital camera into a photo processing store, they might ask you what kind of media your pictures are stored on. Are they on the flash memory card inside your camera or are they on a CD or USB drive? For this and many other reasons, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of what the different types of media are.