Macintosh

A computer made by Apple Computer, Inc. which was first released
in 1984. The Macintosh which is called  "Mac"  for short, uses the
operating system,  MacOS. Macintosh computers can only run pro-
grams specified for a Mac, so they can't run programs that are de-
signed for any other operating system, like Windows. Macintosh
computers are known for their excellent art display and graphics
among other things..

Macro

(1) A set of commands that a user can put into the computer that can
carry out simple or complex activities, without the user having to do it.
(2) (See ASCII Art.)

Macro maker

A program that can create and carry out macros.

MacTCP

See TCP/IP

Magnetic Storage

A type of computer storage that relies on magnetically coated
disks or tape cartridges to store bits of data. (Warning: Keep
magnets away from the disk or the data kept on the disk will
become corrupted.)

Magstrip

A strip of magnetized plastic for holding small amounts of data, 
often used in credit cards.

Mail Bridge

A gateway that forwards electronic mail messages between networks

Mail Filter

A program which can sort and process incoming email for the recipient, based on the mail headers

Mail Merge

A process by which names and addresses are combined with a form letter "master" to create those personalized form letters despised by all.

Master/Slave Arrangement

When one device (a slave) is controlled by another to which it is connected (a master).  Master/slave arrangements are found in disk drive arrays, other hardware configurations, and mainframes and dumb terminals.

Math Coprocessor

A circuit inside a computer that handles high-speed floating point
arithmetic operations.  It may be on its own separate chip, or on
the CPU chip. The math coprocessor is not used with every program,
but programs that contain instructions for the math coprocessor can
do arithmetic operations much more quickly than programs that use
only the CPU.

Matrix

An array which is two dimensional that consists of rows and columns.

Maximize Button

This button is used to maximize a window, so that it covers the whole screen. The maximize button in Windows3.1 is the small box with an
up arrow inside while the button in later versions of Windows contains
two small open boxes; both located on the title bar.

MB

See Megabyte.

Mbps

Megabits per second (million bits per second). Used to measure the rate of information transfer.

MBps.

Megabytes per second (million bytes per second).

Media

(1) The things you can store data on, such as: floppy disks, zip drives,
hard drives, and CD-ROMS. (2) The cables that connect workstations..

Megabyte

A specific number of disk storage. To be absolutely specific; 1,048,576
(2 to the 20th power) bytes of storage. Your computer is able to hold
hundreds of megabytes!

Megaflops

Million floating-point operations per second. A unit used to measure the performance of computers that do calculation

Megahertz

One million hertz (MHz) or one million cycles per second. Microprocessor chips oscillate (wiggle) at a certain speed, measured in cycles per second or hertz. Besides the clock speed, the internal design of the processor determines its overall speed.

Memory

Also called RAM, it holds information temporarily for quick access.

Memory Cache

A memory bank between the main memory and the CPU, which enables the computer to read data and execute instructions faster

Memory-Resident Program

A program that is loaded into memory and is available even when
another application is active. Also known as (TSR);
"Terminate-and-Stay Resident" programs.

Menu

A list of jobs or options that can be performed which are listed by
topic. Most menus are located directly under the title bar.

Menu Bar

The words you see on the near the top of your screen, right under
the title bar. Click and hold one of those words and you'll get a menu.

Meta File

A file format designed for exchanging graphical data between different application programs or different machines, often as a bitmap.

MFS

Stands for Macintosh Filing System. An obsolete file system
used in old versions of the Macintosh system software. Under
MFS, even though it would appear that files were inside folders,
they were actually stored in one big collection.

Microprocessor

The brain of the computer, where it thinks and gives orders to
other parts of the computer, and hardware. It also processes
the information you feed it.

Microsoft

A very large and successful company that makes IBM operating systems like Windows and DOS. They also have hundreds of popular software titles out there produced by Microsoft.

MIDI

Stands for "Musical Instrument Digital Interface". It is the standard
in how sound is read and played in digital form by your computer.
Whenever you visit a website or have played a sound that just has
different instruments and wacky sounds but no real people singing,
most likely it's a midi file.

Midi Sequencer

Hardware or software that is used to create, play, or edit MIDI files.

Minimize Button

This button is used to minimize a window, so that it doesn't cover 
he whole screen. The minimize button in Windows3.1 is the small 
box with a down arrow inside while the button in later versions of
Windows contains a minus sign; both located on the title bar.

Mirror Site

A duplicate of a busy download site, which is maintained in order to reduce the load on the original site and to speed up access for users close to the mirror site.

MIS

Management Information Systems
The study of effective systems for the development and use of information in an organization.

MMX

Stands for "Multimedia Extended Intel Chip". For effective use, applications must be MMX enabled. Normally used for graphics,
audio, etc in multimedia applications. (Submitted By: HPhadnis)

Modem

Stands for "modulator/demodulator". It's the thing you most likely
used to get here, online. It's a computer card that connects you to
other computers via a phone line where you can share information.

Modem Port

It's the connection port on the back of your computer, where a phone
line plugs into. This should be the most noticeable shape on the back
of your computer, since the port is a phone jack.

Modifier Keys

Keys like command, option and control. If that doesn't help, it's the
key that you press while pressing other key(s) on the keyboard that
when pressed together perform a specific task without going to the
menu bar.

Modular Mac

A Macintosh such as a Centris or Quadra that uses an external
monitor.

Monitor

A projection unit of the graphical pictures you are inputting through 
the computer.

Monochrome

A monitor that doesn't have colors besides black white and
sometimes gray.

Morph

A blend between two points; similar to tweening, though morph
implies an automated algorithmic conversion. Morph usually refers
to graphics or movies. You've all seen those pictures where they've
taken two separate people and put them together as one, that's an
example of a morph.

Motherboard

See Logic Board

Mount

To insert a data storage device into the location where it's read is
considered  "mounting".

Mouse

Visual selector through graphic interfaces. It provides a pointer
and enables you to click certain options or select certain programs.
Works through a tiny controller which rolls on a ball to move around.

Mouse Button

There are usually two or even three buttons on a mouse. The left one
is usually the mainstream selector and the right button is normally for
getting more information about something such as in Windows 95/98.

Mouse Pad

Works as a range for the mouse to roam around on with ease.

MPEG

Format for Video and Audio Clips. To view an mpeg file it requires
a mpeg add-on program that can be find on the web or on AOL.
Unfortunately, mpegs can't be viewed directly through AOL.

MSCDEX.exe

CD-ROM Extensions. An MS-DOS program to enable a PC to read CD-ROMs

MS-DOS

A formerly popular operating system, MS-DOS now serves as an
interface through Windows 95/98 where you can see use old-style
file viewing through directories and commands. Normally Games
should be run through MS-DOS or DOS MODE for faster quality.
Start > Programs > MS-DOS Prompt in Windows 95 will get you here.

Multimedia

Any form of an audio-visual presentation viewed on your computer.
Either through a CD-ROM, AOL, or any other program. Multimedia
can be defined as an all around effort to present the viewer with an
enhanced experience.

Multitasking

Running several applications at once.

MySQL

MySQL is a true multi-user, multi-threaded SQL (Structured Query Language) database server.