|
Jargon |
Explanation |
|
Mac |
Simple nickname for the Macintosh computer
from Apple. |
|
Mainboard |
See Motherboard. |
|
MAN |
Metropolitan Area Network
- A Network that serves a Metropolitan size area. See LAN
and WAN |
|
Master |
The 1st device on an IDE
channel - The master device should be the faster device if
more than one device share the same channel, for example a Hard
disk should always be the master device when sharing a channel
with a CD-ROM. see Slave |
|
Mb |
Megabit - The small
b represents bit not byte. See Megabit |
|
MB |
MegaByte - The large
B represents Byte not bit. See MegaByte |
|
Mbps |
Megabits per Second
- A measure of throughput, also Kbps
and Gbps |
|
Megabit |
1 Million bits - Or
in data storage terms it means 1024 Kilobits. |
|
Megabyte |
1 Million bytes - When
used to describe data storage the exact figure for 1 MB is 2 to
the 20th Power (1,048,576 bytes). |
|
MHz |
Megahertz - Million Cycles per second, a frequency
used to measure speed of processing. |
|
Micron
Technology |
A term used when describing a CPU - Micron
technology is the size of the transistors. Smaller transistors
means more can be fit onto a CPU's die without wasting too much
power. It also helps to bring costs down. |
|
Microprocessor |
A silicon chip that contains the CPU
- However when used in today's world the terms Microprocessor
and CPU are deemed to be the one of the same. |
|
Modem |
A peripheral that sends and receives data over
the telephone network - Modems come in varying speeds from 14,
28, 33 and 56Kbps to Cable modems and DSL
modem which are capable of much higher speeds. Modems are commonly
used to connect to the internet. However your connection speed is
not just determined by your modem, the telephone network you are
on and the bandwidth they are
offering you also decides what speed you connect at. Mo-Dem, the
name is short for its actions the modem is a Modulator/Demodulator. |
|
Motherboard |
The main base of your PC - The
motherboard is the component that
attaches everything else together. Although it does a lot more
than that basic function. The motherboard acts as the transport
vessel that carries all the data the computer
is sending from component to component. As well as this they can
have built in components such as Graphics
cards, Sound cards and Modems. |
|
MP3 |
Motion Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer 3 - A
new industry standard for compressed music. MP3 was designed to
allow music to be transferred over the internet. Since then MP3
has become big and hardware manufacturers are making portable MP3
players etc. On the downside record companies feel they are losing
out as music in MP3 format can be distributed from computer to
computer. |
|
MTU |
Maximum Transmission
Unit - The maximum "chuck" of data
that is transmitted by your modem. |
