mime ~ msec
A/B Switch box ~ America On-line AMI BIOS ~ Arithmetic Operation ARP ~ AVI Backbone ~ Bit Image Bit Map ~ Boot Disk Boot Drive ~ Bytes Per Inch C++ ~ Carrier Frequency carrier system ~ certification CGI ~ Chooser extension cipher ~ Clipper Chip clock ~ color color bits ~ communications satellite communications server ~ computer security CON ~ copy copy program ~ cycle time daemon ~ defragmentation demand paging ~ digitize DikuMUD ~ disk disk buffer ~ Document Style Semantics and Specification Language document window ~ dynamic Web page Easter egg ~ erase erase head ~ ezine F2F ~ finger2 firewall ~ font suitcase footer ~ FYI Game Control Adapter ~ GUI HAL ~ hot key1 hot key2 ~ Hz i486DX ~ internal modem internet ~ ISO 9660 ISO/OSI model ~ just-in-time K1 ~ knowledge base L1 cache ~ LU luggable computer ~ LZW compression MAC ~ MILNET mime ~ msec MTBF ~ MYOB named anchor ~ network drive Network File System ~ number crunching object ~ overwrite mode P5 ~ PC/XT keyboard PDA ~ pipeline processing piracy ~ preventive maintenance preview ~ pwd quasi-language ~ QWERTY keyboard R&D ~ registration marks Registry ~ RFI RF shielding ~ run-time library SAA ~ server error server push-pull ~ soft return software ~ style sheet stylus ~ System T1 ~ ToggleKeys token ~ typography UART ~ uupc V.120 ~ view2 viewer ~ VxD w3 ~ WinG WINS ~ WWW X.25 ~ X Windows Yahoo! ~ yotta- Z39.50 standard ~ Zulu time
MIME
n. Acronym for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. A standard that extends the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to permit data, such as video, sound, and binary files, to be transmitted by Internet e-mail without having to be translated into ASCII format first. This is accomplished by the use of MIME types, which describe the contents of a document. A MIME-compliant application sending a file, such as some e-mail programs, assigns a MIME type to the file. The receiving application, which must also be MIME-compliant, refers to a standardized list of documents that are organized into MIME types and subtypes to interpret the content of the file. For instance, one MIME type is text, and it has a number of subtypes, including plain and html. A MIME type of text/html refers to a file that contains text written in HTML. MIME is part of HTTP, and both Web browsers and HTTP servers use MIME to interpret e-mail files they send and receive. See also HTTP, HTTP server, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, Web browser. Compare BinHex1 (definition 1).
minimize
vb. In a graphical user interface, to hide a window without shutting down the program responsible for the window. Usually an icon, button, or name for the window is placed on the desktop; when the user clicks on the button, icon, or name, the window is restored to its previous size. See also graphical user interface, Minimize button, taskbar, window. Compare maximize.
Minimize button
n. In Windows 3.x, Windows 95, and Windows NT, a button in the upper right-hand corner of a window that when clicked on hides the window. In Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.5 and lower, an icon appears on the desktop that represents the window; in Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, the name of the window appears on the taskbar at the bottom of the desktop screen. When the icon or the name is clicked on, the window is restored to its previous size. See also graphical user interface, taskbar, window.
miniport drivers
n. Drivers containing device-specific information that communicate with non-device-specific port drivers, which in turn communicate with the system. See also driver.
minitower
n. A vertical floor-standing computer cabinet that is about half the height (13 inches) of a tower case (24 inches). See also tower.
mirror image
n. An image that is an exact duplicate of the original with the exception that one dimension is reversed. For example, "<" and ">" are mirror images.
mirroring
n. In computer graphics, the ability to display a mirror image of a graphic--a duplicate rotated or reflected relative to some reference such as an axis of symmetry.
mirror site
n. A file server that contains a duplicate set of files to the set on a popular server. Mirror sites exist to spread the distribution burden over more than one server or to eliminate the need to use high-demand international circuits.
MIS
n. See management information service, management information system.
misc. newsgroups
n. Usenet newsgroups that are part of the misc. hierarchy and have the prefix misc. These newsgroups cover topics that do not fit into the other standard Usenet hierarchies (comp., news., rec., sci., soc., talk.). See also newsgroup, traditional newsgroup hierarchy, Usenet.
mixed cell reference
n. In spreadsheets, a cell reference (the address of a cell needed to solve a formula) in which either the row or the column is relative (automatically changed when the formula is copied or moved to another cell) while the other is absolute (not changed when the formula is copied or moved). See also cell.
MMX
n. Short for Multimedia Extensions. An enhancement to the architecture of Intel Pentium processors that improves the performance of multimedia and communications applications.
mnemonic
n. A word, rhyme, or other memory aid used to associate a complex or lengthy set of information with something that is simple and easy to remember. Mnemonics are widely used in computing. Programming languages other than machine language, for example, are known as symbolic languages because they use short mnemonics, such as ADD (for addition) and def (for define) to represent instructions and operations. Similarly, operating systems and applications based on typed commands use mnemonics to represent instructions to the program. MS-DOS, for example, uses dir (for directory) to request a list of files.
mobile computing
n. The process of using a computer while traveling. Mobile computing usually requires a battery-powered portable computer rather than a desktop system.
mode
n. The operational state of a computer or a program. For example, edit mode is the state in which a program accepts changes to a file. See also address mode, compatibility mode, safe mode, video mode, virtual real mode.
model
n. A mathematical or graphical representation of a real-world situation or object--for example, a mathematical model of the distribution of matter in the universe, a spreadsheet (numeric) model of business operations, or a graphical model of a molecule. Models can generally be changed or manipulated so that their creators can see how the real version might be affected by modifications or varying conditions. See also modeling, simulation.
modem
n. Short for modulator/demodulator. A communications device that enables a computer to transmit information over a standard telephone line. Because a computer is digital (works with discrete electrical signals representing binary 1 and binary 0) and a telephone line is analog (carries a signal that can have any of a large number of variations), modems are needed to convert digital to analog and vice versa. When transmitting, modems impose (modulate) a computer's digital signals onto a continuous carrier frequency on the telephone line. When receiving, modems sift out (demodulate) the information from the carrier and transfer it in digital form to the computer. Sophisticated modems are also capable of such functions as automatic dialing, answering, and redialing in addition to transmitting and receiving. Without appropriate communications software, however, modems cannot perform any useful work. See also baud rate.
modem bank
n. A collection of modems connected to a server maintained by an ISP or the operator of a BBS or remote-access LAN. Most modem banks are configured to allow a remote user to dial a single phone number that routes calls to an available phone number on the bank. See also BBS (definition 1), ISP, LAN.
modem eliminator
n. A device that enables two computers to communicate without modems. See also null modem.
modem port
n. A serial port used for connecting an external modem to a personal computer. See also modem, serial port.
moderated discussion
n. Communication taking place on a mailing list, newsgroup, or other online forum that is edited by a moderator. When one submits a message to a moderated discussion, the moderator decides if the message is relevant to the discussion topic. If so, it is forwarded to the discussion group. The content of a moderated discussion is often perceived as more valuable than that of an unmoderated one because the information has been read and approved by a "gatekeeper," who has (presumably) filtered out irrelevant submissions. Some moderators also filter submissions for obscene or pornographic material or material that is potentially offensive. See also mailing list, moderator, newsgroup.
moderator
n. In some Internet newsgroups and mailing lists, a person through whom all messages are filtered before they are distributed to the members of the newsgroup or list. The moderator discards or edits any messages that are not considered appropriate. See also mailing list, newsgroup.
modified frequency modulation encoding
n. Abbreviated MFM encoding. A widely used method of storing data on disks. MFM encoding is based on an earlier technique called frequency modulation encoding but improves on its efficiency by reducing the need for synchronizing information and by basing the magnetic coding of each bit on the status of the previously recorded bit. MFM encoding stores more information on a disk than does frequency modulation encoding and is used on many hard disks. It is not, however, as efficient a space saver as the technique known as run-length limited encoding, or RLL. Compare frequency modulation encoding, run-length limited encoding.
modifier key
n. A key on the keyboard that, when held down while another key is pressed, changes the meaning of the keystroke. See also Alt key, Command key, Control key, Shift key.
modular design
n. An approach to designing hardware or software. In modular design, a project is broken into smaller units, or modules, each of which can be developed, tested, and finished independently before being combined with the others in the final product. Each unit is designed to perform a particular task or function and can thus become part of a "library" of modules that can often be reused in other products having similar requirements. In programming, for example, one module might consist of instructions for moving the cursor in a window on the screen. Because it is deliberately designed as a stand-alone unit that can work with other sections of the program, the same module might be able to perform the same task in another program as well, thus saving time in development and testing.
module
n. 1. In programming, a collection of routines and data structures that performs a particular task or implements a particular abstract data type. Modules usually consist of two parts: an interface, which lists the constants, data types, variables, and routines that can be accessed by other modules or routines, and an implementation, which is private (accessible only to the module) and which contains the source code that actually implements the routines in the module. See also abstract data type, information hiding, Modula-2, modular programming. 2. In hardware, a self-contained component that can provide a complete function to a system and can be interchanged with other modules that provide similar functions. See also memory card, SIMM.
monitor
n. The device on which images generated by the computer's video adapter are displayed. The term monitor usually refers to a video display and its housing. The monitor is attached to the video adapter by a cable. See also CRT.
monochrome
adj. Of, pertaining to, or being a monitor that displays images in only one color--black on white (as on early monochrome Macintosh screens) or amber or green on black (as on early IBM and other monochrome monitors). The term is also applied to a monitor that displays only variable levels of a single color, such as a gray-scale monitor.
monochrome adapter
n. A video adapter capable of generating a video signal for one foreground color or sometimes for a range of intensities in a single color, as for a gray-scale monitor.
monochrome display
n. 1. A video display capable of rendering only one color. The color displayed depends on the phosphor of the display (often green or amber). 2. A display capable of rendering a range of intensities in only one color, as in a gray-scale monitor.
Monochrome Display Adapter
n. See MDA.
monographics adapter
n. Any video adapter that can display only monochrome text and graphics; any video adapter functionally compatible with the Hercules Graphics Card (HGC). See also HGC.
monospace font
n. A font (set of characters in a particular style and size), similar to that used on a typewriter, in which each character occupies the same amount of horizontal space regardless of its width--an i, for example, taking as much room as an m. This is a sentence in a monospace font. Also called fixed-width font. See also monospacing. Compare proportional font.
MOO
n. Acronym for MUD, object oriented. A form of multi-user dungeon (MUD) that contains an object-oriented language with which users can create areas and objects within the MOO. Generally, MOOs are more focused on communications and programming and less on games than MUDs are. See also MUD.
MooV
n. The file format for QuickTime movies that stores synchronized tracks for control, video, audio, and text. See also QuickTime.
morphing
n. Short for metamorphosing. A process by which one image is gradually transformed into another, creating the illusion of a metamorphosis occurring in a short time. A common motion picture special-effects technique, morphing is available in many advanced computer animation packages. See also tween.
Mosaic
n. The first popular graphical World Wide Web browser. Released on the Internet in early 1993 by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mosaic is available as freeware and shareware for Windows, Macintosh, and X Window systems. Mosaic is distinguished from other early Web browsers by its ease of use and its addition of inline images to Web documents. Also called NCSA Mosaic.
most significant bit
n. In a sequence of one or more bytes, the highest-order bit of a binary number, not including the sign bit. See also high-order. Compare least significant bit. Acronym: MSB.
motherboard
n. The main circuit board containing the primary components of a computer system. This board contains the processor, main memory, support circuitry, and bus controller and connector. Other boards, including expansion memory and input/output boards, may attach to the motherboard via the bus connector. See also expansion slot. Compare daughterboard.
Motion JPEG
n. A standard for storing motion video, proposed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), that uses JPEG image compression for each frame. See also JPEG (definition 1). Compare MPEG (definition 1).
mount
vb. To make a physical disk or tape accessible to a computer's file system. The term is most commonly used to describe accessing disks in Apple Macintosh and UNIX-based computers.
mouse
n. A common pointing device. The basic features of a mouse are a flat-bottomed casing designed to be gripped by one hand; one or more buttons on the top; a multidirectional detection device (usually a ball) on the bottom; and a cable connecting the mouse to the computer. By moving the mouse on a surface (such as a desk top), the user typically controls an on-screen cursor. A mouse is a relative pointing device because there are no defined limits to the mouse's movement and because its placement on a surface does not map directly to a specific screen location. To select items or choose commands on the screen, the user presses one of the mouse's buttons, producing a "mouse click." See also bus mouse, mechanical mouse, optical mouse, optomechanical mouse, relative pointing device, serial mouse. Compare trackball.
MouseKeys
n. A feature in Microsoft Windows that allows a user to use the numeric keyboard to move the mouse pointer. MouseKeys is primarily intended for people who may have physical limitations that make it difficult to move a conventional mouse. See also mouse.
mouse pad
n. A surface on which a mouse can be moved, typically a rectangular rubber pad covered with fabric, providing more traction than a wooden or glass desktop or tabletop. See also mouse.
mouse pointer
n. An on-screen element whose location changes as the user moves the mouse. Depending on the location of the mouse pointer and the operation of the program with which it is working, the area of the screen where the mouse pointer appears serves as the target for an action when the user presses one of the mouse buttons. See also block cursor, cursor (definition 3).
mouse trails
n. The creation of a shadowlike trail following the mouse pointer on screen in order to make it easier to see. Mouse trails are useful for laptops and notebooks, particularly ones with passive matrix displays or older models with monochrome screens. The relatively low resolution and contrast of these screens made it easy to lose sight of a small mouse pointer. See also mouse pointer, submarining.
move
n. A command or instruction to transfer information from one location to another. Depending on the operation involved, a move can affect data in a computer's memory or it can affect text or a graphical image in a data file. In programming, for example, a move instruction might transfer a single value from one memory location to another. In applications, on the other hand, a move command might relocate a paragraph of text or all or part of a graphic from one place in a document to another. Unlike a copy procedure, which duplicates information, a move indicates that information either is or can be deleted from its original location. Compare copy.
Moving Pictures Experts Group
n. See MPEG (definition 1).
Mozilla
n. A nickname for the Netscape Navigator Web browser, coined by the Netscape Corporation. See also Mosaic, Netscape Navigator.
MPC
n. See Multimedia PC.
MPEG
n. 1. Acronym for Moving Pictures Experts Group. A set of standards for audio and video compression established by the Joint ISO/IEC Technical Committee on Information Technology. The MPEG standard has different types that have been designed to work in different situations. Compare Motion JPEG. 2. A video/audio file in the MPEG format. Such files generally have the extension .mpg. See also JPEG. Compare Motion JPEG.
MPEG-1
n. The original MPEG standard for storing and retrieving video and audio information, designed for CD-ROM technology. MPEG-1 defines a medium bandwidth of up to 1.5 Mb/s, two audio channels, and noninterlaced video. See also MPEG (definition 1). Compare MPEG-2, MPEG-3, MPEG-4.
MPEG-2
n. An extension of the MPEG-1 standard designed for broadcast television, including HDTV. MPEG-2 defines a higher bandwidth of up to 40 Mb/s, five audio channels, a wider range of frame sizes and interlaced video. See also HDTV, MPEG (definition 1). Compare MPEG-1, MPEG-3, MPEG-4.
MPEG-3
n. Initially an MPEG standard designed for HDTV (high-definition television), but it was found that MPEG-2 could be used instead. Therefore, this standard no longer exists. See also HDTV, MPEG (definition 1). Compare MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4.
MPEG-4
n. A standard currently under development designed for videophones and multimedia applications. MPEG-4 provides a lower bandwidth of up to 64 Kb/s. See also MPEG (definition 1). Compare MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-3.
MPPP
n. See Multilink Point-to-Point Protocol.
mput
n. In many FTP clients, the command that instructs the local client to transmit multiple files to the remote server.
MR
n. Acronym for modem ready. A light on the front panel of a modem indicating that the modem is ready.
ms
n. See millisecond.
MS-DOS
n. Acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System. A single-tasking, single-user operating system with a command-line interface, released in 1981, for IBM PCs and compatibles. MS-DOS, like other operating systems, oversees operations such as disk input and output, video support, keyboard control, and many internal functions related to program execution and file maintenance.
MS-DOS mode
n. A shell in which the MS-DOS environment is emulated in 32-bit systems such as Windows 95. See also MS-DOS, shell1.
MS-DOS shell
n. A shell environment based on a command line prompt that allows a user to interact with MS-DOS or an MS-DOS-emulating operating system.
MSDOS.SYS
n. One of two hidden system files installed on an MS-DOS startup disk. MSDOS.SYS, called IBMDOS.SYS in IBM releases of MS-DOS, contains the software that makes up the heart (kernel) of the operating system. See also IO.SYS.
msec
n. See millisecond.
A/B Switch box ~ America On-line AMI BIOS ~ Arithmetic Operation ARP ~ AVI Backbone ~ Bit Image Bit Map ~ Boot Disk Boot Drive ~ Bytes Per Inch C++ ~ Carrier Frequency carrier system ~ certification CGI ~ Chooser extension cipher ~ Clipper Chip clock ~ color color bits ~ communications satellite communications server ~ computer security CON ~ copy copy program ~ cycle time daemon ~ defragmentation demand paging ~ digitize DikuMUD ~ disk disk buffer ~ Document Style Semantics and Specification Language document window ~ dynamic Web page Easter egg ~ erase erase head ~ ezine F2F ~ finger2 firewall ~ font suitcase footer ~ FYI Game Control Adapter ~ GUI HAL ~ hot key1 hot key2 ~ Hz i486DX ~ internal modem internet ~ ISO 9660 ISO/OSI model ~ just-in-time K1 ~ knowledge base L1 cache ~ LU luggable computer ~ LZW compression MAC ~ MILNET mime ~ msec MTBF ~ MYOB named anchor ~ network drive Network File System ~ number crunching object ~ overwrite mode P5 ~ PC/XT keyboard PDA ~ pipeline processing piracy ~ preventive maintenance preview ~ pwd quasi-language ~ QWERTY keyboard R&D ~ registration marks Registry ~ RFI RF shielding ~ run-time library SAA ~ server error server push-pull ~ soft return software ~ style sheet stylus ~ System T1 ~ ToggleKeys token ~ typography UART ~ uupc V.120 ~ view2 viewer ~ VxD w3 ~ WinG WINS ~ WWW X.25 ~ X Windows Yahoo! ~ yotta- Z39.50 standard ~ Zulu time