Understanding Computer Terms

M

mailing list

An electronic mail-forwarding service that allows subscribers to send e-mail to a single address where the message is copied and sent to all addresses on the list. Clubs and professional organizations use this service, sometimes called a “listserv,” to contact members quickly, cheaply, and effortlessly.

main memory

RAM memory chips inside the computer. Every program you launch and every file you open must be copied from a storage disk, disc, or diskette into main memory. The amount of main memory in your computer determines how many programs you can run and how much data you can process at one time. Memory is measured in megabytes (1 million bytes or characters) of information. Most personal computers come with a minimum of 32 megabytes of main memory-the minimum recommendation for windows-based programs. You can install extra memory (refer to “Upgrading Your computer” in this guide). See RAM. See also byte.

mastering

Technically refers to the process of creating a glass master from which CDs are reproduced in quantity. In desktop recordable CD systems, mastering is done together with premastering by the desktop CD-Recorder, and the term is generally used to mean recording.

maximize

To enlarge the screen (or maximize the window) in a Windows-based program by clicking the Maximize button, the button with an open square in the upper-right corner of a window that has not been maximized. See Microsoft Windows. See also minimize.

microprocessor

A silicon chip inside your computer that processes the instructions and data from input devices (such as the keyboard and mouse) and communicates them to output devices (such as the monitor, speakers, and printer).

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Learning More About Your Computer

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Compaq 277958-001 manual Mailing list