Computer Terms Beginning with "M"

[MysteRy]

Multimedia

As the name implies, multimedia is the integration of multiple forms of media. This includes text, graphics, audio, video, etc. For example, a presentation involving audio and video clips would be considered a "multimedia presentation." Educational software that involves animations, sound, and text is called "multimedia software." CDs and DVDs are often considered to be "multimedia formats" since they can store a lot of data and most forms of multimedia require a lot of disk space.

Due to the advancements in computer speeds and storage space, multimedia is commonplace today. Therefore, the term doesn't produce the same excitement is once did. This also means it is not as overused as it was back in the late '90s. Thank goodness.

[MysteRy]

Multiplatform

If a software program is developed for mulitple operating systems, it is considered to be "multiplatform." Since Microsoft Word runs on both the Windows and Macintosh platform, it is a mutliplatform application.

In the consumer gaming market, mutliplatform games run on more than one gaming machine. For example, a sports game developed for Xbox, Playstation, GameCube, and PC would be a multiplatform game. If a game is developed exclusively for one system, i.e. "The Legend of Zelda," for Nintendo, it is not multiplatform. Gaming hardware manufacturers use exclusive software as a reason for consumers to buy their system.

[MysteRy]

Multiprocessing

For many years, the speed of computer processors increased through improvements in the architecture and clock speed of processors. However, in recent years, chip manufacturers have reached a limit in how small they can make the transistors inside CPUs without them overheating. Therefore, using multiple processors, or multiprocessing, has become the next step in increasing computing performance.

Multiprocessing can be implemented in two different ways: 1) using more than one physical processor, or 2) using a processor with multiple cores. For example, early Power Mac G5 computers had multiple physical processors, each with their own heat sink and frontside bus. When Apple switched to using Intel processors in 2006, they began using dual-core processors. These chips look like a single processor, but act as two. Now, some machines like the Mac Pro, have quad-core processors, which include four processing cores. Some Mac Pros even have two physical quad-core processors, giving the computer a total of eight processors. Most Windows and Linux-based PCs now use multi-core processors as well.

While multiprocessing sounds like a logical choice for improving computing performance, it must be supported by the computer's operating system in order to work correctly. Fortunately, current versions of both Windows and Mac OS X fully support multiprocessing. This means they can manage multiple processors as one CPU, dividing the processing load between them. Still, not all tasks can be split equally between two or more processors. Therefore, while multiprocessing may increase a computer's speed, it does not typically improve performance by the exact factor of processors in the machine.

[MysteRy]

Multitasking

Multitasking is processing multiple tasks at one time. For example, when you see someone in the car next to you eating a burrito, taking on his cell phone, and trying to drive at the same, that person is multitasking.

Multitasking also refers to the way a computer works. Unlike the phone and burrito juggling driver, a computer's CPU can handle many processes at one time with complete accuracy. However, it will only process the instructions sent to it by the computer's software. Therefore, to make full use of the CPU's capabilities, the software must be able to process more than one task at a time, or multitask.

Early operating systems could run multiple programs at one time, but did not fully support multitasking. Therefore, a single program could consume the computer's entire CPU while performing a certain operation. Basic operating system processes, such as copying files, prevented the user from performing other tasks, such as opening or closing windows. Fortunately, since modern operating systems include full multitasking support, multiple programs can run at the same time without affecting each other. Also, multiple operating system processes can take place simultaneously.

Since multitasking can handle several tasks at once, it also improves the stability of the computer. For example, if one process crashes, it will not affect the other running programs, since the computer handles each process separately. In other words, if you are in the middle of writing a paper in a word processing program and your Web browser unexpectedly quits, you won't lose your work. That's when you can really be thankful for multitasking.

[MysteRy]

Multithreading

Multithreading is similar to multitasking, but enables the processing of multiple threads at one time, rather than multiple processes. Since threads are smaller, more basic instructions than processes, multithreading may occur within processes.

By incorporating multithreading, programs can perform multiple operations at once. For example, a multithreaded operating system may run several background tasks, such as logging file changes, indexing data, and managing windows at the same time. Web browsers that support multithreading can have multiple windows open with JavaScript and Flash animations running simultaneously. If a program is fully multithreaded, the different processes should not affect each other at all, as long as the CPU has enough power to handle them.

Similar to multitasking, multithreading also improves the stability of programs. However, instead of keeping the computer from crashing, multithreading may prevent a program from crashing. Since each thread is handled separately, if one thread has an error, it should not affect the rest of the program. Therefore, multithreading can lead to less crashes, which is something we can all be thankful for.

[MysteRy]

MySpace

MySpace is an online community that allows friends to keep in touch and meet new people as well. It started out as a website that bands could use to promote their music, but has since grown into a more general community of friends. Anyone who is at least 14 years old can sign up for a MySpace account at no cost. Once you sign up, you can customize your profile by adding information about yourself, listing your interests, hobbies, and educational background, and uploading photos of yourself and your friends. You can also create your own blog for others to read.

Once you have created a profile on MySpace, you can search or browse other users' profiles. If you want to add someone as a friend, just click the "Add to Friends" link on that person's profile page. If the person approves your friend request, he or she will be added to your list of friends. Some users have only a few friends, while others have several thousand. You can send a private message to a user by clicking the "Send Message" link or post a comment on his or her page by clicking "Add Comment." Comments can be seen by all visitors to that person's profile, so be careful what you post!

The "friends" concept is the heart and soul of MySpace. By building a list of friends, you have your own network of people readily accessible from your profile page. When you click on a friend's image, you can view their profile and all their friends. This makes is easy to meet friends of friends, and their friends, and so on. The number of people you can meet on MySpace is practically endless, which may be a part of the reason there are so many "MySpace addicts" out there.

In order to create a MySpace account, you need to choose a username and password, which is used for logging in to your account. This gives you control over what appears on your profile page. The only way others can add content to your page is through comments, which you can choose to delete once you have logged in to your account.

[MysteRy]

MySQL

MySQL, pronounced either "My S-Q-L" or "My Sequel," is an open source relational database management system. It is based on the structure query language (SQL), which is used for adding, removing, and modifying information in the database. Standard SQL commands, such as ADD, DROP, INSERT, and UPDATE can be used with MySQL.

MySQL can be used for a variety of applications, but is most commonly found on Web servers. A website that uses MySQL may include Web pages that access information from a database. These pages are often referred to as "dynamic," meaning the content of each page is generated from a database as the page loads. Websites that use dynamic Web pages are often referred to as database-driven websites.

Many database-driven websites that use MySQL also use a Web scripting language like PHP to access information from the database. MySQL commands can be incorporated into the PHP code, allowing part or all of a Web page to be generated from database information. Because both MySQL and PHP are both open source (meaning they are free to download and use), the PHP/MySQL combination has become a popular choice for database-driven websites.