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5–18 Learning More About Your Computer
Understanding Computer Terms
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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).