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Glossary
English 85
3-D viewing pipeline, for instance, an
object is defined by the application
developer in model coordinates; these
are mapped to world coordinates, the
world coordinates are mapped to
normalized device coordinates
(NDCs); the NDCs are mapped to
device coordinates; and the final
picture is displayed. Also, an
application for computer graphics
systems. See geographic mapping,
and geographic information systems.
mass storage Any device used to
store large amounts of data. Usually
refers to hard disks and tape backup
units.
memory modules Miniature boards
containing memory chips. Used for
increasing the amount of memory
available in the computer.
MID files Standard file format used
to store MIDI sequence information.
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital
Interface. An international hardware/
software standard that specifies the
cable and hardware interface that
allows several devices, instruments,
and computers to interchange music
codes and events.
multimedia Combining static media
(such as text and pictures) with
dynamic data (such as sound, video,
and animation) on the same system.
network server mode A security
feature that prevents unauthorized
use of an input device (like a
keyboard or mouse) while your
computer is running as an unattended
network server.
OLE Object Linking and Embedding.
A Windows feature that allows
different object types (such as speech
clips or notes of music) to appear in a
document. The objects can be linked,
in which case they remain separate
files, or embedded, where they
become a part of the document.
OpenGL A distributed version (with
license) of Silicon Graphics' Graphics
Language (GL), which is a collection
of program functions combined into
an API.
pixel Picture element. The smallest
addressable spot on the screen.
Plug and Play Plug and Play is an
architecture designed to simplify
installation and configuration of new
devices in a PC.
POST Power-On Self-Test. A series
of tests your computer performs
when you switch the computer on.
RAM Random Access Memory. This
memory is used to hold programs and
data temporarily.
resolution A measure of the visible
detail on a screen or printout. Screen
resolution is measured in ‘pixels
across’ by ‘pixels down’ by ‘number of
colors’. Printer resolution is measured
in dpi (dots-per-inch).