Users Guide
Abbreviation for megabyte(s). The term megabyte means 1,048,576 bytes; however, when referring to hard-disk drive
storage, the term is often rounded to mean 1,000,000 bytes.
MBR
Abbreviation for master boot record.
MDA
Abbreviation for monochrome display adapter.
memory
A computer can contain several different forms of memory, such as RAM, ROM, and video memory. Frequently, the
word memory is used as a synonym for RAM; for example, an unqualified statement such as "... a computer with 8 MB
of memory" refers to a computer with 8 MB of RAM.
memory address
A specific location, usually expressed as a hexadecimal number, in the computer's RAM.
memory manager
A utility that controls the implementation of memory in addition to conventional memory, such as extended or expanded
memory. See also conventional memory, EMM, expanded memory, extended memory, HMA, upper memory area, and
XMM.
MGA
Abbreviation for monochrome graphics adapter.
MHz
Abbreviation for megahertz.
microprocessor
Because it is the primary computational chip inside the computer, it is customary to refer to the microprocessor as "the
computer's brain." The microprocessor contains an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit. Software written for
one microprocessor must usually be revised to run on another microprocessor. CPU is a synonym for microprocessor.
min
Abbreviation for minute(s).
mirroring
A type of data redundancy that uses a set of physical drives to store data and one or more sets of additional drives to
store duplicate copies of the data. Mirroring is the preferred data redundancy technique in lower-capacity systems and
in systems where performance is extremely important. See also guarding, RAID 1, and RAID 10.
mm
Abbreviation for millimeter(s).
mouse