Macintosh
Please read Apple.


Mainboard
The mainboard or motherboard is the heart of the computer. It accommodates the processor, the main storage and the controllers with interfaces for hard disk and CD-ROM drive. more...


Mainframe
Huge computers like being used in data processing centers and serving thousands of users over terminals.





Makrolon
Sythetic material developed by the company Bayer. It is extremely stable in dimension and heat-resistant and is used for the production of CDs and DVDs.


Mask
Notion out of the area of image editing. A mask covers certain areas of an image which is either intended to be left out of editing or to be modified independently from the rest of the image.


Matrix Printer
These outdated printers were only appropriate to print text, because the resolution was so little. Nine to 24 needles generate one letter by pressing an ink ribbon against the papier, this method is very similar to a typewriter.


MD
Please read mini disk.


Megabyte
Storage unit: 1 Megabyte (MB) equals 1024 Kilobyte (KB).


Megapixel
One million pixels equal one megapixel. The number of pixels describes the digital image resolution.


Memory Card
Memory cards are used to save data by mp3 players or digital cameras. There are different standards, for example CompactFlash.


MIDI
Musical Instruments Digital Interface. Standardised interface and data format specification for the connection of musical instruments with the computer, respectively the process of digitalisation and transmission of audia data to the computer.


Mini Disk
The mini disk is an enhancement from Sony for the storage of audio data in a small and handy format. more...


MIPS
Million Instructions Per Second. Unit for the speed of a computer and ability of a chip or a configuration to proceed commands.


MMU
Memory Management Unit. Additional processor or part of the CPU which is responsible for the management of the computer memory. This disburdens the main processor as well as the FPU.


MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service, enhancement of the SMS. It enables the transmission of photos, images, videos or up to 1000 characters via mobile phones.


Modem
Short form for modulator / demodulator. The modem converts the digital data of the computer into analog data in order to be sent via the analog telephone line. more...


Motherboard
Please read mainboard.


Morphing
Derived from metamorphosis. The notion morphing has been etablished in the recent years in the computer and film industry. It describes the gradual and subtle transformation of an object, body oder human face into another one, which is calculated by the computer.


MP3
MP3 - this music format was developed by the German Fraunhofer Institute as MPEG 1 Layer 3 and became famous especially with the file exchange market Napster. Further issues: Player, creating own MP3 files, reconverting into WAVE files. Read more.


MPEG
MPEG stands for Motion Pictures Experts Group and describes a method to compress digital video data in order to make it fit onto a VideoCD or DVD for example. more...


MPR/TCO
Schwedish norm for the determination of the monitor radiation intensity. Considered are electromagnetical waves, electrostatical fields and x-ray radiation. The MPR-I recommendation exists since 1987, MPR-II since 1990. The TCO norm is even stricter.


Multiprocessor Computer
This category of computers includes all devices based on two or more processors instead of only one CPU. These processors divide arising computing tasks and accelerate the speed of the particular software this way.


Multisession Compatibility
Classification of CD-ROM drives. Only these one are able to read photo or data CDs which were saved in several sessions. The advantage of multisession CDs: they do not waste an entire CD für little data, recent sessions are simply being attached behind the last data. Very old CD drives are not able to read multisession CDs, they usually display only the very first session. Every session requires additional space on the disk to store session information. Multisession works only with data, not music CDs.


Multitasking
Software technology, enabling the simultaneous start of numerous programs and activating the execution of certain program flows in the background. Many programs use the computing power of the CPU alternately, but the change occurs so fast making it look simultaneously to the user.