Apple IIgs - Manual (Page 76)

Page 76 of 84 II gs
Printed: Thursday, July 25, 2002 12:14:50 PM
top level of options.
mass storage device: A device, like a hard disk, that can store the equivalent of dozens of
disks.
megabyte: A million bytes a unit of measurement that comes in handy when you're describing the
capacity of CD ROMs, which can store more than 550 megabytes.
megahertz: Abbreviated MHz. One million cycles per second.
memory: Integrated circuits (chips) that store instructions for the microprocessor. There are
two kinds of memory: temporary memory (called random-access memory RAM) and permanent memory
(called read-only memory ROM). The contents of RAM disappear when you turn off the power; the
contents of ROM do not.
memory expansion card: An interface card that you can connect to the memory expansion slot in
the Apple IIgs to increase the memory by 1 to 8 megabytes.
menu: A list of choices.
menu bar: In mouse-based applications, the horizontal strip at the top of the screen that
contains menu titles.
menu title: A word, phrase, or picture in the menu bar in mouse-based programs that designates
one menu. When you point to a menu title and hold down the mouse button, you can see what's on
the menu.
MHz: See megahertz.
microprocessor: The brain of the computer the processor of information. The Apple IIgs has a
65C816, 16-bit microprocessor.
MIDI: Stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. A software and hardware standard set by
the music industry that allows different electronic instruments to communicate with each other
and with computers.
MIDI card: An interface card that lets you use your Apple IIgs as a music synthesizer or as a
control device for electronic musical instruments.
mode: A state that determines the computer's behavior.
modem: Short for modulator/demodulator. A device that links your computer to another computer
or an information service over phone lines.
Modula-2: A programming language.
monitor: Like a television set without channels. It displays instructions from the application
to you and shows what you've typed into memory.
monochrome monitor: A black-and-white, amber-and-black, or green-and-black monitor.
mouse: The small device you roll around on a flat surface next to your computer. When you move
the mouse, the pointer on the screen moves correspondingly.
mouse-based application: An application that accepts input from a mouse.
mouse button: The button on top of the mouse. You press it to choose from menus or when you