Mac  = An abbreviation of the popular Macintosh computers manufactured and sold by Apple Corporation. These computers contain what is called the Macintosh Operating System that will only run software written for that processor. A decade of the revolution in GUI and hypermedia Mac computing is celebrated in a book by Levy (1994) that is given an extensive review in Time Magazine, January 31, 1994, pp. 93-94. Although software can be added so that Mac computers will run (in emulation form) many DOS and Windows programs (slowly), the PC computers cannot as a rule run Mac programs. Differences between Mac and PC operating systems have led to constant frustrations for authors since there is no single standard for authoring materials that can be used across the computer market. This is especially frustrating for authors of CD-ROM learning and entertainment materials. Mac computers took an early lead in graphics computing and menu-driven operating systems emulated later in Windows and OS/2 operating systems. A drawback for hypermedia developers, however, has been market share. Apple Corporation has less than 5% of the worldwide desktop computer market and has lost much of its competitive lead in graphics and hypermedia computing. In 1994, Apple's disturbing declines in market share, even after PowerMacs were introduced, led Apple Corporation to the first-time licensing of its operating system to other hardware manufacturers, notably IBM which will undertake a new joint venture to produce a new computer running forthcoming versions of the Mac operating system. Analysts, however, are skeptical that Apple's licensing agreements may be too little too late to stop the market share momentum of Windows 95 and Windows 2000. Apple also has videotape rendering workstations known as AV or Mac Video Computers. Video options from Apple Corporation are reviewed in Birkmaier (1993), Torres (1993), and Tuckerman (1993). Apple's hopes are riding heavily upon the evolution of a new operating system called Rhapsody that is a revolutinary operating system based upon NEXTStep technology. (See also AIF, QuickTime, Dry camera, Bus, Amiga, Mozart, Copeland, Gershwin, SGI, SUN, PC, PowerPC, GUI, NEXTStep, Operating system, , and Apple AV)

Apple Corporation's operating system for its Mac OS X servers is called "Darwin."  Apple announced that it will make the Darwin source code available to developers.  It is a variant of UNIX.

Mac AV  = (See Apple AV)

Mac OS 8  = (See Copeland .

Mac TV = (See Apple AV)

Macmillan Information SuperLibrary = Is an online World Wide Web database (at mcp.com) to contents of computer books from Que, Sams Publishers, Hayden Press, Que College, NRP, Grady, and Adobe Press. Discount prices are also available to WWW users. There are other features such as a free online newsletter sent to your email address. The Macmillan USA Information SuperLibrary Newsletter is intended for your own personal use. Feel free to copy this newsletter and distribute it freely, as long as it is not for any business or commercial use, and is not altered, modified, or edited in any way. For further information about these terms send email to "info@mcp.com", or write Brian Mansfield, Marketing Manager-Online Services, Macmillan Digital USA, 201 W. 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46290 (317-581-4941).

Maestro = See Relational Database

Malibu Graphics Chip = (See Kaleida)

MAPLE = Mathematics computing software also known as Waterloo Maple, because it was developed at the University of Waterloo in Canada. This is a very popular software for both research and teaching of mathematics. New enhancements include a spreadsheet interface and interfacing with mathematics text processors. There are also interactive graphics and symbolic computing utilities. MAPLE runs on DOS, Windows, UNIX, and Macintosh platforms at present. (See also MATLAB and MATHEMATICA)

MATHEMATICA = Mathematics computing software from Wolfram Research Inc. in Champaign, Illinois. This is a widely popular software package used by many major universities. It is capable of two- and three-dimensional animated graphics. There are both Mac and Windows versions that allow users to choose between direct interaction with the kernel and interaction through a front end that supports a GUI. The front end allows users to create Mathematica Notebooks that incorporate text, graphics, animation, and audio. Many universities supplement or replace traditional curriculum materials with Mathematica curricula. (See also MAPLE and MATLAB)

MATLAB = Mathematical computing software from The Math Works, 24 Prime Park Way, Natlick, MA 01760-1500 (508-653-1415). Two important features of MATLAB software are the integration of MATLAB with Microsoft's Word for Windows and the Symbolic Math Toolbox for advanced visualizations of mathematical functions. (See also MAPLE and MATHEMATICA)

MCA = (See Bus)

MCF  = (See RDF.)

MCI = Media Control Interface established by Microsoft Corporation that has become a popular standard for Windows authors and users. MCI menus drop down to let users select input sources such as CD-Audio inputs, videodisc inputs, MIDI sequencers, and auxiliary sources such as inputs from a stereo set or a videotape player. These standards also mean that certain types of files should play on MCI systems (e.g., WAV files should play audio and AVI files should play video on MCI systems). It is recommended that any hardware/software purchased for the PC go beyond MCI standards and be Sound Blaster compatible. This does not mean that you must buy multimedia upgrades from Creative Labs. It only means that your system is compatible with the popular standard established by Sound Blaster. (See also PCMCIA and MPC) Also, a standard control interface for multimedia devices and media files, including a command-message interface and a command-string interface.

MD = (See Minidisc)

MDA = Model Driven Architecture in information systems (rather than management's discussion and analysis MDA in financial reporting).  Johanna Ambrosio states the following in "MDA:  Tools for the Code Generation," Application and Development Trends, July 2003, Page 27 --- http://www.adtmag.com/article.asp?id =7850 

Model-Driven Architecture, or MDA, embodies the conundrum: Is the glass half full or is it half empty? Even though the MDA standard is still evolving, many products claim to be compliant with it and early adopters are developing apps with them.

MDA vendors claim that today's products can generate between 40% and 80% of the completed code for a given app based on models created with UML, and customers and analysts back up those claims. MDA's purported benefits go beyond automatic code generation and the reduction of development costs, but those advantages are longer-term and most have yet to be proven outside of theoretical conversations. They include factors like eventual code and model reuse, and more effective fulfillment of user requirements. One advantage touted by the MDA camp is the ability to swap out underlying technologies -- OSs or languages, for example -- by simply revamping the platform-specific model and then regenerating the applications.

Still, a split remains between current users of these products -- mostly architects who speak UML or another modeling language -- and the targeted group of developers who believe they can do a better job of writing apps than any code generator. And it is developers that need to be convinced that these tools can make their work lives more meaningful by allowing them to concentrate on the creative stuff.

MD-Data = (See Minidisc)

Media streaming = (See Web streaming)

megahertz = Unit of measure that equals a frequency of 1 million cycles per second. (See also Hertz and kilohertz)

Memory = (See RAM).

Meta Content Framework  = (See RDF.)

Metadata  = (See RDF.)

Metaverse = From the novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, this term describes a virtual online representation of reality.

mff = (see MIDI)

MHz = (See megahertz)

Money Backup File (mbf)

I think you have to have Microsoft Money software to read mbf files. Take a look at http://www.referenceguide.com/reviews/msmoney2003.htm 

For this and other file extensions, go to http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/fileextensionsm.asp  I suggest that you do a word search at www.microsoft.com or at Google https://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl =en 

Also, MBF stands for Microsoft Binary Format. You can probably do a Google search or a Microsoft site search for more information. One document of possible interest is at http://support.microsoft.com/...  I found a conversion link at http://myfileformats.com/download_info.php?id =6510 

I found a conversion link at http://myfileformats.com/download_info.php?id =6510

Microsoft Camcorder  = (See Video.)

Microsoft Tiger Video = (See Video server)

Microsoft Video for Windows = (see Video for Windows)

Mid = (See MIDI)

Middleware  = second generation network computing applications extends data transfers from the client computers back to the web server and/or database server computers. Software for doing this is commonly termed "middleware." Software mediates between an application program on a server and a network of client machines. Middleware manages the interaction between applications across the heterogeneous computing platforms of client computers. See CORBA and DTP.

MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface audio standardized hardware parameters set under MPC standards for MIDI interfaces that connect electronic keyboards, synthesizers, and related devices to computers. Musicians may record music into computer (MIDI) files that require much less storage space than WAV files that contain complete files of digitized sounds. A MIDI file does not contain digitized sound. Instead, such a file contains the information needed to play such sounds from a MIDI-compatible device. Music files may be played back (somewhat analogous to the old player pianos) on the MIDI. MIDI sound files are generally of higher quality than their WAV audio files that play on computers without MIDI interfaces. The MIDI is extremely popular among composers and arrangers of music who want to utilize computer aids in their tasks. The mff and mid MIDI file formats are popular file extensions for MIDI files that will run on most PC computers. (See also Channel and MPC)

MIME = Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension to files that tell computers what kind of program to use to view or run a file. Mimes are typically plug-ins to browsers that help launch helper apps or user apps. For use of MIMEs in messaging, see Internet Messaging. (See also Plug-in)

Mimosa = (See Video server)

Minidisc = Is used in a variety of contexts to depict miniature "MD" optical discs and/or magnetic discs smaller than the standard 4.72 inch CD. Some MD alternatives such as the Sony MD Data 2.5 inch disk are smaller than floppy discs but hold nearly as much as a CD-ROM. The Sony version holds up to 74 minutes of CD quality audio or 140 Mb of data storage. The most typical MD size is the 2.5 inch audio disc. The term MD-Data refers to a minidisc used to record computer files and hypermedia presentations. MD options are reviewed by Miastkowski (1994).

MIPS = Million Instructions Per Second benchmark for rating computer processor CPU speed. Comparisons of MIPS ratings, however, can be misleading since the speed of access to peripheral equipment has become so important in overall computing performance.

MMDS = Multipoint Multichannel Distribution Service using neighborhood line-of-sight microwave antennas to transmit wireless data from homes to Internet providers. Cable companies are employing this technology that will allow for fast wireless Internet connections to homes and businesses. See also DSL and ISDN.

Modem = Process of converting digitized data into analog form for a carrier wave. Demodulation transforms data transmitted in analog form back into digital form for computer storage and/or processing. Modems modulate and demodulate computer data for transmission on telephone lines. Fax modems have the added capability of importing facsimiles received over phone lines directly into computer files. Cable TV modems offer transmitting speeds of over five times those of ISDN modems. The term "ricochet modem" is sometimes used to depict a wireless connection of a computer to the Internet. The product Ricochet Modem is brick-sized connector from Metricom Inc. that is a special kind of radio connector to the Internet in metropolitan areas having Ricochet's receivers for Internet connections. The early applications of the Ricochet Modem are reviewed in Mossberg (1996). (See also ISDN, DSL, MMDS, and ADC)

Downstream (download) refers to the transmission of network datainto your computer from another computer. Upstream (upload) refers to transmission of network data out of your computer into another computer on the network. In other words, messages or data sent to you go downstream and messages or data sent by you go upstream. At the present time the fastest analog modems that convert analog phone line downloads into digital data on your computer (or vice versa for uploads) run at 56 Kbps (56,000 bits per second). Most users, however, are still using 28.8 Kbps modems. An ISDN line doubles capacity to 128 Kbps. The new DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) offered by phone companies increases this up to 6400 Kbps. However, Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADsL) can go up to 6 Mbps downstream and 640 Kbps upstream. ADC Kentrix has a report discussing DSL and ASDL.

Morphing = Process of special effects video and/or computer animation that distorts images in motion. What started out in the movies as perverse distortions and unreal "morphed" images has gained respectability in science as a means of visualizing data and dynamic changes in data. Originally, morphing was only something professionals could do on very expensive workstations. Now morphing software and hardware requirements are much more modest. See Burger (1994b) for an easy-to-read description of the morphing process. (See also Animation)

Mosaic = A menu-driven and user-friendly hypertext system (also called NCSA Mosaic) of Internet sites that facilitate searching and browsing of documents and files around the world. Mosaic has largely been overtaken by more modern web browsers. (See Web browsers) For users not connected to the Internet, Mosaic can also be used with SLIP. Mosaic combines various former Internet servers such as Gopher Servers, World Wide Web, InterNIC InfoSource, ftp Sites, Finger Gateway, Whois Gateway, and Home Pages. Stefanac (1994) provides both a brief history of the Internet and an excellent review (including Internet addresses of World Wide Web sites with their Uniform Resource Locator Addresses) of newer options for transmitting graphics, audio, and video over Mosaic networks. Rivera, Singh, and McAlister (1994) term Mosaic as an "educator's best friend." Key features include world wide free networking by graphical interfacing to text, pictures, digitized video, and audio. Clicking on a highlighted Mosaic hotword or phrase (indicating a hyperlinked term) will complete a connection to the appropriate server to display documents, graphics, audio, or other multimedia files. Mosaic is becoming even more popular than Gopher largely due to the graphics-orientation of Mosaic and commercial developers of Mosaic interfaces. Internet users interested in Mosaic should contact the Software Development Group, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, 605 E. Springfield, Champaign, IL 61820 (217-244-0072). The e-mail address is mosaic@ncsa.uiuc.edu. Newsweek on October 31, 1994, page 60, asserts that NCSA Mosaic "free software works widely but not well." Enhanced NCSA from Spyglass Inc. and Netscape from Mosaic Communications Corporation have improved Mosaic code. James Clark, former CEO of Silicon Graphics Corporation, on May 16, 1994 announced the opening of Mosaic Communications Corporation in Mountain View, CA (415-254-1900) to develop software that interfaces business firms with direct Internet access. This interfacing development company has tough competitors such as Spry Inc. in Seattle, WA (206-447-0300) and others according to Information Week, May 23, 1994, p. 20. Spry Inc. specializes in connectivity tools for Microsoft Windows and has a new Mosaic interface ready for shipment. According to PC Computing, July 1994, p. 113:

Mosaic does the seemingly impossible: And its free! Mosaic provides easy net navigation by using hypertext links, and it lets you view graphics and embedded sounds while you're online.

For web browsers see Web browsers, GINA, Gopher, Internet, and SLIP.

Motherboard = A circuit board or "logic board" inside the computer that contains the central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor support chips, RAM, and slots for adding expansion boards such as audio, scanner, SCSI, and video boards. Multimedia chips such as DSP audio and video chips will increasingly be put on the motherboard rather than on expansion boards.

Mov = (See QuickTime)

Mozart = The name given to Apple's operating system 7.5 for Mac and PowerPC computers. New features include multitasking, improved networking, better multimedia support, and DOS/Windows capabilities. (See also Mac, PowerPC, Operating system, Copeland, Gershwin, and Rhapsody)

MP3 = (See Audio.)  Alternatives for creating MP3 audio files are given at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q4.htm#MP3

MPC = A Multimedia PC refers to combinations of PC hardware that meet multimedia hardware-combination (e.g., audio and video boards for computers) standards set by the Multimedia Marketing Council to make multimedia hardware products of vendors more compatible. The MPC1 Level 1 standard requires a 386 PC with a minimum of 2 Mb of RAM. The MPC2 Level 2 standard requires a 486SX or greater PC with 4 Mb of RAM. A variety of PC manufacturers use the MPC trademark. Consumers can then be assured that MPC hardware from one vendor will be compatible with hardware of another vendor. Also, software written for MPC hardware should run on any MPC equipment. The term is generally used in conjunction with CD-ROM multimedia hardware. A CD-ROM player, for example, should run on a computer with an MPC trademark provided the player is MPC compatible. It is probably best not to invest in multimedia PC hardware that is not compatible with MPC standards. In the future, MPC standards will dwindle in importance as more and more vendors build audio and video hardware on the motherboard rather than as boards to place into expansion slots. However, Spanbauer (1993b), p. 42) observes that MPCs will "hang on" into the near future due to the number of computer manufacturers that find them to be lower cost and lower price alternatives. Brown and Lombardi (1994) review the new Level 2 MPC upgrade kits and provide consumer ratings of the vendor alternatives. A review of hardware options is given in NewMedia, July 15, 1996, p. 19. (See also MIDI and MCI)

MPC upgrade = (See Multimedia upgrade)

MPEG = Moving Pictures Experts Group systems boards and compression standards (e.g., MPEG-2 and MPEG-1) for the most popular emerging form of compressed full-motion video standard for computer file storage. MPEG compression requires MPEG playback boards and/or MPEG authoring boards such as the Optibase MPG-1000 digital video codec (compression/decompression) board (800-451-5101). Although MPEG-2 is superior to MPEG-1, MPEG-2 requires at least quad speed CD-ROMs that, thereby, limits the use of MPEG-2 in the commercial market. MPEG-2 works much better with CD-DVD. However, even MPEG-1 is considered a better video compression alternative than its competitors. Full-motion video at over 30 frames per second takes up so much digitized storage that video must be compressed to make it more useful in hypermedia. In 1996, Miro Computer Products (415-855-0955) introduced the first JPEG video capture card for less than $1,000 that will encode (capture) video in compressed MPEG format. MPEG video files have an mpg file extension and will not run on computers that do not have special MPEG playback hardware/software installed. MPEG playback hardware is becoming standard in most new computer models. (See also Active video, Compression, DVI, Indeo, Video, Video for Windows, QuickTime, MCI, Ultimedia Video, and JPEG) Also, a digital video standard developed by the Motion Pictures Experts Group.

mpg = (See MPEG)

MS-DOS = (See DOS)

MS-Windows = (See Windows)

MTS/SAP = Multichannel Television Sound and Second Audio Program dbx system for compressing stereo audio in a technical fashion too complicated to explain here. (See also dbx)

MUDs, MOOs, MUSes and MUSHes = Multi-User Dimensions or Multiple User Dungeon, or Multiple User Dialogue. These are extensions of Dungeons and Dragons that seduced "adolescents" into a network world of imaginary places. Now there are serious social and education MUDs. Some of the many types are reviewed in Basic Information About MUDs and MUDding. There are extensions such as Multi-user, Object-Oriented MOO applications that, along with MUDs, have become serious educational experiments and applications. For example, Conlon (1997) reports on the MOOville writing workshop for over 2500 students per semester at the University of Florida. Click here for a summary of it in Jensen and Sandlin (1997). Another less extreme extension is the MUSH which, like a MUD, is an electronic space in which multiple persons (players, users, students) socialize, create "worlds," and interact in gaming or serious episodes. For a discussion of the history and applications of MUSHes, see The Mush Manual by Lydia Leong. Also see MUDs, MOOs, and Muses. The variations differ more in terms of underlying codes than in purpose and application.

For an early overview of MUDs see Germain (1993). The addictive powers of MUDS and the fantasy world of LambdaMOO are discussed by Hafner (1994). MUDs and extensions such as MOOs and MUSHes are no longer viewed as merely interactive games. They have become serious paradigms for education and training. For a summary of MOOville and its outcomes see Chapter 2 of Jensen and Sandlin (1997). MUDs are particulary intriguing as education paradigms for reaching students who perform poorly in traditinal classroom settings. (See also Games)

Multimedia = The ability to combine audio, visual, and possibly other types of hardware into a presentation. For example, a "multimedia" classroom will typically have projection hardware and switching controls that make it easy for teachers to switch back and forth between computer projections, videotape projections, audio CDs, 35mm slides, videodiscs, CD-I players, etc. Although hypermedia presentations may require multimedia facilities, the two terms are not synonymous. Hardware and software options are discussed in considerable detail in Chapter 3. Career opportunities in authoring multimedia are discussed by Jerram (1994a). Courses, trade shows, and literature on learning how to author multimedia works are summarized by Lindstrom (1994). At the moment, multimedia hardware technology is in a greater state of change. For a discussion, see Document 7 at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen. Brickman and Manning (1995) discuss how student laboratories might be designed for multimedia technologies. (See also Video/audio networking and Hypermedia)

Multimedia database = (See Database)

Multimedia upgrade = Hardware additions (usually insert boards or plug-and-play devices) to computers that make some aspect of multimedia operational. The lowest form of upgrade is an audio upgrade kit. This is usually followed by a digital video upgrade kit. Other upgrades may include CD-ROM players, videodisc players, video scan converters, mixers, speakers, video editing systems, etc. Common upgrades meet MPC standards. (See also MPC and Multimedia)

Multimedia Video Processor = A DSP multimedia processing chip from Texas Instruments that is claimed to be 20 to 50 times more powerful than Intel's Pentium according to Information Week, March 14, 1994, p. 10. The MVP processor combines parallel-processing, DSP, and RISC technology.

Multisession recording = Creating a disk in several stages rather than all at once. (See also Single-session recording and CD-R)

Multitasking = Execution of programs simultaneously on a single computer. In newer operating systems, two or more programs may be running "in the background" while the user is concentrating on another program running "in the foreground." Limits on how many programs can be run at the same time depend more upon hardware capacities, especially RAM amounts. Most operating systems now have multitasking capabilities. Multitasking differs from multiloading in which RAM contains multiple programs that can only be run one at a time. (See also Operating system)