Compaq 1400 - Manual (Page 148)

G LOSSARY -8 P RESARIO N OTEBOOK B EYOND S ETUP G UIDE
1400 S ERIES
main memory—the minimum
recommendation for Windows programs.
You can insert extra memor. (Visit the
following website for more information:
www.compaq.com/my presario).
See also RAM. See also byte.
microprocessor A silicon chip inside
your computer that processes the
instructions and data from input devices
(such as the keyboard and mouse) and
communicates them to output devices
(such as the monitor, speakers,
and printer).
Microsoft Internet Explorer A Web
browser developed by the Microsoft
Corporation. See browser.
Microsoft Windows The most popular
computer operating system in the world. It
is characterized by the use of windows and
icons. Each running program and open file
has its own window. Instead of
memorizing commands, you click icons to
communicate with the computer. Clicking
the minimize button shrinks a program to
an icon on the taskbar. Clicking the icon
redisplays the program as a window. You
can have several windows open at the
same time and toggle from one to another
by using Alt+Tab. (Press and hold down
the Alt key, press the Tab key, and then
release both keys. A palette with an icon
for each program is displayed. Click the
icon for the program you want.)
MIDI (musical instrument digital
interface) (pronounced middy). An
interface that allows the computer to
record sounds created by a synthesizer and
then manipulate the data to produce new
sounds, such as changing the key of a
composition. See also interface.
See also digital.
MIDI connector A connector on the back
of the computer for plugging in a
synthesizer keyboard.
MIDI format A file format used to store
electronic music sounds. It can be
identified by the file extension .mid. A
sound card that supports MIDI files allows
the computer to generate the synthesized
musical sounds found in games,
CD-ROMs, and presentation packages.
minimize To shrink a running program
window into an icon on the Windows
taskbar. Click the icon to restore the
program window. See Microsoft Windows.
modem A device in the computer that
converts data from digital format to analog
format so that it can be transferred through
a standard telephone line to another
computer. The modem in the receiving
computer converts the data back to digital
format. See digital.
mouse A device that you move across
the top of your desk (or a mousepad) to
move the pointer or cursor on the screen.
Click to select an item, double-click to
launch a program, and right-click to see a
shortcut menu.
mouse pointer The arrow on the screen
that moves with the mouse.
MP3 The file extension for MPEG, audio
layer 3, sound files. This format
compresses sound data from a stereo music