Glossary 153MMb — megabit — A measurement of memory chip capacity that equals 1024 Kb.Mbps — megabits per second — One million bits per second. This measurement istypically used for transmission speeds for networks and modems.MB — megabyte — A measurement of data storage that equals 1,048,576 bytes. 1 MBequals 1024 KB. When used to refer to hard drive storage, the term is often rounded to1,000,000 bytes.MB/sec — megabytes per second — One million bytes per second. This measurementis typically used for data transfer ratings.media bay — A bay that supports devices such as optical drives, a second battery, or aDell TravelLite™ module.memory — A temporary data storage area inside your computer. Because the data inmemory is not permanent, it is recommended that you frequently save your files whileyou are working on them, and always save your files before you shut down thecomputer. Your computer can contain several different forms of memory, such asRAM, ROM, and video memory. Frequently, the word memory is used as a synonymfor RAM.memory address — A specific location where data is temporarily stored in RAM.memory mapping — The process by which the computer assigns memory addresses tophysical locations at start-up. Devices and software can then identify information thatthe processor can access.memory module — A small circuit board containing memory chips, which connects tothe system board.MHz — megahertz — A measure of frequency that equals 1 million cycles per second.The speeds for computer processors, buses, and interfaces are often measured in MHz.Mini PCI — A standard for integrated peripheral devices with an emphasis oncommunications such as modems and NICs. A Mini PCI card is a small external cardthat is functionally equivalent to a standard PCI expansion card.Mini-Card — A small card designed for integrated peripherals, such ascommunication NICs. The Mini-Card is functionally equivalent to a standard PCIexpansion card.modem — A device that allows your computer to communicate with other computersover analog telephone lines. Three types of modems include: external, PC Card, andinternal. You typically use your modem to connect to the Internet and exchange e-mail.module bay — See media bay.
