Computer acronyms

EULA

End User License Agreement - The legal agreement between the manufacturer and purchaser of software. It is either printed somewhere on the packaging or displayed on screen at time of installation, the latter being the better method, because it cannot be avoided. The user must click "Accept" or "I Agree" and the license does stipulate the terms of usage, whether the user reads them or not. Wiki [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_license_agreement entry].

SIMM

Single In-line Memory Module, is a type of memory module containing random access memory used in computers from the early 1980s to the late 1990s. Wiki entry.

MMU

Memory Management Unit is the hardware component that manages the computer memory. Typically, the MMU is part of the CPU, though in some designs it is a separate chip. Wiki entry

VBL

Vertical BLank, i.e. in one frame, normally used for timing of demos and games such that all computation for screen movement are done during this period for smooth animation.

HBL

Horizontal BLank, i.e. in one line, normally used for timing of demos and games such that all computation for screen movement are done during this period for smooth animation.

ROM

Read-Only Memory is computer memory on which data has been prerecorded. Once data has been written onto a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read hence read-only memory. Wiki entry

RAM

Random Access Memory is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers. Wiki entry.

MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface is a standard adopted by the electronic music industry for controlling devices, such as synthesizers and sound cards, that emit music. Wiki entry.

NTSC

National Television System Committee. The NTSC is responsible for setting television and video standards in the United States (in Europe and the rest of the world, the dominant television standards are PAL and SECAM). The NTSC standard for television defines a composite video signal with a refresh rate of 60 half-frames (interlaced) per second. Each frame contains 525 lines and can contain 16 million different colors.

PAL

Phase Alternating Line is a dominant television standard in Europe. The United States uses a different standard, NTSC. Whereas NTSC delivers 525 lines of resolution at 60 half-frames per second, PAL delivers 625 lines at 50 half-frames per second.

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