What does MAC stand for in computers

What does MAC mean?

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What is MAC?

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MAC definition / MAC means?

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A family of desktop and laptop computers from Apple, introduced in 1984 as the Macintosh, which was coined from the McIntosh apple. First to popularize the graphical user interface (GUI), the combination of Mac hardware and software has provided an ease of use that users have enjoyed over the years.

From Macintosh to Mac

Because Macintosh computers were always called "Macs," Apple officially used the shortened name on the iMac 14 years after the Macintosh's introduction. The MacBook laptop came out later and the Macintosh name began to disappear. For an overview of the line, see Mac models. To learn about the Mac's origins, see Mac history.

For decades, it has essentially been a Mac vs. Windows world for personal computers. As of 2020, the Mac's market share is about 10% compared to 80% for Windows. See Windows vs. Mac.

Hardware Evolution

The first Macs were powered by Motorola's 32-bit 68K family of CPUs. In 1994, Apple introduced the Power Macs, which used the higher-performance PowerPC chip designed by Apple, Motorola and IBM. Power Macs ran native PowerPC applications and emulated traditional Mac 68K applications. Over the years, PowerPC chips provided substantial increases in performance.

In 2006, Apple began to adopt the Intel x86 CPUs used in Windows PCs. iMac desktops and MacBook Pro laptops were the first to be switched (see Intel Mac). As a result, Macs can run Windows natively or simultaneously (see Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion). Before the Intel change, Windows and DOS applications could run in a Mac using an emulator (see Virtual PC for Mac).

In 2020, Apple once again announced another hardware switch; this time from Intel to ARM (see Apple M1). See Macintosh clone, Mac OS X, G3, G4, G5, HFS and Apple.

The Original Macintosh (1984) With one floppy disk, 128KB of RAM and built-in 9" screen, the "high-rise" Macintosh was a departure from the very successful Apple II. (Image courtesy of Apple Inc.) Always the Innovator Apple has created many original designs. This PowerBook in 2001 was the first laptop with a wide screen and titanium body.

What Does Macintosh Computer Mean?

The Macintosh computer (Mac) is a desktop computer by Apple that comes in a variety of form factors and designs. The Mac was the first affordable and successful computer packed with a graphical user interface (GUI) and mouse, although technically, Apple's Lisa was the first commercial computer that included these components. Mac specs included the Motorola 68000 chip, a 512 x 342 black-and-white monitor, 128K of RAM and a floppy drive. At launch, it sold for $2,495.

The Macintosh computer is also known as Apple Macintosh, Mac, Apple Mac and thin Mac.

Techopedia Explains Macintosh Computer

In January 1984, the Mac was rebranded the Macintosh 128K, which also included expanded memory up to 512 KB. Introduced by Ridley Scott's famed "1984" commercial, the Macintosh 128K followed the Apple I, II, III and Lisa. After only 100 days, Apple sold 70,000 units of the Macintosh 128K, which was released to revolutionize the market by giving users the ability to work without struggling through command interfaces. Later in 1984, the 512K, dubbed the "fat Mac," replaced the 128K model.

Early Mac versions were not assigned model numbers, but the Macintosh label was branded on all machines. Later models were labeled Macintosh 128K and Macintosh 512K.

In technology terms, MAC or Mac can refer to one of three common definitions:

(1) An acronym for Media Access Control, MAC is a network sublayer that controls transmission hardware. The MAC sublayer works with the Logical Link Control (LLC) sublayer to create the Data Link Layer (also called Layer 2) of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. This layer is responsible for moving data packets to and from one Network Interface Card (NIC) to another across a shared channel. In this context, MAC may also refer to the frame structure that houses MAC addresses, which are used to identify each node of a network.

(2) Mac refers to the brand name and registered trademark for a line of laptop and desktop computers from Apple, Inc. The Mac was initially launched in 1984 as the Macintosh, the first personal computer to have a graphical user interface (GUI), 3.5″ floppy disk drive, and consistent operating system. Since then, the family of Mac computers has been expanded to include the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro.

(3) MAC is also an acronym for Mandatory Access Control, a type of access control that gives an administrator complete authority over usage and access policies for other users. MAC is the opposite of Discretionary Access Control (DAC), which gives complete control to the individual user.