Robin Williams Mac OS X Book, Jaguar Edition, The

What is a Slot?

On the back of your computer (not an iMac or laptop) you might see some larger, rectangular pieces that look like metal covers to openings. They are. Those are your expansion slots; the more slots you have, the more “expandability” your computer has.

You might buy an add-on like a video card for a second monitor. The card (also called a board or an adapter) is a flat, plastic piece with circuitry all over it and a port on one end. You open your computer box, and there are slots in the motherboard (the main board that runs the computer; of course it’s a mother) where you stick this card in, usually perpendicular to the motherboard. You pop that rectangular metal piece out of the opening in the back of the Mac, and the port sticks ...