MIPS
     n : (computer science) a unit for measuring the execution speed
         of a computer's CPU (but not the whole system); "4 MIPS
         is 4,000,000 instructions per second" [syn: million
         instructions per second]

	

	MIPS
     Microprocessor without Interlocked Piped Stages

	

	MIPS
     Million Instructions Per Second (CPU)

	

	MIPS /mips/ n. [abbreviation] 1. A measure of computing speed;
   formally, `Million Instructions Per Second' (that's 10^6 per second, not
   2^(20)!); often rendered by hackers as `Meaningless Indication of
   Processor Speed' or in other unflattering ways, such as `Meaningless
   Information Provided by Salesmen'. This joke expresses an attitude
   nearly universal among hackers about the value of most benchmark
   claims, said attitude being one of the great cultural divides between
   hackers and marketroids (see also BogoMIPS). The singular is
   sometimes `1 MIP' even though this is clearly etymologically wrong. See
   also KIPS and GIPS. 2. Computers, especially large computers,
   considered abstractly as sources of computrons. "This is just a
   workstation; the heavy MIPS are hidden in the basement." 3. The
   corporate name of a particular RISC-chip company. 4. Acronym for
   `Meaningless Information per Second' (a joke, prob. from sense 1).

	

	MIPS
     
        1.  Million instructions per second.
     
        The unit commonly used to give the rate at which a processor
        executes instructions.
     
        Often rendered by hackers as "Meaningless Indication of
        Processor Speed" or in other unflattering ways.  This
        expresses a nearly universal attitude about the value of most
        benchmark claims, said attitude being one of the great
        cultural divides between hackers and marketroids.
     
        The etymologically incorrect singular "1 MIP" is sometimes
        heard.
     
        See also KIPS and GIPS.
     
        2. VAX MIPS.
     
        3.  Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline
        Stages.
     
        4.  MIPS Technologies, Inc.
     
        [Jargon File]
     
        (1996-03-01)