The original imaging model of the Mac was called QuickDraw. This technology produces a picture that consists of little dots, or bitmaps (meaning a collection of tiny dots that use bits of computer memory to display). Each of these tiny dots is filled with a single color or just black or white. When combined, the little dots or pixels make up the picture you see on your Mac's display.
For Mac OS X, Apple has embraced a technology based on Adobe's Portable Document Format, a vector-based imaging technique. In addition to providing ultrasharp display with built-in anti-aliasing (you may also see it called edge, text, or font smoothing), the new imaging model allows you to drag objects around the screen in real time, which means you can see the actual objects rather than just an outline. |