If you’re a student, you’ve likely heard of the term “Slot”. It stands for “slave of technology” and refers to the electronic gadget craze of many urban teenagers. These teens can be either boys or girls, and are always looking for the latest and greatest. The idea of an SLOT isn’t entirely new, but it’s a great description of the modern-day “techie”.
A slot is a tiny hole or opening that is dedicated to one user on a computer. Typically, an expansion card is fitted into a slot, providing specialized capability. Today, most desktop computers come with a set of expansion slots, allowing you to expand your system in the future with new hardware. This means that you can add more capabilities to your computer. So, what is a slot? What’s its meaning? What’s it good for?
A slot refers to a logical connection between two objects or groups. In a computer, a slot is a place where the processor and memory are connected. The original slot, or’slot’, was developed by the Intel Corporation in 1997. AMD then released a similar type of slot, known as the “slot A”, in 1999. Interestingly, the two types of slots are not compatible, with the exception of the AMD Slot A. In 2000, Intel released Slot 2, a larger slot for the Pentium II processor. Since then, the number of slots has declined. The socket is the replacement for the slot.
The Slot is a metaphor for the cleavage between classes. The infamous “Slot” was the iron crack that separated Old San Francisco. Freddie Drummond crossed the Slot and became a successful businessman. By the 1930s, this was still a time when people were forced to choose sides in the city. Even though the Slot was a symbol of class segregation, it is a symbol of a racial divide that has persisted to the present day.