Why is a motherboard called a motherboard?

[Ryland]

Does ANYBODY know the answer to this?

 

[eas]

um, maybe because things plug into it?

 

[Megatomic]

Just as a mother is the center of a family, the motherboard is center to a computer system. Everything else is tied to the system through the mobo.

 

[PascalT]

Originally posted by: eas
um, maybe because things plug into it?

lol

 

[MisterChief]

Why isn't it a chasisboard? It's just like a car. The chasis is the center of the car, the processor the engine, the video card the comfy leather interior and a smokin paintjob, etc.

 

[Jotho]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
Just as a mother is the center of a family, the motherboard is center to a computer system. Everything else is tied to the system through the mobo.

I would have to agree

 

[rhino56]

because usually people who are into computers are smart. so they new that chassis board in short form chay bo sounded gay and mobo sounded rather flowing and calming.

 

[Interitus]

because it's huge? the MOTHER of all boards in your PC?

*tell me how long it takes your wife to tell you to stfu after that statement LOL*

 

[PascalT]

manboard would sound really homosexual too.

 

[Ryland]

Originally posted by: Interitus
because it's huge? the MOTHER of all boards in your PC?

*tell me how long it takes your wife to tell you to stfu after that statement LOL*

Does dramatically rolling her eyes count?

 

[kindest]

Originally posted by: PascalT
manboard would sound really homosexual too.

heh
ya it would

 

[mechBgon]

Because all the other parts hang off of it, constantly pestering it to take their data here and there?

MOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!! I have to go to the northbridge and get some data right now! MOOOOOOOMMMMM!!! The CPU won't stay on its side of the couch and it KEEPS MAKING ME USE THE SWAPFILE!!! :|:|:| *fighting*

 

[Texun]

My uneducated guess would be that at one time someone viewed it as the center of life in an electrical device; nothing else works without it and anything without it is useless. The same could have been argued for the PS or processor but I suppose those references were already in use in other applications before "main circuit boards" were produced.

Or it could be what Mech said.... "Hand that to me now! Hurry! Quit stalling! That's not what I wanted! Go back and get the other one! Get out of the way!" etc.

That's just my guess but it's worth every penny it cost.

 

[Noid]

http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=motherboard



heh ... 'daughterboards'

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Quit touching your dongle!

 

[Peter]

There once used to be "daughterboards" on the "motherboard" as well. With bus speeds ever increasing, this disappeared (mostly), and all that's left is Mom.

Daughterboards are currently making a comeback as the HyperTransport consortium has just defined a HT connector that lets you do exactly that - e.g. add a 2-CPU daughterboard to a 2-CPU motherboard to make it a quad.

 

[amol]

why is it called the motherland, or the mothership?

 

[tallman45]

Because it causes us to yell the most when it does not work

'Mother F#?*ing" piece of junk why don't you work

 

[roninmagik1]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Because all the other parts hang off of it, constantly pestering it to take their data here and there?

MOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!! I have to go to the northbridge and get some data right now! MOOOOOOOMMMMM!!! The CPU won't stay on its side of the couch and it KEEPS MAKING ME USE THE SWAPFILE!!! :|:|:| *fighting*

LOL!!!! =)

 

[Steve]

It sounds better than "fatherboard" and "sonboard" or "soncard" but I've also heard "mainboard" and "masterboard."

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: Peter
There once used to be "daughterboards" on the "motherboard" as well. With bus speeds ever increasing, this disappeared (mostly), and all that's left is Mom.

Daughterboards are currently making a comeback as the HyperTransport consortium has just defined a HT connector that lets you do exactly that - e.g. add a 2-CPU daughterboard to a 2-CPU motherboard to make it a quad.

Let's not forget about the persistent use of daughterboards on high end sound cards.

And a HUGE LOL to mechBgon.

 

[Ryland]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Because all the other parts hang off of it, constantly pestering it to take their data here and there?

MOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!! I have to go to the northbridge and get some data right now! MOOOOOOOMMMMM!!! The CPU won't stay on its side of the couch and it KEEPS MAKING ME USE THE SWAPFILE!!! :|:|:| *fighting*

Definitely the winning entry

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Because all the other parts hang off of it, constantly pestering it to take their data here and there?

MOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!! I have to go to the northbridge and get some data right now! MOOOOOOOMMMMM!!! The CPU won't stay on its side of the couch and it KEEPS MAKING ME USE THE SWAPFILE!!! :|:|:| *fighting*

ROFL, :thumbsup:

 

[slpaulson]

Probably the same place Mothership came from.

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

because usually people who are into computers are smart. so they new that chassis board in short form chay bo sounded gay and mobo sounded rather flowing and calming.

rhino56:

I take exception to this. Would you be as brave to say it sounded "jewish" or "great person" on an open forum? I am not going out of my way to be offended, but perhaps you should put some thought into your replies before you post. A LOT of computer types ARE gay.