Compatibility Guide

Glossary 183
video mode
Video adapters normally support multiple text and graphics display modes.
Character-based software displays in text modes that can be defined as
x columns
by
y rows of characters. Graphics-based software displays in graphics modes that
can be defined as
x horizontal by y vertical pixels by z colors.
video resolution
Video resolution—800 x 600, for example—is expressed as the number of pixels
across by the number of pixels up and down. To display a program at a specific
graphics resolution, you must install the appropriate video drivers and your
monitor must support the resolution.
virtual memory
A method for increasing addressable RAM by using the hard drive. For example,
in a system with 16 MB of RAM and 16 MB of virtual memory set up on the hard
drive, the operating system would manage the system as though it had 32 MB of
physical RAM.
virus
A self-starting program designed to inconvenience you. Virus programs have been
known to corrupt the files stored on a hard drive or to replicate themselves until
a computer system or network runs out of memory. The most common way that
virus programs move from one system to another is through "infected" diskettes,
from which they copy themselves to the hard drive. To guard against virus
programs, you should do the following:
• Periodically run a virus-checking utility on your system's hard drive
• Always run a virus-checking utility on any diskettes (including commercially sold
software) before using them
VLSI
Abbreviation for very-large-scale integration.
VLVESA
Acronym for very low voltage enterprise system architecture.
vpp
Abbreviation for peak-point voltage.