Dell PowerEdge 350 - Manual (Page 54)

8 User’s Guide
VAC
Abbreviation for volt(s) alternating
current.
VDC
Abbreviation for volt(s) direct current.
VGA
Abbreviation for video graphics array.
video adapter
The logical circuitry that provides—in
combination with the monitor or display—
your system's video capabilities. A video
adapter may support more or fewer
features than a specific monitor offers.
Typically, a video adapter comes with
video drivers for displaying popular
application programs and operating envi-
ronments in a variety of video modes.
On most current Dell systems, a video
adapter is integrated into the system
board. Also available are many video
adapter cards that plug into an expansion-
card connector.
Video adapters can include memory sep-
arate from RAM on the system board. The
amount of video memory, along with the
adapter's video drivers, may affect the
number of colors that can be simulta-
neously displayed. Video adapters can
also include their own coprocessor chip
for faster graphics rendering.
video driver
Graphics-mode application programs and
operating environments, such as Win-
dows, often require video drivers to
display at a chosen resolution with the de-
sired number of colors. A program may
include some "generic" video drivers. Any
additional video drivers may need to
match the video adapter; you can find
these drivers on a separate diskette with
your system or video adapter.
video memory
Most VGA and SVGA video adapters in-
clude VRAM or DRAM memory chips in
addition to your system's RAM. The
amount of video memory installed prima-
rily influences the number of colors that a
program can display (with the appropriate
video drivers and monitor capability).
video mode
Video adapters normally support multiple
text and graphics display modes. Charac-
ter-based software (such as MS-DOS)
displays in text modes that can be defined
as
x columns by y rows of characters.
Graphics-based software (such as Win-
dows) displays in graphics modes that can
be defined as
x horizontal by y vertical pix-
els by z colors.
video resolution
Video resolution—640 x 480, for exam-
ple—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 moni-
tor must support the resolution.
W
Abbreviation for watt(s).
write-protected
Read-only files are said to be write-
protected. You can write-protect a
3.5-inch diskette by sliding its write-
protect tab to the open position; you can
write-protect a 5.25-inch diskette by plac-
ing an adhesive label over its write-protect
notch.
WWW
Abbreviation for World Wide Web.
XMS
Abbreviation for eXtended Memory Spec-
ification. See also EMS, extended
memory, and memory manager.
ZIF
Acronym for zero insertion force. Some
systems use ZIF sockets and connectors
to allow devices such as the microproces-
sor chip to be installed or removed with
no stress applied to the device.