VBR:  Volume Boot Record, the boot record for non-partitioned disks.  See, MBR for more information.

VDI: Stands for “Virtual Desktop Infrastructure”.  In this type of virtual server configuration, the server memory is divvied up among individual virtual desktop machines, bringing significant management and security benefits.

VECTOR GRAPHIC:  A vector graphic is a graphic that is created and saved as a sequence of vector statements, as opposed to actual bits of graphics. A vector is a (geometric) representation of both a quantity and a direction at the same time.  So, instead of a graphic file containing a bit in the file for each bit of a line drawing, a vector graphic describes a series of points to be connected.  This results in a smaller file than a bit file.  At some point, however, the vector graphic is usually converted into a raster graphic (a/k/a bitmap) file, so that it can be transferred between systems.  Animated images, such as those created with Shockwave Flash, are also usually created as vector files, which are then “rasterized” on the fly as they display.

VERBOSE MODE:  This is a method of logging on to a computer which records more information than the usual logging mode, “verbose” meaning “using more words than necessary”.  Must be manually enabled for troubleshooting due to the large size of the log files it creates.

VERONICA:  Very Easy Rodent Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerized Archives.  Developed at the University of Nevada, this is a constantly updated database of the names of almost every menu item on thousands of gopher servers.

VESA:  Video Electronics Standards Association, an association that establishes standards for video color, among other things.

VGA: Video Graphics Array.  Currently the minimum acceptable standard for PC monitors.  Introduced in 1987 by IBM, as the successor to it’s introduction, in 1981 of CGA (“Color Graphics Adapter”; 4 colors @ 320 x 200 pixel resolution) and, in 1984, EGA (“Enhanced Graphics Resolution”; 16 colors @ 640 x 350 resolution). VGA supports 256 colors @ 320 x 200 resolution.  After VGA, in 1990, IBM introduced XGA (“Extended Graphics Array”; 65,536 colors @ 1024 x 768) and later XGA-2 a/k/a the VESA BIOS Extension (up to 16 million colors). Recent new specifications include SXGA (“Super Extended Graphics Array”; 1280 x 1024 resolution) and UXGA (“Ultra Extended Graphics Array”; 1600 x 1200 resolution), both at up to 16 million colors (assuming the amount of video memory will permit that many colors). See also, COLORS.

VIRAL:  A type of internet marketing technique which induces web users to pass on a marketing message to other users or sites, thereby creating a potentially exponential growth in the message’s visibility and effect.  In short:  Viral marketing is where the customer is doing the company’s marketing!  Examples:  YouTube postings, Hotmail.  So when someone says that the marketing’s “gone viral,” they mean that it has passed that threshold where it is constantly being recommended by so many web users that it’s hit rate is increasing exponentially.  See also, organic.

VIRGULE: Another name for the forward slash (“/”) on the keyboard.

VIRTUALIZATION: Conceptually, this means making something look like what it isn’t.  It’s not a “real” computer, it’s a “virtual” one.  It looks and acts like the real thing, but it isn’t.  Because it’s actually something or somewhere else. [Remember “virtual reality”?  You put on a helmet and gloves and worked your way through a virtual (not a real) world? It’s like that.]  Virtual computers started as basically a corporate phenomenon.  A “virtual” computer on a corporate network is a workstation that looks and acts like a stand-alone PC so far as the user is concerned, but is actually running from a secure server somewhere else.   The advantages of this for the organization are both security (everything remains on one server) and conservation of system resources (there don’t have to be redundant programs and files on each and every computer on the network).  Backup is easier as well.  There are many types of virtualization - - hardware, operating systems, applications, desktops, presentation -- all with the same goal of masking the physical aspects of technological resources from the end user. VM has its own acronyms and definitions: Desktop Virtualization emulates a desktop PC experience for end users; Hypervisor is a software-based system that serves as a go-between for virtual machines and the physical hardware, and can be native (running directly on host hardware) or hosted (running from within an operating system); the Virtualization Layer is installed on hardware and works to isolate operations conducted by virtualization applications and then sends them to virtualized areas; and a Virtual Machine is a virtual environment that emulates an actual machine, complete with a physical processor, memory and other components.  Windows 7 actually includes a feature called “XP Mode,”  which is actually virtualization.  XP Mode is a Windows XP virtual machine running on the Windows 7 client. Still confused? Click HERE for more information.

VIRTUAL MEMORY:  A software device whereby the computer uses part of the hard drive memory as RAM memory.  The amount of virtual memory can be set to a specific limit, or may be determined by the Windows system (as is the default in Vista).  Also sometimes called the “page file” in Windows.

VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK:  See, VPN, below.

VIRTUAL REALITY:  An artificial environment that is created with computer software and viewed by the user (often through special goggles, helmets and/or gloves and other haptic devices) as if it were, in fact, reality, using the senses of sight, sound and touch.  The environments may be simulated real environments (simulation for pilot training) or imagined environments (games).

VIRUS:  See, Spyware.

VisiCalc:  Historically important because it was the first spreadsheet program available for personal computers.  (Shortly thereafter, SuperCalc was introduced, for use with the then popular CP/M operating system.)  It was released in 1979 running on an Apple II computer, later on PCs.  Created by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston while MBA students at Harvard, their program was later sold by their company Software Arts, Inc.  to Lotus, where Lotus founder Mitch Kapor developed it into the popular Lotus 1-2-3 software, which was later acquired by IBM.  It was never patented, because such protection was not made eligible by the U.S. Supreme Court until 1981.  In 1987, Excel and Quottro Pro spreadsheets were introduced by competitors, providing a more graphic user interface for easier use.

VONAGE:  See, VoIP.  A publicly held commercial Voice Over IP and SIP network that provides telephone service via broadband access.  At one time the largest broadband telephone provider, it has now been overtaken by Comcast and Verizon.  When it started in 1999, it was called Min-X.com, but was changed around December 2000 to Vonage, combining the “VON” acronym (“Voice On the Net”) with “age” (heralding the start of a new era for phone service).

VOE:  Video Over Ethernet.  Delivery of video and audio over ethernet cables, as opposed to separate coaxial cables or other connections.  It has the advantage of working off of a single CAT 5 cable and connection.  See also, PoE.

VoIP:  This translates to “voice over internet protocol”.  It means what it sounds like:  Sending voice over the internet.  VoIP is a protocol (basically, a program) that makes it possible to send voice (i.e. telephone) over the Internet.  Companies like Vonage and Skype specialize in this type of transmission.  Why use VoIP?  No long distance charges and a set rate (say $24.95, Vonage) for unlimited minutes of use or per-minute charges for local calls (Skype), unlike standard POTS (another acronym, which stands for “Plain Old Telephone Service”) land lines.  See SIP for more technical information.  Also, Phone.

VON NAUMANN ARCHITECTURE: Also known as “Stored Program Computers.”  A design model for a computer that uses a single CPU and a single storage structure (memory) to hold both the instructions and created data. Designed by John von Neumann (1903 -1957) a Hungarian mathematician. The idea of a computer having all of its instructions and data in easily accessable RAM was a major advance over the “program controlled” computers of the 1940s (e.g. Eniac) and led the way for todays PCs. 

VOOK:  A digital book that includes some video in its text.

VPC:  A virtual PC.  That is, a PC which operates by running a second operating system within  the current O/S, allowing access to both simultaneously (as opposed to a dual boot O/S).  Windows 7 “XP Mode” does this.

VPN:  “Virtual Private Network”.  A way to connect to a group of computers at home or work even though you’re not physically there.  Virtual?  It’s as if you’re  right there but, of course, you’re not.  Private?  Because anyone who sees the network only sees the public, not the private identification or the transferred data.  Network?  It’s just as if you are connected to the group of computers at the remote location. 

More detailed information:  A VPN is a network which uses the public network (i.e. Internet) to transfer information using secure methods.  Some of the parts are connected using the public network, but the data sent across the Internet is encrypted, so the entire network is “virtually” private. Usually, for example, a VPN is set up between a home or main office and a laptop used outside of the office, using security (authentication) and encryption methods to safeguard data transferred between the two computers. Here’s how it works:  Data goes into a “tunnel” (see below) from your computer and out of the tunnel at the VPN server, then it goes back to whatever site you are accessing.  Data returning to your computer does the reverse.  So web sites see the VPN server’s address, not yours.  Nobody, not even your ISP, can snoop your communications or see what services you are using.  This can be done with hardware (special VPN routers), which can sometimes be complex to set up, or through private services (such as GoTrusted, PublicVPN, SuperVPN and WiTopia).  Each costs a few dollars, so you only want to get this for your road warriers.  The VPN may slow them down slightly, as well.

VPN TUNNELING:  See Tunneling.  A network technology that encapsulates packets at the same level or below, pushing multiple protocols that support encryption and authentication through the same VPN.

VRML:  Virtual Reality Modeling Language.  A 3D graphics language launched in a web browser page, primarily used in RPGs.  VRML pages can be viewed, rotated and otherwise manipulated, so that simulated rooms and other environments can be “walked into”.  Popular VMRL viewers for PC are currently SGI (the original developer), Cosmo Player, WorldView and Cortona and SimVRML and Virtus Voyager for Macs.

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