USB port (universal serial bus port) A connector for plugging in multiple,
40 times faster than the previous standard. See serial port and parallel port.
See also peripheral.
Usenet (users’ network) A
V
V.90 standard A standard adopted in 1998 to resolve two competing technologies for 56Kbps modems. (If your modem does not conform to the V.90 standard, you can visit the manufacturer’s Web site and download a software upgrade.)
video phone See Internet phone.
virus A set of software instructions written to harm computers. A virus can cause unusual messages to display on the screen, destroy information on the hard disk, or cause it to crash. Some viruses affect your computer immediately; others are set to activate on a certain date.
See anti-virus software.
W
WAV A file format used to store sounds. WAV sound files can be identified by the file extension .wav. Microsoft and IBM developed the format for Windows programmes that support sound.
Web See World Wide Web.
Web browser See browser.
window A framed area that displays on the Windows desktop after you select an item or open a programme.
Windows desktop The main screen you see when your computer completes start- up. The desktop displays icons (small pic- tures) that represent items in the operating system (such as My Computer and Recycle Bin), shortcuts to programmes installed on your computer, and shortcuts to folders or files. See shortcut.
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