computer science

Videx

Videx is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Videx rather than just read about it. In short: Videx, Inc., is a Corvallis, Oregon manufacturer of computer hardware such as access control products and data collection terminals. It was founded in 1979 by Paul Davis.

Key takeaways

Videx belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Videx to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Videx from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Videx, Inc., is a Corvallis, Oregon manufacturer of computer hardware such as access control products and data collection terminals. It was founded in 1979 by Paul Davis. Its initial success came with the first release of the $345 Videoterm (80 column) display card in March 1980 and the $149 shift and custom keyboard mapping Enhancer II terminal card in November 1981, both for Apple II computers. Later, in 1984, it released its $379 UltraTerm expansion card boasting high-definition 96-pixel characters and up to 128 × 32 character display. These products became obsolete when Apple released the Apple IIe with most of the 80-column card hardware built-in - only a much simpler and cheaper RAM card was then required. Videx also produced software, including Desktop Calendar (1984) for the Apple Lisa. In the mid-1980s, the company started divesting from personal computer products in favor of data collection products, namely barcode readers.

References

External links Official website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Videx

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Videx claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Videx before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Videx ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Videx

In research: Videx appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Videx in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Videx is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Apple II peripherals, Computer companies of the United States, Computer company stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Videx outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Videx in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Videx means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Videx out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Videx in simple terms?

Videx, Inc., is a Corvallis, Oregon manufacturer of computer hardware such as access control products and data collection terminals. It was founded in 1979 by Paul Davis.

Why does Videx matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Videx?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Videx.