Jargon Buster F

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FAT - File Allocation Table
File Allocation Table: FAT (File Allocation Table) refers to a data table that holds information about how and where files are stored on any one partition (for simplicity think of a partition as all the files on your hard drive). For example, a single file on your hard drive may not be stored in one place, the file could be split up and stored in several different (physical) places (this is called fragmentation), the FAT keeps a record of where the different parts of the file are stored. The FAT system does not duplicate critical data (as opposed to NTFS) so if a critical sector is lost then it can mean the loss of all data within the partition. FAT16 was used in the first releases of Windows 95. FAT32 is used by Windows 95 (later releases), Windows 98/98se and supported by Windows XP.

FDD - Fixed Disk Drive, Floppy Disk Drive
FDD: The slot on the PC which accepts floppy disks, almost always referred to as "Drive A:" by the computer.
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Firewall
Firewall: A security barrier to prevent unauthorised access to a network or personal computer. All traffic is diverted to a proxy computer, or gatekeeper, for vetting.

Flash
Flash: Software that web designers use for animation and intro movies.

Form Factor
A standard for the physical organization of motherboard components and motherboard size. The most common form factors are ATX, NLX, and AT.

FPU - Floating-Point Unit
A formal term for the math coprocessor (also called a numeric processor). This is a specialized processor that handles certain calculations faster than the CPU. A math coprocessor calculates using floating point math (which allows for decimals), whereas the CPU can only deal with integers. Intel's 486 and later processors and Motorola's PowerPC have an FPU built into the CPU chip, whereas earlier designs needed a separate chip.

Freeware
Freeware: This is software that is free, and as long as you can put up with the occasional advert there are some programs/utilities out there that are very useful. There are numerous sites on the internet that have huge collections of freeware.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol: is the standard method by which files are uploaded to or downloaded from web space. Popular software packages for doing this include FTPCute and WS_FTP.

Full-Duplex
Describes any device that can send and receive data simultaneously.

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