Computer Terms Beginning with "F"

[MysteRy]

Firewire

This high-speed interface has become a hot new standard for connecting peripherals (no pun intended). Created by Apple Computer in the mid-1990's, Firewire can be used to connect devices such as digital video cameras, hard drives, audio interfaces, and MP3 players, such as the Apple iPod, to your computer. A standard Firewire connection can transfer data at 400 Mbps, which is roughly 30 times faster than USB 1.1. This blazing speed allows for quick transfers of large video files, which is great for video-editing professionals. If 400 Mbps is still not fast enough, Apple Computer released new PowerMacs with Firewire 800 ports in early 2003. These ports support data transfer rates of 800 Mbps -- twice the speed of the original Firewire standard.

You may see Firewire referred to by its technical name, IEEE 1394, since it was standardized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Both terms refer to the same technology. If your computer doesn't have Firewire and you wish it did, fear not. As long as your computer has PCI slots, you can purchase a PCI Firewire card to add Firewire ports to your computer.

[MysteRy]

Firmware

Firmware is a software program or set of instructions programmed on a hardware device. It provides the necessary instructions for how the device communicates with the other computer hardware. But how can software be programmed onto hardware? Good question. Firmware is typically stored in the flash ROM of a hardware device. While ROM is "read-only memory," flash ROM can be erased and rewritten because it is actually a type of flash memory.

Firmware can be thought of as "semi-permanent" since it remains the same unless it is updated by a firmware updater. You may need to update the firmware of certain devices, such as hard drives and video cards in order for them to work with a new operating system. CD and DVD drive manufacturers often make firmware updates available that allow the drives to read faster media. Sometimes manufacturers release firmware updates that simply make their devices work more efficiently.

You can usually find firmware updates by going to the "Support" or "Downloads" area of a manufacturer's website. Keeping your firmware up-to-date is often not necessary, but it is still a good idea. Just make sure that once you start a firmware updater, you let the update finish, because most devices will not function if their firmware is not recognized.

[MysteRy]

Flaming

Flaming is the act of posting or sending offensive messages over the Internet. These messages, called "flames," may be posted within online discussion forums or newsgroups, or sent via e-mail or instant messaging programs. The most common area where flaming takes place is online discussion forums, which are also called bulletin boards.

Flaming often leads to the trading of insults between members within a certain forum. This is an unfortunate result, as it often throws the discussion of a legitimate topic well off track. For example, the topic of a discussion forum may be "Choosing a Mac or a PC." Some Mac user may post a message gloating about the benefits of a Mac, which in turn prompts a response from a PC user explaining why Macs sorry and why Windows is obviously the better platform. The Mac user may then post a reply saying that Mac users are, in fact, a more intelligent species who are not as naive as PC users. This kindles a more personal attack from the PC user, which incites an all out flame war.

These flame wars, also called "pie fights," are not limited to only two people at a time, but may involve multiple users. This causes a swell of negatively within online discussion groups and results in little, if any, productively. Flaming is unfortunately one of the most common breaches of online netiquette. Instead of being considerate of others' viewpoints, "flamers" force their own agendas on other users.

While some flaming is intentional, some is not. This is because users may misunderstand the intent of a another user's message or forum posting. For example, someone may make a sarcastic comment that is not understood as sarcastic by another user, who may take offense to the message. Using emoticons and clearly explaining one's intent can help avoid online misunderstandings. Because of the adverse effects of flaming, it is best to err on the side of humility and be courteous when posting or sending messages online.

[MysteRy]

Flash

Example: "The Web designer used Adobe Flash to create interactive menus for his website."

Flash is a multimedia technology used for creating animations and interactive websites. Web developers often use Flash to add dynamic content that is not possible with HTML or other scripting languages. Some examples include splash screen animations, YouTube videos, and interactive song playlists.

In order to view Flash content in your Web browser, the Flash plug-in must be installed. Since so many websites now incorporate Flash, the plug-in is included with nearly all Web browsers today. The standalone Flash Player is also available as a free download from Adobe.

[MysteRy]

Flash Drive

Flash drives have many names — jump drives, thumb drives, pen drives, and USB keychain drives. Regardless of what you call them, they all refer to the same thing, which is a small data storage device that uses flash memory and has a built-in USB connection.

Flash drives are typically no more than two to three inches in length and less than an inch in width. Their size and shape may resemble a thumb or a small pen (which is where the names "thumb drive" and "pen drive" come from). Flash drives are also very thin, often having a depth of less than a centimeter. Because of their small form factor, they are highly portable and can easily fit in a pocket or on a keychain (hence the name "keychain drive").

Early flash drives could store only a few megabytes of data, but modern flash drives can store several gigabytes of information. Since they are small in size but have large storage capacities, flash drives have replaced most previous portable data storage mediums such as floppy disks and removable hard disks like Zip disks. Because they have a built-in USB connection, flash drives also don't require a special disk drive to be used. Instead, they can be used on any computer with a USB port, which nearly all modern computers have.

[MysteRy]

Flash Memory

Flash memory is a type of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). Whew, that's a mouthful. The name comes from how the memory is designed -- a section of memory cells can be erased in a single action or in a "flash." A common use of flash memory is to store the BIOS settings in a computer's ROM. When the BIOS needs to be changed, the flash memory can be written in blocks, rather than bytes, making it easy to update. Most modems use flash memory for the same reason.

Though flash memory was orginally used inside computers, it has invaded many other areas outside the box. Flash memory cards used for digital cameras, cellular phones, networking hardware, and PC cards. Though the memory's read/write speed is not lightning fast, it is nice to be able to tote around a little card rather than a cumbersome hard drive.

[MysteRy]

Flat File

A flat file database is a database that stores data in a plain text file. Each line of the text file holds one record, with fields separated by delimiters, such as commas or tabs. While it uses a simple structure, a flat file database cannot contain multiple tables like a relational database can. Fortunately, most database programs such as Microsoft Access and FileMaker Pro can import flat file databases and use them in a larger relational database.

Flat file is also a type of computer file system that stores all data in a single directory. There are no folders or paths used organize the data. While this is a simple way to store files, a flat file system becomes increasingly inefficient as more data is added. The original Macintosh computer used this kind of file system, creatively called the Macintosh File System (MFS). However, it was soon replaced by the more efficient Hierarchical File System (HFS) that was based on a directory structure.

[MysteRy]

Flatbed

A flatbed is a type of scanner or copier that uses a flat, glass surface for scanning documents or other objects. Most flatbed scanners have an adjustable lid that can be raised to allow magazines, books, and other thick objects to be scanned. This is a significant benefit over sheet-fed scanners or copiers (sometimes referred to as automatic document feeders, which can only accept paper documents.

Flatbed scanners and copy machines range in size from standard letter size (8.5"x11") to legal size and beyond. For example, a scanner used to scan architectural blueprints may be the size of several letter-size scanners. Because of their large size capacity and ability to scan thick objects, flatbed scanners are more versatile than sheet-fed scanners. However, they cannot automatically feed pages into the scanner, which means scanning multiple pages can be a time-consuming process. For this reason, some scanners and copy machines include both a flatbed scanning surface for large or thick objects, and an ADF for feeding multiple pages at once.

[MysteRy]

Floating Point

As the name implies, floating point numbers are numbers that contain floating decimal points. For example, the numbers 5.5, 0.001, and -2,345.6789 are floating point numbers. Numbers that do not have decimal places are called integers.

Computers recognize real numbers that contain fractions as floating point numbers. When a calculation includes a floating point number, it is called a "floating point calculation." Older computers used to have a separate floating point unit (FPU) that handled these calculations, but now the FPU is typically built into the computer's CPU.

[MysteRy]

Floppy Disk

Floppy disks have an interesting name, considering they do not appear to be "floppy." However, if you take the actual disk out of the protective casing, you will discover that the disk is, in fact, rather flexible. It is coated with iron oxide and stores data magnetically, just like a hard disk.

The first floppy disks were created in 1969, the same year the Internet had its origin. These disks were 8 inches in diameter and were read-only, like a CD-ROM, meaning no data could be written to them by the user. The first 8 inch disks only held 80KB of data, but later versions could hold as much as 800KB.

In 1978, a 5.25 inch disk was introduced, which could hold a whopping 360KB of data. Later revisions of the 5.25 inch floppy disk could store 1.2MB. These disks were used in early desktop PCs, such as the Apple IIe. In 1987, the 3.5 inch HD (high density) floppy disk was released, which could hold 1.44MB after being formatted. These disks were a little more durable than the 5.25 inch disks and were also more portable. For the next decade, the 3.5 inch floppy disk became the standard means of distributing commercial software titles and backing up personal data.

In the late 1990s, CD-ROMs began to replace floppy disks as the standard means of distributing software. A few years later, consumers began migrating to recordable CDs for backing up their data. Apple's original iMac, released in 1998, was the first mainstream computer to not even include a floppy disk drive. While it took several years, many PC manufacturers eventually followed suit.

Now most software is distributed on CDs and DVDs and most people back up their data either on recordable CDs or USB flash drives. Floppy disks are finally becoming a thing of the past, which is good, considering they are notorious for losing data. Still, the floppy disk will always have a special place in the hearts and minds of veteran computer users as it was the data storage medium many people grew up with.

[MysteRy]

FLOPS

Example: "The new processor's FPU can handle twice as many FLOPS as the previous version."

FLOPS is an acronym that means "Floating Point Operations Per Second." FLOPS is a measurement unit that defines the number of floating point operations a processor can perform each second. It is a means of measuring the raw processor's floating point unit, or FPU.

[MysteRy]

Flowchart

A flowchart is a diagram that describes a process or operation. It includes multiple steps, which the process "flows" through from start to finish. Common uses for flowcharts include developing business plans, defining troubleshooting steps, and designing mathematical algorithms. Some flowcharts may only include a few steps, while others can be highly complex, containing hundreds of possible outcomes.

Flowcharts typically use standard symbols to represent different stages or actions within the chart. For example, each step is shown within a rectangle, while each decision is displayed in a diamond. Arrows are placed between the different symbols to show the direction the process is flowing. While flowcharts can be created with a pen and paper, there are several software programs available that make designing flowcharts especially easy. Common programs that can be used to create flowcharts include SmartDraw and Visio for Windows and OmniGraffle for the Mac.

[MysteRy]

Folder

Just like real world folders, folders on your hard drive store files. These files can be documents, programs, scripts, libraries, and any other kind of computer file you can think of. Folders can also store other folders, which may store more files or other folders, and so on.

Folders allow people to organize their files in a way that makes sense to them. For example, a college student might store all her photos in a folder named "Pictures," all her papers in a folder named "School Work," and all her financial information (including the tens of thousands of dollars in student loans) in a folder named "Finances." All these folders might reside within a folder called "My Documents."

The computer's operating system also uses folders to store data such as system files, library files, and user preferences. Often, the folders that the system uses are locked, meaning users cannot alter their contents.

While folders can store several gigabytes of data, folders themselves hardly take up any space on the hard drive. This is because the folders are really just pointers to files and other folders, telling the computer where they are located. The compilation of folders on your hard drive make up the "directory structure," or overall organization of your hard drive. For this reason, folders are also referred to as "directories." Thank goodness for folders, because without them our hard drives would be pretty cluttered!

[MysteRy]

Font

A font is a specific typeface of a certain size and style. For example, one font may be Arial 12 pt bold, while another font may be Times New Roman 14 pt italic. Most word processing programs have a Font menu that allows you to choose the typeface, size, and style of the text. In order to use a font, you must have it installed on your computer. Windows provides access to fonts using the Fonts control panel. The Mac OS stores fonts in a Fonts folder and includes a separate "Font Book" application for managing fonts.

[MysteRy]

Format

Example: "He used Apple Disk Utility to format his new hard drive for his Mac."

Formatting a disk involves rewriting the directory structure, or file system, of a disk. All disks must be formatted using a supported file system in order to work with a computer. Therefore, it may be necessary to format (or reformat) a disk if it is not formatted for the computer you are using. While the formatting process technically does not erase the files on the disk, it does make them inaccessible, since they are no longer part of the directory structure. Therefore, make sure you don't format or reformat a disk that contains important data.