FAQ               Frequently Asked Questions. A list of questions and answers
                  people frequently ask experts about things.
									
FAT               File Allocation Table. A table that holds information about 
                  the names of files and directories on a disk and their location
                  on the disk (in a bitmap). DOS uses FAT16, and Windows 9x can
                  use FAT32 for more efficient use of disk space.


FAX               Facsimile. A machine which digitally copies documents and sends
                  them to another machine over the phone line to another machine
                  which prints it out.
									
FCPGA             Flip-Chip Pin Grid Array sockets for high speed processor chips. 
                  Similar to Socket technology. Used by new Celeron processors.
                  									
FDISK             Fixed Disk. Program to manage hard disk partitions. On any computer
                  a hard disk needs a least One partition for the operating system
                  to recognise it and install a file system e.g. FAT, NTFS etc.


Fidonet           Special message based system used on BBS' (Bulletin Boards), 
                  people can join message groups called Echos which concentrate on 
                  particular subjects to which they can read and contribute. 
                  Now superceded by NewsGroups and Mailing Lists on the Internet.
                  See Fidonet home page.

File              A collection of bytes that can be a program, a document,
                  a database or picture etc that is given a name and stored
                  on a disk.

Firewall          A computer which sits between networks using between the Internet
                  and a LAN and blocks unwanted data to/from each network and 
                  prevents hacking and trojans entering your LAN.
									
Firewire          A high speed communcation port, replaces SCSI. Used for disks,
                  video and so on.

Flash             An animation web plugin developed by Macromedia/Adobe.
									
Flash ROM         A reprogrammable ROM chip used in various devices such as 
                  Modems and expansion cards. Instead of replacing the chip as 
                  before, updates can be 'flashed' onto the ROM instead.

Floppy disk       A removable storage device. The PC can handle 3.5 disks or
                  the older 5.25 disks. They can hold 360K, 720K or 1440K.

Floppy Drive      A device that reads and writes to floppy disks. On the PC they
                  are referred to as A: and B:. Also referred to as FDDs.

Folder            Another name of a directory or drawer of files on a disk.

Font              Refers to the typeface and font used to display characters on
                  the screen. The type include Bitmap and Compugraphic Fonts,
                  PostScript and TrueType fonts.

Format            Function needed to prepare disks with a specific File System so
                  that files can be saved onto them. Creates a disk bitmap and
                  directory structure on the disk. PCs use FAT, FAT32, NTFS etc.

FPM               Fast Page Memory. Type of memory SIMMs used in the majority 
                  of older PCs such as 486 and early Pentium machines.

FPU               Floating Point Unit. A Processor chip designed specifically to
                  process decimal numbers with high precision. This was seperate
                  in older 80x86 processors but now included in Pentium processors
                  and so forth.

FreeDOS           A Free DOS operating system for the PC.

FSB               Front Side Bus. Speed in MHz of the motherboard. The faster the
                  better.
                  
FTP               File Transfer Protocol. Method used on the Internet to transfer
                  programs between computers.