Glossary 13
F
FAT
File Allocation Table. A table near the beginning of a drive
that identifies the location of everything on the drive.
flash ROM
Method in which a computer’s BIOS ROM can be upgraded
without replacing the ROM BIOS chip.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol. A method of transferring files between
two computers on a TCP/IP network (such as the Internet).
“Anonymous FTP” (the most common usage on the Internet)
allows a user to download files without having an account at
the remote computer.
function key
The set of keys on the keyboard (usually F1 through F12) that
let you get help and error message information or quickly
select frequently used commands.
G
graphics accelerator
A term referring to a higher end video controller that handles
high-speed graphics and usually contains several megabytes of
onboard video memory.
GUI
Graphical User Interface. Method of presenting information on
a computer screen utilizing icons, pull-down menus, and a
mouse.
