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Questions tagged [terminology]

Questions regarding computer-specific terms and jargon. Make sure you show research effort and that your question can be objectively answered.

321 votes
5 answers
213k views

What does the "Fi" in "Wi-Fi" mean?

I just got into a heated discussion about Wi-Fi. What does the Fi in Wi-Fi mean? I would have thought potentially "frequency interface" since all network adapters are classified as interfaces. However ...
NotAdmin Dave's user avatar
140 votes
2 answers
302k views

What is the difference between 4K, UHD and QHD? Do we agree on one official resolution?

Nowadays it seems that Full HD isn’t enough anymore and the terms “4K,” “QHD” and “UHD” are thrown around interchangeably. At the same time, there is not just one “4K” resolution in the catalogs. I ...
KarmaEDV's user avatar
  • 2,381
87 votes
5 answers
9k views

What is the name of the 8 white squares surrounding resizable views?

I came across this annoying moment while writing a how-to article and realized I didn't know the name of those white squares that surround views. Here some images for clarification. Windows ...
Android Admirer's user avatar
77 votes
7 answers
81k views

What is the correct term for the mouse pointer/nipple/joystick thingy in the middle of a laptop's keyboard?

I want to call it a "mouse nipple" or maybe a "joystick", although I know these are not correct. It's different from the touchpad, which is below the keyboard and has dedicated click buttons. Instead,...
Doug T.'s user avatar
  • 1,981
67 votes
14 answers
49k views

What exactly is microcode and how does it differ from firmware?

Insofar as terminology, what exactly is "microcode" and if it can be updated, how does it differ from firmware? This question is not a duplicate of this question (as far as I can tell) which I've ...
Evan Carroll's user avatar
  • 9,087
66 votes
2 answers
150k views

What does "LFF SATA" mean?

I've heard of SATA, but "LFF SATA" as listed on HP's specs page (archive) is a new one for me. What does the "LFF" bit mean?
Billy ONeal's user avatar
  • 8,321
65 votes
3 answers
24k views

What is the email address format "Name <email>" called?

Given an email address in the format John Doe <[email protected]> I wonder where this format is explicitly defined and what the whole thing is called. It doesn't seem to be specified in rfc5322 (...
user avatar
54 votes
2 answers
7k views

Where did the term "superuser" originate?

Where did the term "superuser" originate? Is it a shortening of "supervisory user", or is it just an indicator of the level of power one such user holds in a system?
VortixDev's user avatar
  • 1,214
45 votes
4 answers
9k views

What are the origins of "Download", "upload", "downstream", "upstream", and why are they respectively down or up?

I assume that the term download was coined first and then similar terms as upload, downstream, upstream followed. But why are servers up, while clients are down? Who coined (one of) these terms and ...
MarianD's user avatar
  • 2,716
43 votes
5 answers
47k views

What is the difference between a directory and a folder? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Directory vs. Folder Most people use the terms "folder" and "directory" interchangeably. Is there a difference, and if so, what is it?
mafu's user avatar
  • 2,875
41 votes
4 answers
88k views

What is meant by the terms CPU, Core, Die and Package?

Now this might sound like too many previous questions, but I am really confused about these terms. I was trying to understand how "dual core" is different from "Core 2 Duo", and I came across some ...
lovesh's user avatar
  • 552
39 votes
1 answer
12k views

What does XDG stand for?

The XDG Base Directory Specification standardizes best practices for which folders a user-scoped programs may write to. What does XDG stand for, what's the story behind the name?
Ari Sweedler's user avatar
29 votes
4 answers
37k views

What exactly is VGA, and what is the difference between it and a video card?

Operating system development tutorials pinpoint reaching screen data by writing directly to VGA or EGA or Super VGA, but what I do not get is what is the real difference between writing to a fixed ...
user avatar
29 votes
3 answers
108k views

SSD, SD, eMMC, Raw NAND what are the differences?

so the underlying technology with SSD, eMMC, SD, USB Flash etc... is NAND flash correct? So is the difference between all of them just the way controllers are implemented? Or are the technologies ...
Alistair's user avatar
  • 441
28 votes
8 answers
427k views

What's the difference between intranet, extranet and internet?

What's the difference between intranet, extranet and internet?
user avatar

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