A computer consists of many types of memory. There are devices which hold temporary information, some can be programmed, and others store information. Hard disc drives, Floppy drives, CD-ROM and DVD-ROM are used to permanently store huge amount of data. In addition to these external devices, memory is hardwired into the motherboard. BIOS which is a type of ROM or Read only Memory is one such.
BIOS or basic input output system is a memory stored in ROM which is used at the starting stage of the computer. As the name suggests, BIOS contains the essential software which creates the initial link between the input devises like the keypad and the mouse with the output device like the monitor. It creates the bride between the Hard disk containing the operating system with the microprocessor. This process is called ?Bootstrapping'.
ROM, Read only Memory. This is a type of memory used in a computer to store data which is of static nature or data which is unchangeable. ROM retains information or data even when the power is cut off. The ROM is an integrated chip which can be made only once and hence its design is tedious. However, it becomes quite economical when manufactured in bulk. ROM chip is hardwired and usually does not need change in the lifetime of the computer. There are instances when it gets damaged or corrupted, in which case a hardware professional is required to change replace the ROM. The ROM should have very fast access and its reading cycle should be as less as possible. This is made possible because it has no moving parts (as against a hard disc memory) and therefore has a lesser access time.
RAM, Random access memory is a fast memory device used for storing information while operating the computer. The information remains stored only till power is provided. In a computer, RAM is generally provided in modules which can be inserted and removed as desired. Many operations and arithmetic calculations are executed by the microprocessor. The intermediate results have to be stored in a temporary memory till required again. This data is stored in the RAM. RAM modules should therefore have a significantly higher access time.
Hard disc drive, HDD is a devise to store information and data permanently. The data does not get erased on switching off the electricity. It contains the operating system, application programs like the Microsoft word and Excel, internet applications like internet explorer and Mozilla Firefox. In addition, it also stores vast amount of data files which are created by the applications. A HDD is an external device which can be attached to the mother board. Usually in a personal computer four of them can be attached simultaneously. In advanced server configurations, it is possible to add an array of fifteen or more hard disks in a chain. Usually, a hard disc is permanently attached to the motherboard and cannot be removed and ported. Lately, USB supported hard disc drives have given mobility and portability to hard disc drives. These USB devices can also be made bootable which can be quite handy in some situations.
Copyright (c) 2007 Dean Barnard
As with anything known to man, computers are not without their quirks. It seems sometimes that computers almost plan to confuse and frustrate users as there are so many things that could be creating the strange behavior we see. Add to that the multiple forms of memory and the behaviors of each which may choose to exhibit rather strange and unwanted behavior at inopportune times, and you have the mixture for a thoroughly confounding experience.
However, there is no need to panic. Computer memory has a class of characteristics that are unique to it and that can help us further understand why it sometimes acts like it does. These characteristics consist of volatility, mutability, accessibility, and addressability. Throw in capacity and performance, and the mix isn't that hard to decipher. Armed with this knowledge, we can understand computer memory and assist it in performing better for us.
Some terms we need to understand before we decide that the computer is just acting weird and needs to be replaced follow. Usually, the computer's tendency to eat our documents and torment us with inoperable operations is only the fault of not understanding the abilities of the types of memories or that there is more than one type even among named memories we know, such as RAM and ROM.
Volatility has two poles-that which is volatile and that which is not volatile. The only difference is in what the memory can do if there is a power interruption to the computer. Non-volatile memory will retain our work even without electricity. This type of memory strives to make us happy by saving our work and favorite computer programs for later use.
Volatile memory would be called temperamental if compared to how we ourselves work. Another way of looking at this type of memory is to think of it as the emotions of the computer. Just as we are fickle in our emotions, so are computers. This type of memory must have a constant power source in order not to retain its work. If the power vanishes, so does the volatile memory. It likes a good charge.
Dynamic and static memory forms are usually associated with RAM. Both forms are volatile and require a constant power source, but dynamic memory refreshes periodically. Static memory does not refresh, which makes it a useful, but not as popular an option as dynamic memory.
Mutability is the ability of computer memory to read and write storage and comes in the form of immutable and mutable memory types. Mutable storage can be overwritten more than once and is necessary for a computer to be useful for many of the tasks users want to do with the computer. This type of memory is used for both secondary and primary storage purposes. Among the specific types of mutable storage and memory is ROM.It is the mutable and immutable storage types that are responsible for doing operations such as writing CDs, DVDs, and other similar functions.
Accessibility is found in both random access forms and sequential forms. Random access is probably the best known and is lovingly called RAM. This means that storage can be accessed in any location in about the same amount of time-which looks to us to be instantaneous, but it isn't really.
Sequential memory is slower and information is gathered and accessed in serial order. Usually, this type may be seen commonly with off line storage.
Addressability comes in three forms: location, file, and content. Location is done by a numerical memory address usually limited to primary storage and accessed internally. File is done by file names with human readability. In other words, the name you gave to a file is how it is addressed. Content addressability concerns itself with a selected hash value-a short identifier with a number that points to the memory address for the information.
Now that the terms are not as mysterious, it will be easier to understand some of the behaviors related to memory that your computer displays. This should make using your computer a more enjoyable experience.
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