Computer Memory

The Basics of Computer Memory

Computer memory refers to two distinct forms of memory that perform different roles in a computer. RAM, or random access memory, can be thought of as the amount of things a computer can think about. This memory determines how many programs can run at a given time. Say for example you open a file up in Word to work on it - the program is loaded into RAM by accessing the information from the hard disk. When you close the program the memory will be freed up for other processes if needed.

When you save a file on your hard drive you are also taking memory on your system. The other form of memory that a computer has is ROM - read only memory. ROM is a lower-level memory used at the system level and is not generally upgradeable or bottlenecking your system performance.

When you buy a computer it is very important to find out how much memory the computer has because that will determine how fast and efficient that machine will be as well as the number and kinds of programs you can run. However, if you buy a computer that you assume has enough memory only to later find out that it doesn't then you can always buy extra memory to upgrade your system.

Today it is possible to buy very powerful machines for a lot less than in previous years. Thanks to the constant march of technology today's computers are a fraction of the size of the computers that were once available but many times more powerful than even the largest mainframes that were in use. Computers today are in use in every sector of society from businesses to schools to personal home use. These practical and convenient machines have made life a lot easier for everyone.

Thanks to the internet computing is fast becoming the way of the future for all of our personal needs from banking to shopping to keeping in touch with friends. In order to meet the constantly evolving demands of the public, computers with even greater amounts of memory are constantly being introduced on the market and pushing the envelope of speed and efficiency.