Memory

The memory is the computers work area of computer. This is the place where our data and programs get stored before being used processed and the place where the results get stored prior their output. There are two parts of memory.

Primary Memory:  It is the part of memory which stored data and information for present and future use. It has two sub types:

RAM: It is running work space of Computer.  Initially every task is stored in RAM, when we save information; they are stored in secondary memory (storage devices). It is also called temporary and volatile memory because the information is erased when the power is switched off. RAM is used to faster the speed of computer. Memory is measured in bytes: 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB…… are the sizes of RAM available in the market.

 

ROM: ROM is read only memory. It contains programs and data that are permanently recorded when the computer is manufactured/. We can see the information of ROM at the time of booting the computer. We can only read the information of ROM. We can't write/edit or delete the information available on it.

Secondary Memory:  The secondary memory is the permanent memory. The information in this memory is not lost when the power supply is off. The most common secondary memory devices are hard disk, Floppy disk, zip disk, Magnetic tape and Optical disk.

 
Floppy Disk: A floppy disk is a small data storage device which is general used to transfer data from the hard disk. It is also called as Removable Disk. It is a flexible or portable type. It has 1.44 MB capacity till now. Its drive also lies inside the system board.

Hard Disk: Hard disk is the major storage device of computer. All the files and programs are stored in hard disk. It lies inside system board (CPU Box). Hard disk can store the huge amount of data and can access data faster then any other storage devices. Today's hard disks capacities are measured in gigabytes . It is made up with magnetic tape.

Optical Disk:  Optical Disk is produced using laser technology, and as a result offer much higher density and reliability then magnetic disks. Disks are made of plastic or metal with highly reflective coating usually aluminum. There are mainly three types of optical disks available in the market.

·         CD- ROM (Compact disk – Read only memory)

·         CD- RW (Re – writable memory)

·         DVD ( Digital Video/Versatile Disk)

CD ROM: CD- ROM stand for Compact Disk – Read Only Memory. The original name was WORM drive, which means write Once Read Many. They can store up to 700MB (larger CDs can store up to 20GB) and are used for distribution of massive quantities of data (e.g. encyclopedia, document archives, manuals statistics and software package) at relatively low cost.