What is the Difference between RAM and Memory?
Many computer users wonder what the difference is between Random Access Memory (RAM) and memory. A computer runs on two major types of memory: RAM and memory in the hard drive. The two are necessary to basic computer functions. RAM is short-term temporary memory, while hard drive memory is long-term permanent. A hard drive is the storage capacity of the computer, or the long-term memory. It is sometimes also called “disk space.” The storage capacity is usually measured in Gigabytes (GB) and is the place where files are saved when a user presses the “save” button on most applications. Inside of the hard drive is a metal disk that spins while a head writes the information onto it, much like a complicated CD burner. RAM is sometimes called “memory” for short which further complicates the issue. RAM is a computer chip that assists in speed of the computer that is measured in Megabytes (MB) or Gigabyte (GB) depending on the size of the chip. When a user chooses to open a file, the computer
Computer memory is called RAM, which is an acronym for Random Access Memory. It’s called “random access” because data can be recalled from any memory location without having to search through all the data stored in front of it. Think of it like this: You can access any tune stored on your iPod at any time. You don’t have to fast-forward through hundreds of tunes to get to the one you want, as you would have to do if your tunes were stored on a cassette tape. The cassette-tape model is an example of sequential memory.
