Memory

(description memory)

Types

n computer science, the memory is the device that retains, memorizes or stores computer data for some period of time. Memory provides one of the main functions of modern computing: the storage of information and knowledge. It is one of the fundamental components of the computer, which interconnected to the central processing unit and the input / output devices, implement the fundamentals of the computer model of the von Neumann architecture.

Currently, "memory" usually refers to a form of solid-state storage, known as RAM, and sometimes refers to other forms of rapid, but temporary, storage. Similarly, it refers to forms of mass storage, such as optical disks, and types of magnetic storage, such as hard drives and other types of storage, slower than RAM, but of a more permanent nature. These contemporary distinctions are helpful, because they are fundamental to computer architecture in general.

History

At the beginning of the computers, the concept of memory was very different from the current one and even the design of it differs from the modern and compact one that now includes your PC or Mac. First the vacuum tubes were used and then came the transistors that were the causing computers to stop occupying the space of a football field to enter a room.

The arrival of the transistor changed the concept of computing completely, in essence it is a microscopic vacuum tube that saves energy and does not dissipate so much heat. It was here that the second era of computers began followed by the third era with integrated circuits and the fourth era with microprocessors.

Pen drive

The USB stick was invented in 1998 by IBM, but it was not patented by him. Its objective was to replace floppy disks with much more capacity and speed of data transmission. Although currently in a CD or DVD you can store memory to then erase and manipulate it, the most comfortable and used are USB memories. They are small devices the size of a lighter that act almost the same as a floppy disk, but with a much larger capacity, which currently range from 64 mb to several gigabytes. Its main advantage is its small size, its resistance and its transmission speed, much faster than floppy disks.

Currently this type of device is very fashionable, especially among young people or clerks, because thanks to its small size and shape can be hung as a keychain for example, and most importantly, with operating systems, you just have to connect it to the computer and use it without further complications. In addition there are other devices such as MP3 players that use the same features. They can store any type of data, but their main characteristic is that the music files in mp3 and wma format above all, are recognized and processed to be heard through headphones connected to the device. This is, then, a substitute for the Walkman. But also new designs are appearing that are capable of storing dozens of gigabytes and video, which can be viewed with a small screen.

Types of memory

-Pen drive

The USB memory also called memory stick, USB stick, external memory, pen drive or pendrive is a type of data storage device that uses flash memory to store data and information.

-Random access memory

Random access memory (RAM) is used as working memory of computers for the operating system, programs and most of the software. All the instructions executed by the central processing unit and other units of the computer are loaded into the RAM.

-Memory of only reading

The read-only memory, also known as ROM (acronym in English of read-only memory), is a storage medium used in computers and electronic devices, which allows only the reading of information and not its writing, regardless of the presence or not from a source of energy. This is not a sequential access memory.

-Flash memory

The flash memory derived from the acronym EEPROM allows the reading and writing of multiple memory locations in the same operation. Thanks to this, the flash technology, always using electrical impulses, allows much higher operating speeds compared to the original EEPROM technology, which only allowed to act on a single memory cell in each programming operation. It is the technology used in devices called USB memory.