What type of computer memory is considered permanent?

Answer 1

RAM or Random Access Memory is the computers temporary memory. It is volatile memory and will not provide long term storage for your data. Once power is cut off from the motherboard, the RAM is purged.

Answer 2

Read-only memory, or ROM, is considered permanent.

There are several kinds of ROM, and we'll use a real-world example to show what kind you would use where. You're building computerized ice cream makers--ones that make 100 gallons of ice cream in a batch. You want the owners to be able to just fill a tank with milk, a tank with cream, bins with the dry ingredients and fruits, tell the machine what flavor of ice cream to make then leave the machine to its own devices as it mixes, freezes and packages the ice creams. (Yes, this is going to be a huge machine, but you're up to it.) The machine is being made for a chain of ice cream shops, and you want the ice cream to taste the same no matter which shop it's in, so you want to program the recipes into the unit and let it handle everything.

In this modern age, the obvious solution is to just use a PC. Cheap, fast and efficient, but the owner doesn't want that: he tried a PC-based automatic ice cream maker, and a disgruntled employee at one of his stores broke into the recipe database and reprogrammed the machine to make sauerkraut, liverwurst and broccoli ice creams, which were every bit as bad as they sound. He wants something no one can change, so you're going to use read-only memory chips.

The first chips you want to use are erasable ROMs. You can program them and they'll retain whatever you put in there, but you can also erase them and reprogram them. There are three basic kinds: erasable programmable ROM, or EPROM; electrically erasable ROM, or EEROM, and flash memory. EPROM is erased with ultraviolet light; EEROM is erased by sending a signal to a pin on the device that normally isn't hooked up. Flash memory you already know about.

Once you've got the system working right you can move on to programmable ROM, or PROM. These are only programmable one time, so you need to get your code working in EPROM or EEROM, but they're less expensive than erasable ROM. You would use PROM for final prototyping.

The penultimate read-only memory technology is ROM. ROM is programmed while it's being made, and you order a big batch of it.

In the truly modern era, it's rare to find anything but flash memory in new systems anymore, because updating embedded code is a grade-A pain if you have to replace chips. It's real easy if all you need to do is download a program to a flash chip. OTOH, if you're making a talking Snoopy doll and want to store the phrases on read-only memory chips, ROM is much better--you would never have to worry about someone buying a case of Snoopys, reflashing the dolls with heartwarming phrases generally of a sexual nature, and returning them for a refund. They'd have to do it the old-fashioned way, like the Barbie Liberation Front did several years ago. You remember those guys? They went to Wal-Mart or some other big toy seller, bought a lot of talking Barbies and GI Joes, and switched the voiceboxes. Next thing you know, Barbie wanted to kill a commie for her mommie, and GI Joe wanted to go shopping. But at least those folks had to go to the trouble of disassembling the dolls. With flash memory you wouldn't have to.

ROM IS THE ANSWER

Answer 3

The temporary memory in use by your computer is stored in your RAM stick, or Random Access Memory Stick (its shape is a stick). The more RAM you have, the more data you can have in use not being stored on your hard drive. This makes your open programs and the such respond faster/ better. Examples include having a game open, and having the level or area stored in the RAM so that when you want to go there, the level loads quicker than it would if it was stored on your hard drive.

Answer 4

RAM