This kind of memory, known as "electrically erasable programmable read-only memory" (EEPROM), is convenient for portable devices, since it stores information even when its power source is turned off, but is smaller and more resilient than a hard drive. To summarize, memory is a vital part of the way computers and many electronic devices function. The best way is to use an external storage device, such as an external hard drive, flash memory device, or even another computer.

Understanding the Context

You can also create permanent backups using optical media, such as CD-R and DVD-R discs. However, if you need more free space, instead of adding RAM, you may need to add another hard drive. RAM increases the amount of memory in your computer. When your computer boots up, the operating system is loaded into the memory.

Key Insights

Each time you open an application or file, it is loaded into the memory. It serves the same purpose as a hard drive, but stores data electronically rather than magnetically. Flash memory is the most common type of internal storage used by portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones and portable music players. Some computers now use flash drives rather than hard drives as well. IBM makes a "MicroDrive" card that has the same dimensions as a Type II CF card, but uses an actual hard drive construction rather than flash memory.

Final Thoughts

Compact Flash cards originally could only store a few megabyes of data, but now can store several gigabytes. The new CF+ standard can store a possible 137 GB of data. Ultra DMA This technology for transferring data between a computer's hard disk and memory was developed by Quantum and Intel. The maximum burst rate of an Ultra DMA hard drive is 33.3 MBps. The original DMA (Direct Memory Access) protocol could only transfer data at half that speed. Thanks to Ultra DMA, programs can open faster and run more smoothly.

This is because Ultra DMA can send more ... The hard disk, sometimes called the "hard drive" (which is actually the mechanism that holds the hard disk), is a spindle of magnetic discs that can hold several gigabytes of data. Therefore, disk space refers to how much space you have available on your hard disk for storing files. A computer's internal hard drive is often considered a primary storage device, while external hard drives and other external media are considered secondary storage devices.