The Computer's Memory

RAM (ransom access memory)

• used to store program instructions and data temporarily
• unique address and data can be stored in any location
• can quickly retrieve info.
• will not remain if power goes off (volatile)

ROM (read-only memory)

• Info. stored permanently on a chip
• Contains startup instructions and other permanent data

CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor)

• Special low-energy kind of RAM

FLASH MEMORY

• used for phones, pagers, portable comps, handheld comps, and PDA's.

                                        Buses, Ports, and Peripherals

• Info. travels b/t components on the motherboard through groups of wire called system buses, or just buses.

BUSES

• Typically have 32 or 64 wires
• connect to storage devices in bays
• connect to expansion slots.
• connect to external buses and ports

SLOTS AND PORTS

• Make it easy to add external devices, called peripherals.

                      Inventing the Future

• New laser etching tech called xtreme ultraviolet lithograohy (EUVL) could reduce chip size and increase performance radically
• Superconductors that transmit electricity w/o heat could increase comp speed a 100fold
• the optical comp transmit info in light waves rather than electrical pulses.

" The only thing that has consistently grown faster than hardware in the last 40 yrs is human expectations" Bjarne Stroustrup