VDict mobile



storage, architecture The storage device used by a computer
to hold the currently executing program and its working data.
A modern computer's main memory is built from random accessmemory integrated circuits. In the old days ferrite corememory was one popular form of main memory, leading to the
use of the term "core" for main memory.
Computers have several other sorts of memory, distinguished by
their access time, storage capicity, cost, and the typical
lifetime or rate of change of the data they hold. Registers
in the CPU are fast, few, expensive and typically change
every few machine instructions. Other kinds are cache,
PROM, magnetic disk (which may be used for virtualmemory), and magnetic tape.
(1996-11-04)