Computers and memory

from www.jenepting.com
Computers are a lot like
brains.
Computers have memory.
Brains have memory.
But computers don’t
remember things like
3rd grade teachers.
Their memories handle
more technical things.
Like all the files you’ve
ever saved.
Or how to start up.
 There are many types of
memory in computers, but
let’s focus on the three
main types:
1. Disk memory
2. RAM (Random Access
Memory)
3. CPU Registers
Disk Memory
Another way to say
Disk Memory is
“Hard Drive.”

You’ve heard of that!

 You may back up your
computer on a Hard Drive or
remember seeing it in your
Finder.
The Hard Drive is where
all your saved files live.
MY HARD DRIVE
finisheddesigns.psd
mynovel.doc
taxes.xls
dogs.gif
Christmastree.jpg

shoppinglist.txt presentation.ppt
 It’s also where all the
programs on your computer
are stored.
 Hard Drives have limited
space, so installing many
programs may make it slow.
 Luckily, you can get a
larger Hard Drive if you
need it.
 RAM
(Random Access Memory)
 RAM is how your computer
saves information in the short-
term... but RAM doesn’t
remember past a reboot.
A good example is how your
computer remembers the
placement of windows on
your screen.
You probably know that
you can buy more RAM
for your computer... but
why would you need to?
More RAM allows you
to run more programs
at the same time.
Or at least makes it
faster to do so.
Let’s say you open
Microsoft Word.
 Before you’ve
saved your
document, its
contents are
saved in RAM
(the computer’s
short-term
memory).
 You can officially save the
document to your Hard Drive,
which makes it long term.
MY HARD DRIVE
finisheddesigns.psd
mynovel.doc
taxes.xls
businessstuff.doc
dogs.gif
Christmastree.jpg

shoppinglist.txt presentation.ppt
 That way you’ll always
have your document, even
if you reboot your
computer.
MY HARD DRIVE
finisheddesigns.psd
mynovel.doc
taxes.xls
businessstuff.doc
dogs.gif
Christmastree.jpg

shoppinglist.txt presentation.ppt
Pretty easy, right?
CPU Registers
The last kind of basic
memory is CPU
Registers.
I know that sounds intense.
But it’s actually super-easy
to understand... almost so
easy that it’s hard!
 Imagine your friend
asks you to calculate
the price of two items.

+ = ??
“The first item costs
$.89,” he says.

$.89
A minute later, he says
“The second item costs
$1.09.”

$1.09
You have to figure out
the total.

$.89 + $1.09 = ??
 I bet you didn’t notice
it, but in the time it took
him to tell you the
second item’s cost, you
relied on your memory!
You had to remember $.89
for a whole minute.

$.89
 This kind of memory
(which feels uber-short-
term) in computers is
called CPU Registers.
Again, you’d never have
to upgrade this kind of
memory. It’s just another
kind of memory your
computer needs.
 So, to recap:
• Disk Memory holds all the files and programs that
make your computer who it is.
• RAM helps the computer do many things at the
same time, and it saves the short-term version of
files.
• The CPU Registers help your computer remember
what it has to do!
Now you’re a computer
memory expert!