RAM-ROM-HARD DISK---TABLE ANALOGY

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Many people get confused and fail to understand properly, the concepts of RAM, ROM and a Hard Disk. These concepts are the fundamentals and corner stones of computer hardware and Computer architecture. So a CLEAR understanding of these concepts is required. We give a simple analogy here to make you understand that.

With respect to Chapter 2 of Computer Hardware-Memory, we explain a simple analogy to the 3 concepts, namely RAM, ROM and the Hard Disk of a computer.

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RAM:-What is RAM, it is the temporary memory which holds the programs, we open and use right? When we turn off the computer, its memory is erased.

TABLE ANALOGY: - The table desk on which we keep the books or notes or items we use is like the RAM of the computer. It is temporary, you can keep any book you want, and take it out later. And the larger the size of the desk, more books can you keep at the same time, work on more things at the same time. So, bigger the RAM size, better is the computer performance and speed, as it can support more programs, more applications with the increased memory

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ROM:-What is ROM? It is the set of programs which are at a system level, used to start up the computer and help with its overall functioning. Even after you turn off the computer, this data stays. And it is not usually editable. It is a fixed procedure. Tampering it or trying to change it can usually damage the Computer’s functioning.

TABLE ANALOGY:-If the table is in a room, the ENTIRE PROCEDURE of walking into the room, going near the table, taking a chair, sitting on it ,starting to use the table can be constituted as ROM.As ROM has programs which cannot be edited and is in a particular order, same thing here. Can we change the procedure here? Can we sit on the table first, walk out of the room and then study? It doesn’t make sense right? Yes, it is a process which cannot be changed if you want to use the Table (Read Computer).So, same case with ROM

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HARD DISK-The Hard Disk is the storage area which holds all the data we have and loads required data/programs asked by the user, onto the RAM.

TABLE ANALOGY: The table’s drawer, where we keep all our books is like the Hard Disk. DO we use each and every book inside the drawer at the same time? No right, we only take out those books which we need at that moment, and later keep it back. So, the same thing here. The drawer is the Hard Disk and all the books inside it are our data. The books we take out and use on the desk are the programs loaded onto to the RAM. Once we keep them back, the programs are erased from the RAM memory.

So friends, I hope this table analogy helped you understand these 3 concepts. IF you have any doubt, always leave it in the comments section,we will be glad to clarify your doubts.