MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES

RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM. Even the most dyed in the wool technophobe would sheepishly admit to knowing that RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory. On a Palm handheld, RAM makes up the bulk of storage memory, and is used both for the storage of files and temporary working space for applications. Typically, when people refer to a device's "memory" -- as in "Your 2 Megs of memory is puny compared to my manly 8 Megabytes" -- they're only talking about its RAM memory. Data stored in RAM can be quickly viewed (read) or changed (written) by a program's code, but RAM needs a constant source of power to keep any data stored from disappearing.

ROM (Read Only Memory)

ROM memory, unlike RAM, contains data that cannot be changed or erased, even by turning off the power. Instead, its data is determined at manufacture and is etched onto the chips themselves. ROM chips were used to store the operating system software in early PalmPilots, and continues to be used in current Handspring organizers in the same capacity. ROM chips' benefits include low cost and durability. Their primary shortcoming, however, comes in upgrade ability. Data in ROM can only be updated by replacing the entire chip, and this is often impractical.

FLASH ROM

Addressing the primary limitation of ordinary ROM memory, flash memory contains data that can be updated when necessary. The update process is very slow by computer standards (and yet it's oddly called flash!), taking a few seconds or minutes to update a file, and contents can only be changed a few thousand times before the chips wear out and start to get amnesia. Still, flash memory does not require power to keep its contents intact, and thus is commonly used as a ROM that can be periodically updated when necessary.