The slow laptop
A teacher says: "My laptop is slow when I open ten tabs and a video call." You open the settings. The disk is nearly empty. Memory is full.
Memory and storage sound the same, but they are not. Knowing the difference solves this call in one minute.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | main memory: it holds programs and data while you work | |
| ROM | memory that keeps its data with no power and cannot easily be changed | |
| Volatile | loses its data when the power goes off | RAM |
| Secondary storage | storage that keeps files for a long time | |
| Firmware | the program kept inside a device to start it up | |
| Operating system | the main program that runs the computer | |
| Capacity | how much data a store can hold | 500 GB |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can tell RAM from ROM and choose the right kind of storage for a job.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
RAM is working space, ROM is start-up
RAM is the computer's working space. Programs and files you are using sit in RAM, because RAM is fast. RAM is volatile: when the power goes off, it is empty.
ROM keeps its data with no power. It holds the firmware that starts the computer. It cannot easily be changed.
RAM and ROM compared
| Feature | RAM | ROM |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps data with no power? | No (volatile) | Yes |
| Can the computer write to it? | Yes, all the time | Not in normal use |
| What it holds | Programs and files in use | Start-up firmware |
| Size in a laptop | Large, for example 16 GB | Very small |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.