Primary Storage (Memory)

Primary Storage (Memory)

• Primary storage (internal storage, main memory or memory) is the computer's working storage space that holds data, instructions for processing, and processed data (information) waiting to be sent to secondary storage. Physically, primary storage is a collection of RAM chips.
• The contents are held in primary storage only temporarily. Capacity varies with different computers. Data or instructions are stored in primary storage locations called addresses.

ROM BIOS(Read Only Memory Basic Input Output System): A set of routines stored in a ROM chip in a PC. The BIOS contains the drivers, or access methods, which activate the peripheral devices directly.

Memory Does Not Remember?: Primary storage holds its contents only temporarily - only as long as a microcomputer is turned on. When the machine is turned off, all the stored contents immediately vanish. It is therefore a good practice repeatedly to save your work in progress to a secondary storage device.

Capacity: RAM storage is usually represented in megabytes. For example, the IBM or IBM compatible PC that has 16 Megabyte of memory can hold 16 million characters. If a user uses a computer with small primary storage, he or she cannot run programs that require large memory such as later versions of WordPerfect for Windows, Photoshop or graphics software. Thus, the user had better check the amount of RAM when he or she buy a computer. A user also need to check the required RAM before he or she buys a software package.

Addresses: To locate the characters of data or instructions in memory, the computer stores them at locations known as addresses. Each address has a unique number. Addresses may be compared to post office mailboxes. Their numbers stay the same, but the contents continually change.