The RAM
through history
What is the RAM?
The RAM is a form of computer data storage. A RAM device allows data items to be read and written in roughly the same amount of time regardless of the order in which data items are accessed. The time required to read and write data items varies significantly depending on their physical locations on the recording medium, due to mechanical limitations such as media rotation speeds and arm movement delays.
Through History
Today, the RAM takes the form of integrated circuits. RAM is normally associated with volatile types of memory where stored information is lost if power is removed, although many efforts have been made to develop non-volatile RAM chips. Other types of non-volatile memory exist that allow random access for read operations, but either do not allow write operations or have limitations on them.
Integrated-circuit RAM chips came into the market in the late 1960s, with the first commercially available DRAM chip, introduced in October 1970.