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I bet we all know a few people who still refer to the hard disk
as "memory." I know several, and some are computer
professionals {{shudder}}. It's a clear case of being taught
the incorrect term--probably for simplicity's sake--in the
beginning.
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Iv'e only been associated with computers since c. 1960. To me everything
from the high-speed cache to things slower than mag tape are types of
memory. I have to make an effort to remember that these days "memory" is
often used to refer to one of the many types.
On some early machines one had a few, a very few, registers. Everything else
was on a magnetic drum.
For that matter I've used compilers that spewed out punched cards or punched
paper tape that had to be fed in again for the next stage of compilation. I
don't think I'd have called that memory, but I suspect some of my former
seniors who were in at the very beginning would!
"For forms of government let fools contest,
Whate'er is best administered is best." -- Pope
David Ibbetson, 133 Wilton St, #506, Toronto, M5A 4A4
ibbetson -at- idirect -dot- com (416)363-6692 fax (416)363-4987
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