Is an external hard drive RAM or ROM?

Question

I thought RAM can be read, erased, and written over by the cpu. An external hard drive is only read by the cpu. If the user wants it to be erased or written over, they have to do it himself/herself.

So, is the distinction between RAM and ROM dependent on whether it's the cpu or the user that alters the contents?

And what about the types of memory that the user can't alter - the critical computer instructions - that are burnt into the main memory. Is that just a different type of memory all together, or is it a subset or ROM?

I'm kind of confused and I can't find the exact answer to my question online. Any help would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

You are right RAM can be erased and ROM can't (without proper equipment). The difference between memory (RAM or ROM) and hard drives (external or internal) is that memory is based on memory chips where are most drives are based on metal technology (and other components) that are used to store data.



All of them are doing the same thing but differ in how they do their job. Wikipedia has a really good definition of storage that may help use.



When talking about Computer instructions I think you are asking about the Bios, which is similar to ROM but stored in a chip that can be updated. Again with proper tools and instructions.



There are computer instructions, the basic "machine" level language that the processor knows how to execute. All software you run eventually gets distilled down to that at run time. That language is actually kept internal to the CPU itself (or how to process it is).



Hope that helps. Try these wiki articles as they give you really good information.

Answer 2

Well, i should say its neither ROM nor RAM because ROM reads only memory which you cannot edit, delete or add and RAM can edit, add or delete.

RAM and external hard disk are almost having the same function except for RAM that memory only remain temporarily while the computer is switched on and loose when switched off. External HDD doesn't loose its memory even if the computer is switched off.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

RAM and ROM are to do with memory, and your external HDD is not classed as memory in computer terms, it is classed as storage, memory is the thing that the computer uses to process information along with the processor, your HDD dosnt do this



So it is neither

Answer 5

and external hard drive isn't ram or rom. rom is the working memory of you're computer. adding more ram usually in general results in you're computer going faster. rom is the memory that's burnt into you're computer that can't be changed. it gives you're computer instructions on what to do when you turn on you're computer.

Answer 6

http://www.zerocut.com/tech/c_terms.html