The Tribune

By DEIDRE BASTIAN

HAVE you ever walked out of a Mall and completely forgotten where you parked? Walked into a store and not remembered what you went there to buy? Or walked into a room and forgot why you were there?

If these things happened to you at the age of 20, can you imagine what happens at 40? Could this be the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease or senior moments? Perhaps you might consider asking your doctor for more memory.

Nowadays it is commonplace to compare the human brain to a computer, but since the development of the computer in the 1940s, memory is used to describe its capacity .

Today we will discuss the difference between the memory and hard disk space. But first, let me ask: Is your laptop too slow in handling your design work? Are you considering a new computer? Not so fast. I suspect an IT technician might not suggest a new computer, but rather “more disk space, or perhaps more memory”.

So, before you spend another dollar, ensure you understand the difference between Memory and Disk space because knowledge can save you time and money.There is definitely a distinction between both components.

Let me explain: Memory and hard disk space are two of the most widely-confused terms in the computing world. To understand how your computer space works, you must first know the differences.

‘MEMORY’: RAM or (Random Access Memory) is pronounced like the name of a male sheep, and is made up of small memory chips installed in slots on the motherboard of your computer.

Memory is not the same as disk space and, just like human beings, computers rely a lot on memory to process and store data in digital form. This means the information can always be recalled exactly the way it was stored.

If your computer indicates “you need more memory”, you might want to upgrade your memory by investing in more RAM, which can effectively speed up your computer. Basically, the more memory space your computer has, the more applications it can run at once.

Furthermore, memory is necessary for intensive multitasking, gaming, photo and video editing, as well as more complex graphics programs to run smoothly.

Whenever a program is opened, it gets loaded from the hard drive into the RAM because reading data from the RAM is much faster than reading data from the hard drive without any time lag.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question: How much memory do I need? The answer is dependent on several factors, including what operating system you are using, and what you are using the computer for.

Typically, RAM has a very high speed, which is great for storing active programs and system processes. This is so because RAM access is based on electric charges, while the hard drive stores data magnetically without requiring any electrical power.

As a matter of fact, the RAM resets when the computer’s power is turned off, although your data stays on the drivef. This is an important distinction between the hard disk and RAM.

To check how much RAM a Windows computer has, open the ‘System’ Control Panel, right-click ‘My Computer’ and select ‘Properties...’ To view how much RAM is installed in a Macintosh computer, select ‘About This Mac’ from the Apple Menu.

HARD DISK SPACE: The hard drive, or disk space, which is slightly larger than your hand, can hold over 100 GB of data. Essentially, the disk space refers to how much space you have available on your hard disk for storing data.

For example, when you save a document or install a new program, it is stored on your hard disk. The more files downloaded, installed or saved on your hard disk, the fuller the space becomes.

Hard drive sizes are typically measured in gigabytes, such as a 160 GB or 250 GB drive. A gigabyte size is two to the 30th power, or 1,073,741,824 bytes. For example, if you have a 250 GB hard drive, you could say: “I have 250 gigs of disk space.”

Finally, even though memory for a PC is a bit different than how memory works in the human brain, one cool thing about computers is that RAM can be upgraded to match your growing needs.

So, if your computer is running slow and you are considering upgrading, ensure that you understand the distinction between both the hard disk space and memory components before expansion.

Until we meet again, fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

ABOUT COLUMNIST: Ms Bastian is a trained graphic designer who has qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas