Don’t Trade – Upgrade Your Computer Memory Advises Data Memory Systems

The speed at which technology is progressing in this modern digital era often means that laptops or PCs purchased just twelve months ago can now seem dated and their performance sluggish. Other factors including the constant influx of data which is stored and removed, and the installation of new programs, drivers and software can often cause computer to feel old and lethargic. In many cases, this can prompt users to consider buying a whole new unit in order to achieve the fast loading times and great performance that they enjoyed when their computer was brand new. However, there are ways in which a computer’s performance can be enhanced and brought back to the days it was brand new, with a simple computer memory upgrade.

The reason that computers perform at a much higher level when they are first purchased is because they are generally sold with enough RAM memory to run at their optimum level without any extra software installations and without masses of data to store and retrieve. Running multiple programs at the same time starts out as a breeze, whilst high-resolution computer games and large downloads can be completed with ease. As more files are added, the hard drive of the computer begin to fill up, and soon enough, running more than one program and attempting to download in the background can be a tortuous process.  In this situation, rather than trade in the entire unit in an effort to replicate the fast loading times and data transfer that was so efficient at the start, the most sensible option is to upgrade the RAM memory.

Upgrading the RAM memory is one of the best ways to give a computer a substantial performance boost. Even adding an extra 2GB or 4GB of RAM is enough to see significant results where performance and running speed is concerned. One of the rules of thumb where it comes to RAM upgrades is to measure the amount of Apple or PC memory that is currently free; if it is less than 10% of the total RAM memory installed, then it is time for an upgrade. For example, if a computer has 4GB of RAM installed and the computer specification says that there is just 400MB left, it is time to splash out on an upgrade to get the unit back to peak condition once more.

The whole process doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming. Finding the right memory solution for each laptop or PC model is simple, and can make the process of upgrading a computer quick and painless. Once installed, the unit will be restored to its former glory, and all for much less than the time and money it would cost to trade in or exchange for a newer model.

One More Step Towards Quantum Computer

A breakthrough by scientists at the prestigious Yale University could pave the way for computer manufacturers to manipulate microwave signals in order to create the world's first quantum computer at some point in the future. Upon its invention, the incredibly powerful tool would revolutionize the processing of information within computers both corporate and domestic, speeding up computing in general and changing the face of computer memory entirely.

The computers of today store information as 'bits'; with each bit containing either a '1' or a '0'. Quantum computers are built on entirely different principles; they store information as 'qubits', which can store a '1', a '0', or any combination of '1' and '0' simultaneously. One 'qubit' is able to hold 20% '1' and 80% '0', for example. A quantum computer which consisted entirely of qubits with this capacity could carry out incredibly complicated calculations and tasks that would be far beyond the realms of capability for even the most advanced computers on the planet today.

The breakthrough by Yale researchers is primarily concerned with photons, the very smallest unit of microwave signals; these serve as the quantum computer's memory. To compare it with a regular computer, the photons would be the equivalent of the RAM memory. They can carry quantum information for a very long time once they have been encoded, as the relatively low level of interaction with substances around them (air, wires and cables) means the information will not be absorbed and lost. Previously, this was one of the major hurdles that those researching quantum computing had to overcome; they needed to create photons which had the ability to store information reliably without ending up altering or deleting it.

According to a paper, researchers at Yale have created an artificial medium which causes photons to repel other photos. This allows for efficient coding of quantum information without tricky control techniques that would only be found in laboratories. Essentially, the team have found a way to temporarily make photons 'writeable', before switching them back to a stable state, thus enabling future scientists to make a sort of 'quantum RAM' from these photons.

Further developments can be taken and improved upon as a result of this groundbreaking study, allowing for additional advancement towards the world's first quantum computer in the future. If scientists can discover a way to make quantum memory reliable and viable for manufacture, it will transform the world of Mac and PC memory that we know forever.

To browse a range of Data Memory Systems’ hard drives and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

A Brief History of Computer Memory & Storage

Modern computers might be packed full of the fastest and most powerful computer memory  and storage solutions ever, with 2TB hard drives and 4GB of RAM a common feature and dual-SSD drives becoming more and more prevalent, but computer memory was not always so effective. From floppy disks to flash drives, and from magnetic tape to complex hard drives which use magnetic forces to function, the evolution of computer memory has been rapid. This guide takes a look at some of the seminal moments in memory development.

The evolution of computer memory began hundreds of years ago with a humble invention; the punch card. Invented in the 19^th century by Herman Hollerith, who would go on to be a founder of IBM, paper punch machines were at one point churning out up to 10 million punch cards each day. They were a primitive form of storing and accessing data, and were used to complete census reports in the US, before giving way to magnetic tape as recently as the 1970s.

Magnetic tape was a huge leap in data storage; it could store vast amounts of data over a long period of time on an oxide coated half-inch piece of tape. A single reel could hold data equivalent to 10,000 punch cards, changing the computer industry forever. Magnetic storage is still used effectively in this way; reels are now available with capacity of up to 1TB, and they are widely used for archiving purposes, as well as creating back-ups of a high volume. 

The very first DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) chip was developed in 1968 by Lee Boysel, and two years later, Intel went on to realize the first mass-produced DRAM device to the public. It quickly became the world’s best-selling semiconductor chip, and DRAM began to overtake magnetic core memory in the latter half of the 1970s. Workplaces and individuals who had access to computers were suddenly offered the opportunity to store large amounts of information on a single chap, rather than a card or a reel of tape.

Floppy disks were an incredibly popular form of PC storage solution from the 1970s onwards, and they came in various different guises, decreasing in size each time. The term ‘floppy’ was derived from the old 8-inch disks, which were nothing more than a strip of magnetic film covered by a layer of protective plastic, making them fairly bendy. The 5.25-inch and the 3-inch floppy disks came later, with the latter providing one of the prevalent forms of data storage of the 1990s. No longer particularly floppy, and much more durable than their predecessors, these disks are still used as a storage method today.

In the digital era we live in now, the computer storage market is dominated by hard disk drives and SSDs (solid-state drives), both of which utilize innovations that came to light as a result of inventions such as the punch card and the floppy disk. Hard disk drives utilize rotating magnetic platters in order to record and retrieve data, whilst SSDs favor NAND flash memory, which runs faster but has a lower memory capacity. The options available to those searching for memory solutions nowadays are plentiful and expansive, and they are all thanks to the developments which started back in the 1700s with a humble punch card.

To browse Data Memory Systems’ full product range and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com