Computer memory: abacus to DRAM

Basic concepts of the first computer memory, the abacus, and the current DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) are discussed. The abacus was the main memory for the first electronic digital computer, the ABC (Atanasoff-Berry Computer). Built between 1939 and 1942, the ABC was a special-purpose machine designed to solve a system of linear algebraic equations. The similarities and differences between these two computer memories separated by over 30 years are highlighted.<
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