Read Only Memory
From Unofficial BOINC Wiki
[edit] General
Memory component where the contents are not changed in the normal course of computer operations. In other words, a permanent store of information that does not change when power is removed from the computer system. Read Only Memory is used to store information and programs like the BIOS.
The most common version of memory that the normal user comes in contact with is the BIOS, which is actually stored in a variant version of Read Only Memory called EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). In the very early days the BIOS code was actually in Read Only Memory that could not be changed but the sheer difficulty and cost of changing defective Read Only Memory BIOS chips became too expensive for the manufacturers of motherboards and system integrators.
Contrary to most peoples belief, Read Only Memory is actually also random-access memory, in that each and every location can be accessed with no difference in access times, the only difference between what we call Random Access Memory and Read Only Memory is that those components that are called Read Only Memory cannot have their contents changed.
