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ROM Last modified: Friday, February 08, 2002
Pronounced rahm, acronym for read-only memory, computer memory on which data has been prerecorded. Once data has been written onto a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read. Unlike main memory (RAM), ROM retains its contents even when the computer is turned off. ROM is referred to as being nonvolatile, whereas RAM is volatile. Most personal computers contain a small amount of ROM that stores critical programs such as the program that boots the computer. In addition, ROMs are used extensively in calculators and peripheral devices such as laser printers, whose fonts are often stored in ROMs. A variation of a ROM is a PROM (programmable read-only memory). PROMs are manufactured as blank chips on which data can be written with a special device called a PROM programmer .
Memory Technology Types Describes the main types of memory used in PCs (ROM, RAM, SRAM, and DRAM) and how they differ from each other. This page is from "The PC Guide".	Related Categories Memory Related Terms BIOS boot EEPROM firmware FRAM memory PROM RAM Shopping ROM Products Compare Products,Prices and Stores Shop by Category: Computer Games 5653 Model Matches Laptops 2576 Model Matches DVD Drives 453 Model Matches CD ROM Drives 529 Model Matches Servers 1565 Model Matches