Today, most desktop computers are loaded with memory, many of the higher-end options providing anywhere between 10 and 40 gigabytes! This means that massive files can be saved to the hard drive without bogging down the system. Each file saved to the hard drive consists of bytes, which are generally characters such as ASCII codes. However, the type of characters depends on the task being asked of the computer. As an example, if you want to save a JPEG or GIF file, bytes would be seen as colored pixels. However, if you were booting up a software program, the bytes might be instructions to get the file in operation.

For most people, the subject of memory, such as Newton memory is confusing but it does not have to be. Remember that every hard drive performs a task. This performance is measured in one of three ways. First is seek time, which is how much time it takes for the CPU to ask for a file and the time when the first file byte is sent. Second is data rate. In this case, the measurement is the number of bytes per second your computer’s hard drive can handle sending to the CPU. Third, you have the actual capacity of the hard drive, or the volume of bytes it can accommodate. Typically, the greater amount of memory the faster the process, thus the faster the computer. As an example, if you want something with ample storage and speed, then Brio memory or Libretto memory of four gigabytes would be far better than 256 megabytes.