Many of the tech terms we're very familiar with today actually come from ancient times.
Well, maybe not ancient, but perhaps ancient in computer years. Today, we're going to talk about
the origins of some of these commonplace terms, starting with RAM. RAM stands for Random Access
Memory. But how exactly does that make sense? When you're using your computer, it doesn't
pick the data you're trying to access randomly. So what's with the name? Well,
RAM originally contrasted with sequential access memory, I say memory, or SAM, meaning that the
system had to go through the storage medium in sequence until it found what it wanted.
Magnetic tape, delay line memory, and drum memory are examples of this. The random in Random Access
refers to how your PC doesn't have to search through the physical media in order whenever
the user requests something. It can instead just go right to the relevant data directly.
Solid state media is a great example of this. Modern RAM sticks are solid state, but SSDs are
also technically a form of random access memory. Although we don't refer to SSDs as such, their
random access nature is a big part of why they're so fast compared to old mechanical spinning hard
drives. And of course, working memory, which we refer to as RAM today, is very fast, allowing
your system to access data from running programs way faster than it could from even the fastest
consumer SSDs. Although the word random isn't all that intuitive, it is still correct. But maybe a
better name would be Targeted Access Memory with that little dog for a mascot. Love that guy.
He's still alive. Next, let's examine the term chipset, you know, like you'd find on your mother
board. Originally, a chipset was indeed a set of chips that handled input and output to and from
the PC, as well as other functions. Early chipsets had separate chips for clock generation and
controlling interrupts so that your keyboard would work. However, these functions were soon
integrated into the CPU itself. But the concept of a set of chips to handle IO still remained,
as eventually chipsets consolidated into a Northbridge and a Southbridge. The former connected
directly to the CPU, as well as performance sensitive components like PCIe slots and RAM,
while the latter, the Southbridge, provided connectivity for most other devices, such as USB
and audio controllers. But these days, having multiple chips in a chipset isn't very common,
as many components either directly connect to the CPU die or go through a single chip we refer to
as a chipset. Intel specifically uses the term platform controller hub or PCH. And maybe AMD
should just adopt that term too. Because if there's anything this hobby needs, it's more acronyms.
But there's another old term that might be the most surprising of all. Did you know that PC
is actually a brand name? Or at least it was originally. It seems weird since PC or personal
computer makes tons of sense intuitively. It's a computer and it's designed for one person.
But the modern term PC has its roots in the IBM personal computer,
capital P and capital C. That was released back in 1981. Now, to be clear, the IBM PC wasn't the
first machine in history to be referred to as a personal computer, but the modern PC descended
from the architectures used in that original IBM PC. Not only was it popular in its own right,
but rival companies like Compaq reverse engineered the IBM PC's BIOS, leading to a large number of
PC compatible clones hitting the market and further fueling the platform's popularity.
This led to the term PC becoming less of a brand designator and more of a term to describe a set
of standards common in the marketplace. During the 1990s, the term Wintel served a similar function,
designating a PC compatible system with an Intel processor and Windows operating system
pre-installed. But PC remains the dominant term for any computer with an x86-based CPU,
especially after Apple's famous I'm a PC and I'm a Mac ad campaign, which helped solidify
PC as a synonym for a certain class of device that Apple's machines are not.
So although it was originally a brand name, it kind of served the same fate as Kleenex,
Thermos, and Xerox, even more ironic considering the latter failed in the computer market.
So should we be calling new Qualcomm ARM-based devices PCs even if they're not x86?
Let us know your opinion in the comments and if you want to know why circuit boards are green,
usually go watch this video next.