1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,600 Many of the tech terms we're very familiar with today actually come from ancient times. 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:10,640 Well, maybe not ancient, but perhaps ancient in computer years. Today, we're going to talk about 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:16,560 the origins of some of these commonplace terms, starting with RAM. RAM stands for Random Access 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,200 Memory. But how exactly does that make sense? When you're using your computer, it doesn't 5 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,280 pick the data you're trying to access randomly. So what's with the name? Well, 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:33,680 RAM originally contrasted with sequential access memory, I say memory, or SAM, meaning that the 7 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:39,040 system had to go through the storage medium in sequence until it found what it wanted. 8 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:45,840 Magnetic tape, delay line memory, and drum memory are examples of this. The random in Random Access 9 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:51,040 refers to how your PC doesn't have to search through the physical media in order whenever 10 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,840 the user requests something. It can instead just go right to the relevant data directly. 11 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:01,440 Solid state media is a great example of this. Modern RAM sticks are solid state, but SSDs are 12 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:06,640 also technically a form of random access memory. Although we don't refer to SSDs as such, their 13 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,760 random access nature is a big part of why they're so fast compared to old mechanical spinning hard 14 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:17,680 drives. And of course, working memory, which we refer to as RAM today, is very fast, allowing 15 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,560 your system to access data from running programs way faster than it could from even the fastest 16 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:28,720 consumer SSDs. Although the word random isn't all that intuitive, it is still correct. But maybe a 17 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:34,480 better name would be Targeted Access Memory with that little dog for a mascot. Love that guy. 18 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,960 He's still alive. Next, let's examine the term chipset, you know, like you'd find on your mother 19 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:45,360 board. Originally, a chipset was indeed a set of chips that handled input and output to and from 20 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:50,080 the PC, as well as other functions. Early chipsets had separate chips for clock generation and 21 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,320 controlling interrupts so that your keyboard would work. However, these functions were soon 22 00:01:54,320 --> 00:02:00,400 integrated into the CPU itself. But the concept of a set of chips to handle IO still remained, 23 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,600 as eventually chipsets consolidated into a Northbridge and a Southbridge. The former connected 24 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:11,040 directly to the CPU, as well as performance sensitive components like PCIe slots and RAM, 25 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:16,640 while the latter, the Southbridge, provided connectivity for most other devices, such as USB 26 00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:22,800 and audio controllers. But these days, having multiple chips in a chipset isn't very common, 27 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:29,200 as many components either directly connect to the CPU die or go through a single chip we refer to 28 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:35,920 as a chipset. Intel specifically uses the term platform controller hub or PCH. And maybe AMD 29 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:40,560 should just adopt that term too. Because if there's anything this hobby needs, it's more acronyms. 30 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:46,560 But there's another old term that might be the most surprising of all. Did you know that PC 31 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:52,400 is actually a brand name? Or at least it was originally. It seems weird since PC or personal 32 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:57,360 computer makes tons of sense intuitively. It's a computer and it's designed for one person. 33 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:02,400 But the modern term PC has its roots in the IBM personal computer, 34 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:09,040 capital P and capital C. That was released back in 1981. Now, to be clear, the IBM PC wasn't the 35 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:13,920 first machine in history to be referred to as a personal computer, but the modern PC descended 36 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:19,280 from the architectures used in that original IBM PC. Not only was it popular in its own right, 37 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:25,360 but rival companies like Compaq reverse engineered the IBM PC's BIOS, leading to a large number of 38 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:30,720 PC compatible clones hitting the market and further fueling the platform's popularity. 39 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:35,600 This led to the term PC becoming less of a brand designator and more of a term to describe a set 40 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:41,920 of standards common in the marketplace. During the 1990s, the term Wintel served a similar function, 41 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:46,800 designating a PC compatible system with an Intel processor and Windows operating system 42 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:52,720 pre-installed. But PC remains the dominant term for any computer with an x86-based CPU, 43 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:58,160 especially after Apple's famous I'm a PC and I'm a Mac ad campaign, which helped solidify 44 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:03,680 PC as a synonym for a certain class of device that Apple's machines are not. 45 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,440 So although it was originally a brand name, it kind of served the same fate as Kleenex, 46 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:12,720 Thermos, and Xerox, even more ironic considering the latter failed in the computer market. 47 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:19,360 So should we be calling new Qualcomm ARM-based devices PCs even if they're not x86? 48 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,360 Let us know your opinion in the comments and if you want to know why circuit boards are green, 49 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,880 usually go watch this video next.