WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.600 Many of the tech terms we're very familiar with today actually come from ancient times. 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 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:16.560 the origins of some of these commonplace terms, starting with RAM. RAM stands for Random Access 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 00:00:21.200 --> 00:00:25.280 pick the data you're trying to access randomly. So what's with the name? Well, 00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:33.680 RAM originally contrasted with sequential access memory, I say memory, or SAM, meaning that the 00:00:33.680 --> 00:00:39.040 system had to go through the storage medium in sequence until it found what it wanted. 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 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 00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:55.840 the user requests something. It can instead just go right to the relevant data directly. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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 00:01:45.360 --> 00:01:50.080 the PC, as well as other functions. Early chipsets had separate chips for clock generation and 00:01:50.080 --> 00:01:54.320 controlling interrupts so that your keyboard would work. However, these functions were soon 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, 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:05.600 as eventually chipsets consolidated into a Northbridge and a Southbridge. The former connected 00:02:05.600 --> 00:02:11.040 directly to the CPU, as well as performance sensitive components like PCIe slots and RAM, 00:02:11.040 --> 00:02:16.640 while the latter, the Southbridge, provided connectivity for most other devices, such as USB 00:02:16.640 --> 00:02:22.800 and audio controllers. But these days, having multiple chips in a chipset isn't very common, 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 00:02:29.200 --> 00:02:35.920 as a chipset. Intel specifically uses the term platform controller hub or PCH. And maybe AMD 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. 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 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 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. 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:02.400 But the modern term PC has its roots in the IBM personal computer, 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 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 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, 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 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:30.720 PC compatible clones hitting the market and further fueling the platform's popularity. 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 00:03:35.600 --> 00:03:41.920 of standards common in the marketplace. During the 1990s, the term Wintel served a similar function, 00:03:41.920 --> 00:03:46.800 designating a PC compatible system with an Intel processor and Windows operating system 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:52.720 pre-installed. But PC remains the dominant term for any computer with an x86-based CPU, 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 00:03:58.160 --> 00:04:03.680 PC as a synonym for a certain class of device that Apple's machines are not. 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, 00:04:07.440 --> 00:04:12.720 Thermos, and Xerox, even more ironic considering the latter failed in the computer market. 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? 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, 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:26.880 usually go watch this video next.