Memory and Storage

 Storage Is "Non-Volatile"

Storage comprises hard drives and solid state drives (SSDs), which hold programs and data. The primary attribute of storage is that it retains its content when the power is turned off. USB drives and optical discs are also storage.

Memory (RAM) Is "Volatile"

Memory is made up of "random access memory" (RAM) chips, which are upgradable by the user in a desktop computer but not in a phone or tablet. In contrast to storage, memory (RAM) loses all of its content when the power is turned off. 

To cover all bases (and add some confusion), there actually are RAM chips that are non-volatile. They serve as both storage and RAM in remote sensors and similar devices but not as the main memory in computers, phones and tablets

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and Smartphones

Storage to RAM 

When application is run, the software and data are copied from storage to RAM (reading). The software instructions are executed in RAM to process the data. The updated data may be displayed or printed and then copied back to storage (writing). 

Why the Confusion?

The problem with these terms is that many storage devices today use "flash memory" chips (see below). Consequently, people think storage and memory are the same. To avoid confusion, refer to "storage" and "RAM" rather than storage and memory.