Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!agate!ucbvax!DUCVAX.AUBURN.EDU!FVEST From: FVEST@DUCVAX.AUBURN.EDU (Floyd Vest) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech Subject: Re: Static vs. static column vs. dynamic vs. ??? Message-ID: <9011291839.AA06215@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: 29 Nov 90 08:14:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Lines: 36 Andrew Phillips wrote: >In article <183539cc.ARN0ccd@Chucla.CAM.ORG> stephane@Chucla.CAM.ORG writes: >> Not so long ago I remember reading about a new kind of RAM, called >>FRAM. It looked like a new technology but then again, I don't know >>much about memories... The authors of the paper (Sorry, I can't remember >>who they were) basically stated that their FRAMs were similar to a EEPROM, >>but with reads and writes at DRAM speed. >Yes, FRAM is non-volatile RAM. I believe the technology is not very >mature with only very small capacity chips currently shipping >(16Kb?). Also FRAM is much more radiation hardened which has caused >a lot of military interest. >> This memory, if available, would make a great replacement for ROM/EPROM >>chips or true recoverable ram disks. >There will always be a (small?) need for non-writeable memory and ROM >will probably always be cheaper to produce. But FRAM will eventually >do away with the need for hard disks. Given past development cycles, you are looking at 1995-96 before dense enough chips are produced to seriously challenge today's HD. However, that may not be enough...by that time you will be competing with magneto-optical drives with Terrabyte capacities. DRAM technology should be providing chips in the 32-64Mb range. One market that will avail itself...hand-held instruments--computers, games, elctronic books, and telephone. Another application would be the ease with which operating system upgrades could be made [Call 1-900-AMIGA3.0--$49.95 (19.2/38.4/154 KB)]. Any idea who is developing FRAM? Could be an investment here :-) -- Floyd Vest Auburn University ##### fvest@ducvax.auburn.edu ##### +1 205 844 4512 Auburn, Alabama USA FIDO: 1:3613/3