there once was a time when somebody could set up part of their PC memory
for a RAMdisk to be used like a disk drive.
does anybody do this anymore ? or can this Not be set up anymore ?
JW:
Why are RAM disks rarely needed?
A RAM disk is a virtual disk, created by software including a
special driver, that uses the computer's RAM (Random Access
Memory, main memory) to store its data.
Advantage
* Speed – a RAM disk is extremely fast.
Disadvantages
* Small size – a RAM disk is of limited size, because RAM is
expensive.
* Memory reduction – a RAM disk steals memory from other uses
and blocks it permanently, even when it is not being used.
* Volatility – a RAM disk loses all its contents when the
operating system is shut down.
As has already been written, RAM disk software is readily and
freely available. (See
http://www.google.com/search?q=ram-disk+windows .)
However, few people actually use a RAM disk to their advantage.
The main reason is that Windows already uses all unused RAM as a
disk cache, so you already get RAM-disk-like access without
doing anything.
By installing a RAM disk, you can easily get into a situation
that is akin to stealing the diamonds from your wife and selling
them back to her for a higher price. (It makes some business
sense if your wife is independently rich, but not otherwise.
That said, there are, of course, some situations in which a RAM
disk is useful. These situations all have in common that you're
using badly designed or obsolete software that does not use the
available resources efficiently. This can sometimes be
compensated by using a RAM disk. (Good software of course
already uses RAM where RAM is better suited to the task, without
having to resort to a RAM disk.)
Hans-Georg
