9.2 Definition
When programmers think of memory, they usually focus on the main memory
found in a conventional computer. From the programmer’s point of view, the main
memory holds running programs as well as the data the programs use. As we will see,
however, memory has a much broader meaning that includes a variety of specialpurpose
memory devices such as the memory in a cell phone that holds an address book
of phone numbers, the memory that holds the program for an embedded processor, or
the memory in a digital camera that holds a set of images.
An architect views a memory as a solid-state digital device that provides storage
for data values. The next sections clarify the concept by examining the variety of possibilities.