Chapter 1, Problem 1E

How does a computer’s main memory differ from its auxiliary memory?

Explanation of Solution

Difference between main memory and auxiliary memory:

 

Main memory	Auxiliary memory
It is directly accessible by the CPU.	It is not directly accessible by CPU
It contains the data to be processed by the computer and holds the result of the calculations.	Data which needs to be stored permanently is kept in the secondary memory
It is volatile in nature.	Auxiliary memory is non-volatile.
It could be accessed by the data bus.	It could be accessed by the input-output channels.
Data could be accessed in a faster rate.	Data accessed by the secondary memory is slower.
It is made up of semiconductors	It is made of magnetic and optical material.