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Why ROM?

Peter123

Peter123

Android Enthusiast
I am puzzled a bit about terminology:

We keep saying ROM upgrade, etc, but in fact a ROM rom cannot be upgraded, its content cannot be changed. ROM stands for Read Only Memory. (A ROM is like a book that you can only read, it content is fixed at manufacturing...)

Perhaps what would be more correct to say it is Non-volatile memory that
unlike RAM (Random Access Memory), does not loose its content when powered down, but its content can be changed (unlike ROMs.) Such tybe of memory devices are used to store BIOS info in computers.

I guess what we call the smarphone's ROM is most likely similar to the USB flash-drives or the BIOS chip I mentioned ...

Peter
 
the way you put it...i see your point. but its a update/upgrade to the read only memory currently on the phone.
 
If it is a misnomer, is it as bad as people thinking "IBM" is synonymous with "PC" so people say "IBMs are better than Macs." I remember, I had convinced the majority of my third grade class that IBM was PC and we all ganged up on the one guy that was actually a Mac whiz (at the age of nine or so) and tried to prove him wrong.

Just goes to show, just because everyone says or does something, doesn't mean it's right.
 
ROMs can be changed, reflashed, etc. Just need special permissions. It's like the tab on an old casette tape. If you cover the tab on top, it can't be changed or recorded over. Get it? :)
 
Nowadays, ROM has become synonymous with ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (erasable/programable ROM, [you have to use a EPROM burner to erase and program]) and EEPROM (electronically EPROM [i.e. flash memory, can be programmed in place, without removal]). For the most part, when you hear about flashing the rom, it's really just flash memory, i.e. memory that holds it's state even when power is removed. It acts like ROM but can be changed like RAM, just not nearly as fast.

Doc
 
@Peter

I understand your point. I "Cook ROMs" for WinMo and Android OS, and I think that its just a matter or termonology.
I somethimes refer to a ROM upgrade as you have pointed out, I know its incorrect to say it like that, but it is really out of laziness...lol.
If I were to state it correctly to a layman, I would then have to answer questions and explain lots of times....
I should just copy and past your post...lol...
 
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