Classic Computer Magazine Archive COMPUTE! ISSUE 53 / OCTOBER 1984 / PAGE 10

READERS' FEEDBACK

The Editors and Readers of COMPUTE!

What's An EPROM?

I would like to know what an EPROM is. What can an EPROM do for my computer?

Scott Szurgot

An EPROM is a special kind of computer memory. Like ROM (Read Only Memory), it retains information even when the power is turned off. However, it can also be erased or changed, like RAM (Random Access Memory).

EPROM stands for Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory. It can be overwritten, but only by a special device called a burner.

The most frequent use of EPROMs is for creating cartridges at home. With an EPROM and an EPROM burner, the device that writes to the EPROM, you can store a frequently used program on the EPROM and put the EPROM on a cartridge board. Then every time you need to use the program, you can just plug it into the cartridge port. It will be immediately available.