[net.nlang] core memory

steve (02/23/83)

One of my favourite misused words in the computer vocabulary is `core'.
When I started in Computing Science there was only one type of main store
in common use, and that was the little round doughnut shaped objects
called cores. The bits were stored as magnetization on these iron cores.
Then came the semiconductor memories, these stored bits by charging a
capacitor (albeit a very small one) or in an bistable multivibrator (or
flip-flop). For some reason a large number of computer persons (especially
the newer generation) continued to use the word core to describe memories
built with this new technology even though the dictionary definition did
not apply. For your information "The Concise Oxford Dictionary" (1976)
gives the definition of core as:
	"Horny capsule containing seeds of apple, pear, etc.; central part
	cut out (esp. of rock etc. in boring); piece of soft iron
	forming center of electromagnet or induction coil; ... region
	of fissile material in nuclear reactor; unit of structure in
	computer, whose magnetization is reversible; central strand of
	rope, inner strand of electric cable."
You will notice that the traditional definition (before computers) bore
a similarity to the word core when used to describe the doughnuts of the
past. I do not think that the definition could (or should) be generalized 
to include the current memory technology. Any comments? I will collect
and summarize
	Steven Sutphen
	University of Alberta
	decvax!microsoft!ubc-vision!alberta!steve
	ubcvax!lbl-csam!uw-beaver!ubc-vision!alberta!steve

jss (02/24/83)

what we have now is people referring to the "core memory" differentiated
from "peripheral memory", which is consistent with the definition of
"core".
judith

debray (02/26/83)

I think it's OK to use the term "core" to refer to a computer's main memory,
even though it might offend a few purists. I don't think there are any
systems with ferrite core memories that are still operational, so it's not
all that likely to cause confusion. This is clearly just another case where
the meaning of a word has changed gradually with time to something quite
different from its original meaning (cf. "prove" in "the exception proves
the rule" : originally, "prove" meant something akin to "test", i.e. the
exception "tested" the rule, threw doubt on it).
Besides, it carries along with it, like the CAR and CDR of lisp, a little
bit of computer history. I think that's great!

						Saumya Debray
						SUNY @ Stony Brook