RAM (random access memory) is a component of every computer system, from tiny embedded controllers to enterprise servers. In the form of SRAM (static RAM) or DRAM (dynamic RAM), it’s where data is held temporarily while some kind of processor operates on it. But as the price of RAM falls, the model of shuttling data to and from big persistent storage and RAM may no longer hold.

RAM is highly susceptible to market fluctuations, but the long-term price trend is steadily downward. Historically, as recently as 2000 a gigabyte of memory cost over $1,000 (£800 in those days); today, it’s just under $5 (~£5). That opens up very different ways of thinking about system architecture.