These are combined in a rectangular array to form the random-access memory (RAM) familiar to home computer users. The binary digits that make up this memory are called "bits," and typical large-scale integrated (LSI) circuit memory chips have over 16,000 bits of static memory. Dynamic memory cells use capacitors to send memory to a selected cell or to "write" to that cell. Very-large-scale chips with 256,000 bits per chip were made beginning in the 1980s, and dynamic memory made these possible because of its high density.
Microprocessors have replaced combinations of switching and timing circuits. They are programmed to perform sets of tasks and a wider variety of logic functions. Electronic games and digital watches are examples of microprocessor systems. Digital methods have revolutionized music, library storage, medical electronics, and high definition television, among thousands of other tools that influence our lives daily. Future changes to socalled "computer architecture" are directed at greater speed; ultra-high-speed computers may operate by using superconducting circuits that operate at extremely cold temperatures, and integrated circuits that house hundreds of thousands of electronic components on one chip may be commonplace on our desktops.
