Final answer:
Computer memory technologies, such as DIMMs for desktops and SO-DIMMs for laptops, operate comparably to human memory processes, with sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory mirroring the stages of data processing and storage in computers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Memory in computing refers to the physical devices used to store programs or data on a temporary or permanent basis for use in a computer or other digital electronic device. Similar to human cognitive processes, computer memory involves various stages and types, such as sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory.
Desktop computers typically use DIMMs (Dual In-line Memory Modules) whereas laptops often use SO-DIMMs (Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Modules) to accommodate their more compact form factors. Memory technology like DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) is stored on these modules. Each type of memory serves a particular function within the computer, akin to how sensory, short-term, and long-term memory function in cognitive processes. Storage technology, like memory cards in digital cameras, uses formats such as SD, MS, xD, and CF, measured from MB to GB in capacity, highlighting the variety of storage solutions.
The analogy between human memory and computer memory is a useful way to understand how data is processed and stored in machines. Human memory works through stages that are structurally and functionally similar to how computers move data from temporary registers to more permanent storage forms, ultimately resembling our human memory system as proposed in Atkinson and Shiffrin's model.