INTERNET Q & A: Brought to you by CNN.COM

<p>Q: What is Cache? Does this term only apply to the Internet? </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A: Pronounced "cash", it is the short-term memory used by your desktop </p><p>computer. During a typical user session, the cache memory function in </p><p>your computer stores the most recently downloaded information where it </p><p>can be accessed quickly. For example, if you are using a Web browser </p><p>like Netscape Netvigator, your cache will store temporarily to your hard </p><p>drive the pages, images, sounds and URLs of websites you visit. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This allows you to use the forward and backward buttons to visit pages </p><p>you have visited recently without having to download the information </p><p>from the Internet to your computer again. Because accessing your </p><p>computer's hard disk is much faster than accessing the Internet, this </p><p>speeds up Web browsing significantly. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>