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