What's An EPROM?

I would like to know what EPROMs are and what they are used for.

Bob Cullen

EPROM stands for Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory. EPROMs are memory chips which can "remember" programs even when the computer's power is switched off. Important machine language programs like the BASIC language or the computer's operating system are often permanently stored in ROM, but standard ROM can be programmed only once (when the chip is made). EPROMs, on the other hand, can be programmed by any computer user with a relatively simple peripheral device, the EPROM programmer. EPROMs can also be erased by exposing them to ultraviolet light. You could use an EPROM to store any machine language program you use frequently—even to make your own game cartridges.