Apple Macintosh 6500 - Manual (Page 68)

Increasing memory available to run applications
You can increase the memory available to run your application programs by
changing virtual memory settings.
Virtual memory uses space on your computer’s hard disk to create extra
random-access memory (RAM) to run your applications. Virtual memory
allows your computer to run more applications at the same time, and to have
more windows open at the same time, but it can result in slightly slower
performance. Also, some application programs may not perform optimally
when virtual memory is turned on.
To turn virtual memory on or off, use the Memory control panel. See the
“Memory” topic area of Macintosh Guide (or Mac OS Guide), available in the
Guide (h) menu for more information.
Note: If you turn on both virtual memory and the RAM disk in the Memory
control panel, don’t set both of them at or near their maximum values. Doing
so can result in unpredictable or reduced performance by your computer. A
RAM disk uses RAM as if it were a hard disk. See the “Memory” topic area
of Macintosh Guide (or Mac OS Guide), available in the Guide (h) menu for
more information.
Backing up your files
When you have a valuable paper document like a birth certificate, you
probably make an extra copy of it for safekeeping. Similarly, you should make
copies of the documents you create on your computer. The extra copy is
called a backup, and the process of making the copy is called backing up.
Once you have a backup, you’re protected from accidentally losing the
information on your hard disk. In the unlikely event that something happens
to your hard disk, you can easily get the information back.
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