Pronounced
pee-ram, short for
parameter RAM. On
Macintosh computers, PRAM is a small portion of
RAM used to
store information about the way the
system is
configured. For example, parameter RAM holds the date and time,
desktop pattern,
mouse settings, volume settings, and other control
data set with
control panels. Parameter RAM is powered by a battery, so it does not lose its contents when the power is turned off.