A RAM disk is an odd application of memory: it is, in essence, memory (RAM) applied in usage as a hard drive. In other words, part of the RAM storage is actually used as a volume, as a kind of second hard drive. A block of memory is set aside and is used as a disk in a setting involving a RAM disk. The result is a drive with "memory speed". Because memory is faster than the typical hard drive (instantaneous and electronical instead of slow and mechanically pokey), access to the RAM disk is very quick, and operations on documents on the RAM disk is lightening.