OS Memory Requirements
Random access memory (RAM) is a limited resource that is taken over by one OS when that OS runs. Therefore, there is no need to add more RAM when you add a new OS unless your new OS requires more RAM than does your old OS.
As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, it is possible to supplement RAM with disk space by using an OS's support for swap space (which is also known as virtual memory). Swap space is slow, however, so all other things being equal, it is better to have more memory than less memory with more available swap space.
Memory Requirements for Various OSs
Table 21.1 summarizes the memory requirements of various OSs. Most modern OSs require a minimum of somewhere between 8MB and 16MB of RAM, but ...
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