Although early computers such as EDSAC made successful use of mercury delay line memory, the technology had several drawbacks; it was heavy, it was expensive, and it did not allow data to be accessed randomly.
Deși primele calculatoare cum ar fi CSIRAC au utilizat cu succes memoriile cu linii de întârziere cu mercur, această tehnologie avea câteva dezavantaje; memoriile erau grele, costisitoare, și nu permiteau accesul aleator.