What is a primary characteristic of Read-Only Memory?

Read-Only Memory (ROM) is characterized primarily by its use for storing firmware, which is the software that provides low-level control for a device's specific hardware. Firmware is typically permanent, meaning it's written into the ROM during manufacturing and is not intended to be modified frequently, if at all. This stability makes ROM ideal for storing essential programs that need to be reliably retrieved each time a device powers up, such as a computer's boot process or embedded systems in appliances.

The other options do not align with the defining characteristic of ROM. Users do not have the ability to modify the data in ROM freely, and the information stored there is not easily altered as it is designed to be permanent. Additionally, ROM does not require the computer to be online for its data to be accessed, as it retains its content even when the power is off. These aspects solidify the role of ROM in computing as a secure and stable form of memory for essential operations.