Your computer needs a nap

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt Kyle Massey
  • 86th Communications Squadron
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Your computer is your friend, confidant, procrastination enabler and productivity partner. It can be moody at times, but the trait we usually notice most about our digital partner is its speed.

Like us, computers tend to slow down after working for long periods of time. Ever wonder why? Apps or programs on your computer require memory to do their work, so let's think of programs or apps as toddlers, a computer as a daycare worker and memory as toys.

At the start of the day, the daycare worker passes out toys to the toddlers. The toddlers play and have fun, but they want more toys. The daycare worker provides, but is starting to run out of toys as soon as more children arrive.

The daycare worker is struggling to find more toys for the children who recently arrived, but the toddlers from earlier do not want to share. The daycare worker is taking longer to complete or even start other duties because time is being spent finding extra toys to please the other children.

If only there was some way to get the toys back and share them amongst all the children and toddlers. The daycare worker decides it is nap time for everyone.

When all the toddlers and children who arrived fall asleep for a nap, the daycare worker collects the toys. The toys are handed out again among all the children when they wake up with no trouble from the toddlers who had them earlier. After the nap, all the toddlers and children who arrived later are happy and sharing a toy.

Programs, apps and computers need breaks or naps to get things back in order sometimes. The way we do that is through a restart or logging off our computer at the end of the day.

This allows the computer to grab all the toys or memory lent to the un-sharing toddlers or programs, so after the break it can share everything equally and get back to working properly.

There you have it. Your computer needs a restart once in a while to share memory fairly to your programs and apps. It is essential to keeping your computer speedy.