Why Older Computers Get Slow

A computer that has a low-end processor, not one of the fastest ones on the market, is like a stereotypical 98-pound weakling. A high-end CPU is sort of like a Charles Atlas or Arnold Schwarzenegger, someone who is very strong -- a serious bodybuilder.

Think about those two people, the 98-pound weakling and the bodybuilder.

If either one of those two people carries a book across a room, there's no real advantage to being a bodybuilder. Either one of them can easily carry a book across a room.

However, if the person is instead trying to carry a big, 100-pound bag of cement, the 98-pound weakling might not be able to get across the room or might not even be able to pick it up.

If they can make it across the room, they're probably going to stagger slowly and barely make it across because they're trying to do something that's just too heavy and too big for them to do.

The bodybuilder, on the other hand, will obviously notice that the weight is more than a book, but they're going to be able to carry it across the room much more easily than the 98-pound weakling.

That's how you want to think about it. A high-end computer is like the bodybuilder. Your average-level computer is not the 98-pound weakling, but is like a normal, average person who is not particularly muscular.

They could easily carry a book across a room, but couldn't very easily, if at all, carry that huge bag of cement.

So what do I mean specifically? What's the cement? What's the book? Let me give you some examples.

Most people are doing a few things with their computer. They're writing, using a word processor like Word, or reading their emails.

They're looking at web pages, listening to some music, watching some little video like a DVD or looking at some photographs. Those are average things. Those are equivalent to carrying a book or something light across a room.

Any modern computer (desktop or laptop) can do those things, and so can a decent tablet or mobile device such as the Apple iPad.

Things like editing video, making a DVD movie with footage that you've shot with your camcorder, or making changes to a large, super-high-quality photograph from a high-end professional camera which takes bigger, higher-quality photographs than a pocket-size digital camera, are bigger-end, heavier tasks for the computer to work with.

Doesn't mean a lower-powered device can't do these tasks -- maybe it can, maybe it can't depending on the exact circumstances -- but either way it won't do them as well as the high end computer.

Another example would be playing a high-end computer game. Those activities are more like carrying that big bag of cement, so they do need a high-end computer.

When you are buying a computer, you want to ask yourself what kinds of things you are doing. Are you doing the typical everyday things like checking email, web browsing and that sort of thing?

If your answer to that is yes and that's all you're really doing, your average, everyday computer or even a mobile device may be just fine.

On the other hand, if you're going to be doing a lot of video editing, a lot of work with large photographs and things like that, not just occasional work but a lot of work, you definitely want to get a medium to high-end computer.

You also need a high-end computer if you're a die-hard gamer and want to play the latest 3D games; the top-of-the-line games with the most sophisticated graphics and complex game engine will again work best on a higher-end computer.

That should give you a general rule of thumb as to whether or not you want to get a high-end computer.

There is one other side thing. I would recommend not getting a super-cheap computer. It may seem like you're saving money if you get really low-end computer, but in most cases you're sacrificing quality in the manufacturing and this will make the computer more likely to break down and cost you in repairs.

If you get a decent, average computer, it's going to be fine for any of your everyday activities. Your high-end computer is for your higher-end things like I talked about.

The last thing I want to talk about is why, over time, what used to be a powerful computer goes from being Charles Atlas to being a 98-pound weakling.

It's because the new versions of programs, like Word or your operating system, tend to be more complicated. These are systems like Windows Vista or 7 compared to Windows XP or OS X Lion compared to OS X Tiger.

They are not necessarily more complicated to use, but under the hood they are more complex and are designed for the latest computers.

You can think of software like this as almost becoming heavier over time. The "average weight" has gotten greater over the years so that what used to be light and easy for an older computer is now heavy and harder to do.

The extra complexity and features designed to take advantage of the latest computer capabilities "weigh it down" so they don't run well on older computers.