Alglaadimise

Alglaadimise is the Estonian term for preloading in computing. It refers to the practice of loading data, code or media into memory before it is needed, with the goal of reducing latency and improving responsiveness. It is used across software development, operating systems, and digital media delivery.

Origin: from alg- meaning beginning and laad- meaning to load; the form alglaadimise is the genitive form used to denote the concept of preloading in Estonian grammar.

Web development uses several techniques: preload meta tag and link rel attributes; prefetch; prerender. Operating systems employ prefetchers and caches to anticipate file accesses; video games use asset streaming and level loading; mobile apps preload essential resources during splash screens.

Benefits include reduced startup times and smoother interactions; however, overusing preloading can waste bandwidth, memory, or CPU resources, and incorrect predictions can actually slow components or idle resources.

Related concepts include preloading, lazy loading, caching, and prefetching.