Memory usage

[Cristopher Thomas]

I'm not really sure how best to describe my problem, but I have a couple
screenshots here that will hopefully help:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1028931/htopOnBoot.png

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1028931/1DayLater.png

Both screenshots were taken with approximately the same programs
running, with the exception that in the 1DayLater shot I was running
DockbarX instead of Docky.  Looking at the Memory usage indicator at the
top left, you can see that the numbers are pretty close.  However, the
bar indicator in the second shot shows that significantly more memory is
being used that in the first.  What I'm trying to figure out is where
the discrepency is coming from.

Generally I only reboot my computer when an update has been installed
that requires it.  However, since installing Maverick I've found that if
I do that, after a few days the system starts slowing down and even
freezing up occasionally.  Then I reboot and the cycle begins again.

Based on my limited understanding of how memory is used, it seems to me
that instructions are being cached, but somehow that space is not being
made available later.  That was probably gibberish, but if you have a
better idea of what is happening, help would be greatly appreciated.

--
Cris