While the Atkinson-Shiffrin model describes short-term memory (STM) as a single, linear stage that holds a limited amount of information before transferring it to long-term memory, Baddeley and Hitch's model conceptualizes STM as a dynamic, multi-component "working memory" system. In the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, memory processing is compared broadly to a computer's overall information processing. In contrast, the Working Memory model compares storing memories in STM to opening different specialized computer files (the visuospatial sketchpad, the episodic buffer, and the phonological loop) managed by a central executive depending on the type of information received.