10.1 Speed Not Acceptable

[mindbend]

Note: Keep in mind that I am an ardent Mac fanatic, which is why it pains to me write the following:

Just got 10.1 installed on a G4 450 and a 400 iMac Rev B. To me, the finder speed is still unacceptable. There is simply no excuse for how pathetically sloth-like window resizing is. I hate to promote Windows, but it runs circles around 10.1 for desktop level operations. It is truly a joke and an embarassment.

I spend my day behind my Mac, I find it really irritating to have to negotiate windows coated with syrup. Internet Explorer is a travesty. I can take a coffee break before the window catches up. The fact that Apple even uses the word "fast" on its OS X hype pages should be illegal. "Fast" relative to what? A turtle? C'mon.

Is it functional? Of course, it's functional, but just barely. It is faster than 10.0.4, but so what. 10.0.4 didn't even register as motion on a speed scale. My charts indicate it as "frozen stiff".

There is only one thing that's truly faster in my tests and day to day uses of X, and that is network performance. That is nice indeed, but it ain't enough. Also, network volumes/directories still display slowly through apps like Photoshop. Also, I'm getting a six hour time differential when reading time/date stamps on a Windows 2000 server (this is not the case when the same machine is running OS 9). What a joke. And they call this a network machine...

This is unreal to me. We are actually moving backward! And this whole thing about apps launching faster. Where? I haven't seen it. Faster than 10.0.4, yes, but still nowhere near as fast as OS 9 for me.

On paper, OS X is fabulous. Even in practice, it's interface, look, stability and features are great. Too bad every single app I have runs better under 9!!! InDesign is glacially slow under Classic. Pressready is now useless. Synchronize is broken under Classic and Qdea is still spinning their heels on an X release. Illustrator is slow, so is everything else.

Games? Yeah right, who are you kidding? I'll believe it when I see it.

And where the hell is Final Cut Pro for X? I only make my living using it. And I actually fell for their "Summer" release BS. Why do I keep drinking the Koolaid?

OK, OK. My rant is fading. I told myself I would wait one full year and until Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, AI, GoLive and a few others go native. That day has not yet come, so I won't give up. But, for this customer to stick around, I want to see native apps and dual gig processors by Christmas. Until then, it's OS 9 for me.

[Aussie John]

Well I have to say i dont know really what you are talking about.
The finder speed on my G4 450 is doesnt really seem any different to OS 9.

[Jadey]

It's strange I've read a number of posts from people complaining about the speed of X with greater specs for macs than I have, yet despite a few minor glitches, X runs very smoothly on my mac. I'm still only running 10.0.4 too! I wonder what the difference is... are they running classic constantly? (although after a RAM upgrade that runs well too here) do they not defrag their drives? There must be some apple TIL's on this.

[mindbend]

Jadey,

With all due respect, seriuosly, I've tried and seen 10.0.4 on several machines, none of which even come close to being describable as "smooth". Are you serious? I'm not trying to be a smart-ass.

Some things are indeed glass-smooth, such as moving windows around. That's wonderful. But resizing them is a total joke. Are we comparing Apples to Apples (no pun intended)? Also, window nav drop-downs are slow, and so is almost everything else. I'm currently creating an Excel spreadsheet documenting application launch times, file open speed, in-app speed and other info. Suffice it say that OS X has not beaten OS 9 in one single category.

I've heard talk of people getting better speed doing fresh clean installs, perhaps I should do the same. I'm not holding my breath though. It seems clear to me that OS X users do not have the same critical standards that I have. If I move a mouse cursor around the screen and the graphic/window/icon/whatever can't keep up, that equals slow. Period. This is 2001 for crying out loud.

[Aussie John]

I think you should seriously consider doing a clean install as i have no problem moving icons or windows around the screen

[pooch]

How much ram are you running OSX.1 with? I have a 266 G3 that I just stuck an additional 256mb or ram in and OSX.1 works nicely. My tibook on the other hand has no problem runing x.1; in fact, it is the nicest OS I have ever used hands down! You might want to do what Aussie John suggested and re-do the system cause X.1 is not slow at all!

[Jorace]

I to think that you should try a clean install. I have heard many people say that 10.1 was slow as a dog when they upgraded, but if they do a clean install it was very fast.

I am running 10.1 on an iBook, and window resizing is as fast as 9, and Very smooth

[whitesaint]

I think your mind is bent. I'm not being a smart ass. I mean 10.1 may be slow in a few tasks, but it is alot faster than 10.0.4. There is no excuse for what you're on. You are exaggerating way too much beyond belief. Bended mind, with all due respect, shut the hell up. If you dont like OS X switch to Windows. Have fun see ya later.

In 10.1, I get things accomplished when i need to. Sure it's not as fast as 9.2.1 or whatever your using, but i would very gladly switch the speed over for a crash-resistant OS itself. OS X is the best OS there will be for a while, and it has evolved to much. I can't believe an "ardent mac fanatic" would say such things. Especially, when it has come this far, there are thousands of Apps for it (or at least it seems like it), and its got the best graphics, stability, of any OS. I'm not saying it is the fastest, we all have that thought in the back of our head. But it's fast enough to blow Winblows out the window.