It would take too long to explain why, but I'm back on dial-up for the foreseeable future and desperate to speed up my machine. I've never had a gift for computers, I've mostly plodded on without much insight. I'm still using a G3 iBook, 600 MHz, 640 MB memory which is fine for my needs if only it weren't so glacial. I'm hoping someone can provide me with a simple checklist to guide me to a little snappier Internet experience. I've never used OS 9 or Classic can I trash these, would it help?
My 100 IQ needs a little 120 IQ stimulation
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Without a doubt, your iBook G3 is slower than an new MacBook. However, you have ample processor speed and RAM for any OS up to MacOS X 10.4.11.
However, you don't say how much free hard drive space you have. As a rule of thumb, you need at least 10% of your total hard drive space as free space. This gives the virtual memory system the headroom that it needs to do its job.
Mikuro
Crotchety UI Nitpicker
In addition to keeping space free for the OS in general, you should also leave plenty of room for your web browser's cache. If possible, increase your browser's maximum cache size setting (I think Safari handles this automatically, and doesn't have an option).
The best way to speed up web browsing on slow connections is to stop wasting precious bandwidth on things you don't want. Install ad filters for your web browser. For Firefox, get the Adblock Plus extension. For Safari, I recommend Safari AdBlock, SafariBlock or PithHelmet. I recommend Safari AdBlock because it's free and very easy to use. PithHelmet is incredibly powerful, but also more complicated to configure, and it is shareware.
Blocking unwanted Flash movies is also helpful. Firefox's Flashblock extension will stop Firefox from loading Flash files until you specifically click on them. SafariStand offers a similar feature for Safari (among other things)
The best way to speed up web browsing on slow connections is to stop wasting precious bandwidth on things you don't want. Install ad filters for your web browser. For Firefox, get the Adblock Plus extension. For Safari, I recommend Safari AdBlock, SafariBlock or PithHelmet. I recommend Safari AdBlock because it's free and very easy to use. PithHelmet is incredibly powerful, but also more complicated to configure, and it is shareware.
Blocking unwanted Flash movies is also helpful. Firefox's Flashblock extension will stop Firefox from loading Flash files until you specifically click on them. SafariStand offers a similar feature for Safari (among other things)
Responding to MisterMe's question, I was staggered to discover that of the 18.6 MB hard drive space I have, I'm only using 5.6 MB and have 13 MB left over!!! I guess I shouldn't be surprised because I don't play games, and have no interest in photography. If I knew what I was doing, with all that space, I'd be in much better shape. I'm very impressed by your suggestions, but my browser is Camino 1.6.3 which I thought was faster than Panther's Safari. I think Safari AdBlock is beyond my OS X 10.3.9. Am I correct to conclude from your observations that upgrading to Tiger would be a worthwhile move for me?
Yes. You should be able to run Tiger just fine. However, Tiger includes Garageband and Garageband files occupy a lot of space. Beware of the 10% rule. You may need to upgrade to a larger hard drive.
Mikuro
Crotchety UI Nitpicker
Tiger is generally slower than Panther, so I wouldn't be too quick to upgrade.
An easier option would be to get Firefox 2, which is compatible with Panther, and then install AdBlock (and FlashBlock). Firefox isn't quite as Mac-like as Camino, but the speed is comparable and the availability of add-ons is fantastic.
Camino also has built-in content filters, in Preferences > Web Content > Block Web Advertising, but as far as I know you can't really customize them, and the default blacklist isn't as comprehensive as what you'd get with AdBlock.
An easier option would be to get Firefox 2, which is compatible with Panther, and then install AdBlock (and FlashBlock). Firefox isn't quite as Mac-like as Camino, but the speed is comparable and the availability of add-ons is fantastic.
Camino also has built-in content filters, in Preferences > Web Content > Block Web Advertising, but as far as I know you can't really customize them, and the default blacklist isn't as comprehensive as what you'd get with AdBlock.
I can't tell you how grateful I am that two savvy persons have opted to help me. However, before I look into moving up to Tiger, I think it might be prudent to install Firefox 2 if nothing else, not have to rely on one browser. This is a great learning experience for me and I'm eager to implement your suggestions. Thanks a million all around.