Optimizing OS X installs?

[rdhazrd]

OK, I don't understand this. All over the web I've read about people with G4's as fast or faster than my iMac with X on them and complaining about speed. I've been using OS X for almost everthing since .1 came out. On my imac it runs, boots, connects to the net, everything faster than in OS9. And everything runs faster in classic than when I boot in 9. What doesn't make sense to me is that I have an iMac DV+ (450Mhz, if you didn't know) and the only change I've made to the hardware is upgraded to 384 Megs of RAM. And for you tech junkies here's what I did. I had installed 9.0.4 from the iMac disc and upgraded to 9.1. Then I installed OS X.0.3, upgraded to X.1. Then 9.2.1, then 10.1.1, then 9.2.2, and finally 10.1.2. This iMac is very snappy. Now this is the wierd part. My mom got an iMac 600SE (with CD-RW). Preinstalled with 9.1 and X.0.3. I upgraded to 9.2.2 then 10.1 and so on. Nothing on her's is close to mine in speed. So I went to an Apple dealer about 3 hours away (I'm from Wisconsin, we measure distance in hours). Thier G4 cube with X.1.2 is slower than my iMac. Yes the cube is 450Mhz, and it has the same amount of RAM. I asked them and they have no answer. Thier only idea was that maybe I ended up with a prototype G3 that was not supposed to be released. I doubt it, but I wasn't about to let them take it apart and find out, I don't want to end up losing my speedy G3!! Anyway, does anyone have any ideas why it would be like this?

 

[DeltaMac]

Probably just luck....in any event, Apple System Profiler would show you what basic processor you have, also a App called PPC Checker (available at versiontracker.com) would tell you just what you have. but, your system is probably just working good. I have seen time and again, that doing a fresh install of everything, speeds up boots and app speed by 25% or more.....Well, thats really seat-of-the-pants feel more than any actual measured tests. Maybe thats where your speed is. Give some measured results (even something as simplistic as Dock icon bounces)

 

[fryke]

... there was a boy who had a magical drum. ... To make a long story short: When he took it apart, *nothing* was inside of it and it never worked again.

Another example is the defenestrating of small screws by Robert Rankin... Take a wonderful machine apart and put it together again. You'll end up with two small spare screws. The machine is still working. Normally you'd reopen the machine and try to find the spots where they'd fit. Well, you'll end up with even more spare screws and the machine will end working. So you have to defenestrate the small spare screws the first time.

DON'T TRY AND FIND OUT! ENJOY!

 

[rdhazrd]

Apple system profiler tells me G3 at 450Mhz. I had 9.0.4 installed for a few months before upgrading, and I have not done a clean install since then. I was going to after installing X, just in case, but I haven't had a problem so I haven't. OK simple speed test. IE- the icon gets almost to the top after I click it before the triangle is under it. Let me know any other thing you would like to know.

 

[fryke]

... what kinda DRUG do you feed your iMac? ... this sounds awesome. or do you mean the second IE start? then it's merely okay. try measuring it after a reboot or relogin.

 

[rdhazrd]

a rewhat? It doesn't have footwear. I haven't rebooted in a month or so, or turned it off. I just put it to sleep. But after I log out (after I have a problem with my internet connect) and back in it only takes the parcial bounce. I almost didn't get the iMac do to lack of upgrade options, but now I'm happier with it than ever!!

 

[edX]

well my imac has footwear!! i have one of those nice little stands that lets you put peripherals underneath and save desk space. it has four little legs and looks like it could just start waddling around if it wanted to

i think a nice little animation of a walking imac would be cool!! he(she?) could walk around a cow pasture and shoot down flying xp 'puters. might even be fun little game!!

anybody??

 

[DeltaMac]

Well, rdhazrd, sounds like you've got a good working OS X. what you describe is how mine works until I try some of the various 'optimizing' tricks mentioned here and there, some work, others not. I get best performance if I can keep from making too many of my own changes to the system, just let it work. Yer other system would probably do good with a reformat and reload of EVERYTHING. and immediately connect to internet and let software update find all. takes about 4 or 5 update runs from 10.1, then my OSX runs similar to yours. I also normally just put 'er to sleep. Why does your iMac seem faster, Might be manufacturing tolerances all working in your favor (a perfect match of components) Difficult to get two identical computers to perform exactly the same. Count yer Blessings.