Incredibly slow computer

[speeder]

Since crashing my usual Macbook, I've been using my old 17" PowerBook G4 as a temporary. It works fine except that it's incredibly slow. The only thing I do is web surf, eBay/Pelican/craiglist/facebook/news sites/banking/etc...

It has OS X 10.5.8, which I know is old but why would nit not work the way that it used to, with the same OS? I checked for updates and installed them all. When I'm typing this text right now, there is a 1-2 second delay between any keystroke and the text appearing on the screen. Same with any other command, fetching photos and the like.

Any quick-fixes I can try? TIA.

[vash]

with you wanting a Harley..you better get used to slow!

...

[911pcars]

Could be some garbage slowing it down or a fragmented hard drive or equivalent. Not an expert, but load the program, Disk Utility in the Utilities folder. Select the drive to inspect, then let it run. If it reveals some issues, follow the recommendations. If you have an original install disk, you can reload a fresh version of the OS without losing data.

May be a good time to upgrade. Today, Apple released the new lineup of iMacs.

Sherwood

[stomachmonkey]

OS X is pretty good at disk management so fragmentation is really not a huge issue.

Run Activity Monitor, see if you have a process hogging CPU cycles.

Anything steadily above 10%-20% could be the culprit.

[speeder]

OK, thanks. How do I do that?

Also, isn't there some deal where you shut it down and then restart with command key and "R" pressed at same time? I'm going from distant memory...

[stomachmonkey]

Activity Monitor is an app, should be in Applications->Utilities

Command+Option+P+R is the reset parameter RAM on boot key combo.

Hold them all on boot up and it'll reboot, I keep them held for at least 2 usually 3 reboots.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

OS X is pretty good at disk management so fragmentation is really not a huge issue.

Run Activity Monitor, see if you have a process hogging CPU cycles.

Anything steadily above 10%-20% could be the culprit.

Thanks. I found A.M. and it shows Firefox using between 85-95% of all things!

WTF?

[stomachmonkey]

Kill it.

One of the reasons I stopped using it, it's become a bit of a pig.

[craigster59]

Denis, I was running OS X 10.5.8 on my Macbook. Picked up an iPhone 5 and couldn't transfer my contacts, photos, etc. over because it does not support iTunes 10.7. Took it to the Genius Bar and they loaded Snow Leopard 10.6.8 for free.

Just tell them you have a new iPhone and need iTunes 10.7. They just started doing this upgrade, must have had a few people complaining that their new Apple products weren't being supported by a 4 year old machine.

[speeder]

Thanks, Scott. just switched to Safari after doing a couple of those reboots and it seems to be running fine now.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Denis, I was running OS X 10.5.8 on my Macbook. Picked up an iPhone 5 and couldn't transfer my contacts, photos, etc. over because it does not support iTunes 10.7. Took it to the Genius Bar and they loaded Snow Leopard 10.6.8 for free.

Just tell them you have a new iPhone and need iTunes 10.7. They just started doing this upgrade, must have had a few people complaining that their new Apple products weren't being supported by a 4 year old machine.

Thanks, I have an iPhone 4S and I'm pretty sure that it's the same thing. I.E., won't mate with this computer.

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Activity Monitor is an app, should be in Applications->Utilities

Command+Option+P+R is the reset parameter RAM on boot key combo.

Hold them all on boot up and it'll reboot, I keep them held for at least 2 usually 3 reboots.

I'm also running 10.5.8, but on a PowerPC Mac. Maybe it's an Intel thing. I don't see it in my directory.

Sherwood

[speeder]

Holy schit this old thing is running fast now, thanks SM!!

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by speeder

Holy schit this old thing is running fast now, thanks SM!!

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

I'm also running 10.5.8, but on a PowerPC Mac. Maybe it's an Intel thing. I don't see it in my directory.

Sherwood

Do a search for it.

Activity Monitor should be there somewhere. May have been moved accidentally.

[911pcars]

SM,
While you're on a roll, here's my symptom:

Computer intermittently goes to sleep on its own. Sometimes I can wake it by clicking the mouse or a key. Other times, have to reboot; sometimes multiple times to get the desktop to show and the cursor activated.

Any ideas besides time for a new one?

thanks,
Sherwood
Power Mac G5 Quad core, 2.5 Ghz (circa 2005)
OS 10.5.8

[stomachmonkey]

Sounds like a bad LCD inverter.

Do you have an external monitor that you can hook up to make sure it's really going to sleep and it's not just the LCD shutting off?

Inverter boards are cheap, ~$25-40 bucks on fleabay or one of the used Mac sales sites that also sell parts.

1/2 hour to swap out.

Have done a few, common problem on the last gen PPC laptops.

I have one acting as a media server in my downstairs entertainment room. Inverter is bad but does not matter since it's hooked to a 67 in TV screen.

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Sounds like a bad LCD inverter.

Do you have an external monitor that you can hook up to make sure it's really going to sleep and it's not just the LCD shutting off?

Inverter boards are cheap, ~$25-40 bucks on fleabay or one of the used Mac sales sites that also sell parts.

1/2 hour to swap out.

Have done a few, common problem on the last gen PPC laptops.

I have one acting as a media server in my downstairs entertainment room. Inverter is bad but does not matter since it's hooked to a 67 in TV screen.

It's a desktop, not a laptop. It's runs two monitors via the DVI connections. Both monitors go dark or freeze when the computer decides to "sleep" or freeze.

Is this easily fixable for a now $250 computer? The retail on this was $3000 back then (2nd owner).

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

It's a desktop, not a laptop. It's runs two monitors via the DVI connections. Both monitors go dark or freeze when the computer decides to "sleep" or freeze.

Is this easily fixable for a now $250 computer? The retail on this was $3000 back then (2nd owner).

Which model is it specifically?

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Which model is it specifically?

Does the following help?

Late 2005 Power Mac G5, Quad core, 2.5 Ghz
Currently has (2) 750 Gb ATA HD
What are the primary differences between the "Late 2005" or "Dual Core" Power Mac G5 models? @ EveryMac.com

I forget the "street names"

Sherwood