Improving performance in OS Lion

Q

qerae


Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Okay, so I recently upgraded to Lion, but my hardware isn't very good (old macbook with a C2D / 3 gigs of RAM).

It's not painfully slow, but at times my performance is a bit more sluggish than I'd like. Any tips on how I can lighten the load? I've been trying to disable the animations, but the commands and codes aren't working. Could I possibly disable widgets?
 
Stretch

Stretch


Joined
Jan 13, 2007
Messages
4,773
Reaction score
166
Points
63
Location
Central New York
Your Mac's Specs
15in i7 MacBook Pro, 8GB RAM, 120GB SSD, 500GB HD
What kind of computer? Your best bet, if possible, would be to increase your RAM.
 
OP
Q

qerae


Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Stretch said:
What kind of computer? Your best bet, if possible, would be to increase your RAM.
Click to expand...

This laptop is so old that its a lost cause to upgrade the hardware. I just want ideas on how to make the operating system a little bit lighter.
 
cwa107

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Did you do a clean install? We've found in the last several updates to OS X that a clean install is usually preferable to a straight upgrade in terms of performance.
 
C

chas_m

Guest
Answering in reverse order:

Yes, you can control what programs start on bootup. The easiest way (there are several methods) is to start up the machine, let the programs boot, then click and hold on their icons in the dock, choose Options and select the checked "Open at login" option (this has the effect of unchecking them).

As for speeding up an older Mac running Lion: I'm using a 2007 Blackbook with w/3GB of RAM and for the most part Lion works fabulously fast (okay, not in comparison to a brand new machine, but as fast as I can keep up with it). One of the best "tricks" is to keep a LOT of hard drive space free, let's say 50GB for example.

Another is to remember to QUIT (not just close) programs you're not running at the moment. Another tip is to AVOID any "downloading" type programs running in the background -- they just eat resources for breakfast!

Of course, regular (by which I mean "maybe once every three months") running of a maintenance utility like OnyX (or its little brother Maintenance) is a good idea too. And backups, obviously.
 
OP
Q

qerae


Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
chas_m said:
Answering in reverse order:

Yes, you can control what programs start on bootup. The easiest way (there are several methods) is to start up the machine, let the programs boot, then click and hold on their icons in the dock, choose Options and select the checked "Open at login" option (this has the effect of unchecking them).

As for speeding up an older Mac running Lion: I'm using a 2007 Blackbook with w/3GB of RAM and for the most part Lion works fabulously fast (okay, not in comparison to a brand new machine, but as fast as I can keep up with it). One of the best "tricks" is to keep a LOT of hard drive space free, let's say 50GB for example.

Another is to remember to QUIT (not just close) programs you're not running at the moment. Another tip is to AVOID any "downloading" type programs running in the background -- they just eat resources for breakfast!

Of course, regular (by which I mean "maybe once every three months") running of a maintenance utility like OnyX (or its little brother Maintenance) is a good idea too. And backups, obviously.
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks for the tips. I guess the only reason lion feels slow to me is because I recently built a new desktop.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top