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#1 2008-03-31 10:28 am
- kilahcup
- Member
- Registered: 2007-03-05
- Posts: 14
Is this machine hopeless?
I'm a freelance graphic designer, working on site long-term at an agency that has me set up right now on a VERY old machine. I've been trying to very subtly let my frustrations with this be known, but I'm up against a few factors that are out of my control.
This machine isn't handling anything crazy - no video editing or anything on this one. Just 2D design work, using Adobe CS2. The lag on this machine is unreal. I have to do a lot of searching for files, because file management here isn't what I would like it to be, and sometimes I can spend hours searching through all these files. Also, the lag I experience when running CS2 is pretty bad. It slows me down when I'm working and I concerned that this reflects badly on ME, rather than the computer. I'm also coming from working on a brand new MacBook pro with OS 10.5 and 3GB of RAM at home, so my frustration is mounting rapidly.
Below are the specs on the machine. Is this thing hopeless, or are there any upgrades I can make to help myself out? For my money, I would never bother upgrading this heap; I'd rather put the money towards a far better newer machine. But, I am up against a slumping economy and tightening budgets, and now is not the best time to go to them and request a $4K computer upgrade and then a $2K upgrade to CS3. Any suggestions on how to make this thing work faster would be appreciated.
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#2 2008-03-31 11:07 am
- Nefarious
- Tuning Fork
- Moderator
- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 7998
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
I would quit all the major programs.
Use Cocktail in the Pilot tab to run these scripts:
repair disk permissions, run the daily weekly and monthly scripts, clear all caches, and optionally clear all log files. Reboot
http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/download.php
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#3 2008-03-31 11:08 am
- mrreet2001
- Member
- From: NW Ohio
- Registered: 2005-05-25
- Posts: 4334
- Website
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
just use your mbp 
2.66Ghz QuadCore-Nehalem w/24"LED CD ---2.2Ghz BlackMB---15" 2.4Ghz MBP(work)
Dual 2.3Ghz G5 (4G Ram, 2x 250G HD)(10.5 server)--- 400Mhz G4 PM (10.4 Server)
1.5GHz Powerbook---1.6Ghz G5 iMac
"So he fels down in a poisoning gas."
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#4 2008-03-31 12:28 pm
- Daddyo
- hoochie coochie man
- From: the last juke joint
- Registered: 2004-01-24
- Posts: 1881
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
Refurb iMac $1200.00
CS3 upgrade $400.00
_______
$1600.00
A million seconds is 12 days.
A billion seconds is 31 years.
A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.
Hope and change could be forever.
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#5 2008-03-31 1:28 pm
- Pithecanthropus
- Roast Master
- From: St. Cloud, MN
- Registered: 2002-12-30
- Posts: 4452
- Website
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
Look at the activity monitor and make sure something isn't running in the background that's eating up processor power.
A friend of mine had some difficulty with a really slow Mac, when I ran Activity Monitor I found a program from her Lexmark printer running in the background using up to 45% of the processor power. Once I disabled it her computer ran as fast as it should have all along. I also advised her to get a different printer. She hasn't had a problem since.
Grandfatherly advice: You can drink 'em pretty, but you can't drink 'em smart.
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#6 2008-04-04 11:04 am
- kilahcup
- Member
- Registered: 2007-03-05
- Posts: 14
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
OK... I ran Cocktail and followed the suggestions above. I also checked the Activity Monitor. It doesn't seem to be running anything funny in the background - there is only one printer hooked directly to this machine.
After Cocktail, it _Seems_ to be better, most noticeably on opening and closing programs. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but so far so good. It's still slow, mind you, but anything is better. I've never timed it but Id swear it takes 5+ minutes to open up InDesign, and for some reason Microsoft Word.
I don't want to use my own machine, because I don't want to use up my hard drive to get their work done. They should have a serviceable machine here - this is an advertising agency, for God's sake. The refurbed iMac idea has definite wheels - I'll probably throw that idea out there.
Unfortunately, we'd have to buy the full version CS3 version because no one can find the original software. The theory is that one of the other freelancers stole it when they left. So instead of the $400 upgrade, I'd be looking at $1300 minimum.
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#7 2008-04-04 11:50 am
- Dunkin'
- Mom Bo'
- From: Over the hills and far away
- Registered: 1999-10-15
- Posts: 3300
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
Check the hard drive. Your description seems to indicate a 5400 rpm drive at best.
A cheap 7200 rpm drive will make a big difference.
But a single processor 867 G4 is no speed demon.
My dual 867 was quite usable (but not fast) with a 7200 rpm drive.
1/φ = φ-1
Dron't dink and dive.
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#8 2008-04-04 3:37 pm
- D'Eyncourt
- OMGDICTATOR
- Registered: 2001-12-27
- Posts: 8807
- Website
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
If I selected your model G4 correctly, then here are some processor upgrades from Other World Computing. You might also check their clearance page for processor upgrades, but know that these are in very limited supply and the ones that can improve your G4 may have run out by the time you check here.
BOYCOTT SONY
"I think the question now is not whether you went to Vietnam or whether you didn't, whether you fought in the war or fought against the war. I think the only question is whether we can find a president smart enough never to make a mistake like that again"--Molly Ivins, way back in 1992
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#9 2008-04-05 9:35 am
- Daddyo
- hoochie coochie man
- From: the last juke joint
- Registered: 2004-01-24
- Posts: 1881
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
kilahcup wrote:
Unfortunately, we'd have to buy the full version CS3 version because no one can find the original software. The theory is that one of the other freelancers stole it when they left. So instead of the $400 upgrade, I'd be looking at $1300 minimum.
If your company does indeed own the software then it should be registered and they should be able to contact Adobe and work out the details.
A million seconds is 12 days.
A billion seconds is 31 years.
A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.
Hope and change could be forever.
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#10 2008-04-06 1:04 am
- Freezer mac
- iPod scroll wheel
- From: next to a big cold lake.
- Registered: 2001-01-06
- Posts: 7370
Re: Is this machine hopeless?
hmmm... i'd look at both a hard drive upgrade and a processor upgrade. also, check what video card is in there.
i've got a 7 year old mac as my main computer here, with a dual 1.2 Ghz upgrade card, 1.5GB RAM, and 2 TB of drive space and it seems to run just about everything i throw at it.
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