Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:06 am Post subject: More RAM is goodâ„¢
So it's an oft-mentioned thing here that more RAM really improves Neo's performance, and I'm (finally) here to vouch for it.
I went from 512 MB to 1.5 GB thanks to Christmas , and while I don't notice a performance boost in the rest of my system, Neo's load times have improved drastically. I don't have real numbers (since I wasn't paying attention), but I installed 1.2 Beta, launched Neo, opened a couple of webpages to read while waiting for Neo to load like I used to do, and all the sudden Neo was ready (I have lots of fonts, several hundred, too)! Second launch was even faster, as expected.
I'll try to remember to get some real numbers next time I have to reboot, but my guess is a third to a quarter of the time it used to take. In-app operations also seem snappier.
So, believe everyone when they say get more RAM to make Neo faster
Smokey _________________ "[...] whether the duck drinks hot chocolate or coffee is irrelevant." -- ovvldc and sardisson in the NeoWiki
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:38 pm Post subject: Speed of file ops
Newcomer to this forum (but not OpenOffice) so my apologies if this ends up in the wrong place!
I found your comments about going from 512MB to 1.5GB really scary and I suspect you've answered my intended question. If I tell you I'm on an eMac with only 128MB RAM you can probably guess my problem. It's just painfully slow!!! When you were still on 512 did you notice anything like the application freezing for a few seconds whilst typing? I also get things like it ignoring any selection of the main desk-top menu bar and I have to click them again. Save ops can take anything up to 30 seconds or longer - but not always.
So I suppose my question has to be - just what is the recommended RAM for NeoOffice/J?
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:49 pm Post subject: Re: Speed of file ops
Andy_kdy wrote:
Newcomer to this forum (but not OpenOffice) so my apologies if this ends up in the wrong place!
So I suppose my question has to be - just what is the recommended RAM for NeoOffice/J?
Anything over 512 MB is pretty OK. Note that even on a 256 MB Mac, every move OSX makes requires the use of virtual RAM. You probably hear the hard drive rumbling all the time. I can only suggest that you invest 50 or so dollars (60 euros at Dutch prices) and expand your memory if at all possible.
This is not just for NeoOffice, but you will find that all of your mac will be 5 times quicker (I'm not kidding, I just upgraded someone's Powerbook from 256 to 512 MB and it booted in about a third of the time). This is because OSX alone takes up more than 128 MB of RAM. Get a 512 MB DIMM and plug it in (or an SO-DIMM if that is what it take - consult your apple retailer). Trust me, best money you've ever spent on a computer-related thing.
I personally run on 640 MB and while more is better, I am pretty much satisfied.
Hope this helps,
Oscar _________________ "What do you think of Western Civilization?"
"I think it would be a good idea!"
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Joined: Nov 21, 2005 Posts: 1285 Location: Witless Protection Program
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:18 pm Post subject: Re: Speed of file ops
Andy_kdy wrote:
... If I tell you I'm on an eMac with only 128MB RAM you can probably guess my problem. It's just painfully slow!!! When you were still on 512 did you notice anything like the application freezing for a few seconds whilst typing?
I also get things like it ignoring any selection of the main desk-top menu bar and I have to click them again.
Save ops can take anything up to 30 seconds or longer - but not always.
So I suppose my question has to be - just what is the recommended RAM for NeoOffice/J?
I feel your pain. 128MB is painfull. Patrick has explained, on other messages, that NeoOffice uses bits of Java to map the user interface to the Mac graphic systems. Java uses a lot of memory to do all it's efforts.
Many of us have found that having other applications running in the background (Haxies, APE, Seti@home, Folding@home, and such) use up the free CPU cycles. Then when NeoOffice needs Java to do something it has to wait it's turn. Check out Troubleshooting Tips on NeoWiki for more information.
I have a PowerBook G4 with 768 MB. I had a LOT of problems with very slooooow "main desk-top menu bar" items. I was running Folding@Home and it took 5-10 seconds for the menu items to drop down.
Using Mac OS X Utility "Activity Monitor" I could see how much CPU time it was using. Then I stopped Folding@home and the system was much MUCH fast.
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:24 am Post subject: Re: Speed of file ops
ovvldc wrote:
Andy_kdy wrote:
Newcomer to this forum (but not OpenOffice) so my apologies if this ends up in the wrong place!
So I suppose my question has to be - just what is the recommended RAM for NeoOffice/J?
Anything over 512 MB is pretty OK.
I never had any complaints about 512 MB, either, other than my loading time was slower than other folks' times (I also have lots of fonts, which is another cause of slow launches). The app was always responsive (unless I was running two browsers and Photoshop at the same time, too) under normal working conditions. The only other thing I remember is that after leaving Neo hidden and working in other apps a while, swapping Neo back in to memory when I wanted to use it again seemed a little slow.
The official minimum RAM requirement is 256 MB (which may be the minimum for Mac OS X these days--or should be; Mac OS X "running" under 128 MB is a bit of an overstatement), but for best performance 512 MB or more. At one time we debated raising the minimum requirement to 512 MB, but many people with 256 MB complained, so we left the minimum requirement at 256 MB and usually try to note that for best performance, 512 MB or more is recommended.
Smokey _________________ "[...] whether the duck drinks hot chocolate or coffee is irrelevant." -- ovvldc and sardisson in the NeoWiki
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:31 pm Post subject: A much relieved eMac user
Many (slightly delayed) thanks to all those who responded to my question.
I have now upgraded to 640MB of RAM and have been delighted with the dramatic improvement. In fact, as indeed I was told, just about everything is noticeably quicker and not just NeoOffice. I am so impressed that I am now seriously considering replacing the 128MB card with another 512 to take it up to 1024.
Interesting aside, I first came to StarOffice/OpenOffice at work where it's run on a UNIX platform. I would say that my NeoOffice 1.0 now actually runs faster than the OpenOffice 2.0 which I use there! Perhaps I should complain to the IT department!!!
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