Joanie Landau
Level 1 (25 points)

Q: Pages 4.1 is so painfully slow

Pages '09 4.1 is so painfully slow - it takes over my entire computer and everything just drags.... I need this app for my business but I don't know what to do. I am mostly touching up photographs using the Alpha Mask.   I absolutely cannot have iPhoto and Pages open at the same time.  I end up having to shut everything down in order for it to work.  I am in version Mac OSX 10.7.2

iMac, Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Jan 31, 2012 4:29 PM

by Joanie Landau,Solvedanswer
Joanie Landau Joanie Landau
Level 1 (25 points)
A:

Dear Peter,

 

Per your advice, I brought in my Mac today and put in 4GB RAM.  Pages and alpha are now working perfectly!!! Thank you so, so much for your help.  You are your own "Genius Bar!"

 

Best,

 

Joanie

Posted on Feb 4, 2012 6:59 PM

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Joanie Landau

Q: Pages 4.1 is so painfully slow

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  • Helpful answers

  • by PeterBreis0807,

    PeterBreis0807 PeterBreis0807 Jan 31, 2012 5:45 PM in response to Joanie Landau
    Level 8 (35,830 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 31, 2012 5:45 PM in response to Joanie Landau

    If you must do a lot of alpha masking, it would be better to do this in another Photoshop or similar application devoted to bitmap editing.

     

    You seem to have used it to excess.

     

    Peter

  • by Joanie Landau,

    Joanie Landau Joanie Landau Feb 1, 2012 3:34 PM in response to PeterBreis0807
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Feb 1, 2012 3:34 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

    I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by having used it to excess.  Could you clarify?

     

    I have Photoshop Elements and I do not think there is alpha masking on the program.

     

    Thanks.

  • by PeterBreis0807,Helpful

    PeterBreis0807 PeterBreis0807 Feb 1, 2012 5:15 PM in response to Joanie Landau
    Level 8 (35,830 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 1, 2012 5:15 PM in response to Joanie Landau

    Not totally familiar with Photoshop Elements but it is a cut down Photoshop, and would think it has some form of background removal, but probably not as easy to use as in Pages.

     

    You haven't said what iMac you have or how much memory but it sounds like not enough you are simply overtaxing what you have.

     

    Use features like Alpha Mask sparingly, they need the computers processing power just to generate what you see on screen. If you can do the job elsewhere, Pixelmator is nice, then it is done once and for all and it is just an image.

     

    I think you may also be using Wrap around the masked images which also requires processing power, particularly as the document gets longer.

     

    Peter

  • by Joanie Landau,

    Joanie Landau Joanie Landau Feb 2, 2012 2:03 PM in response to PeterBreis0807
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Feb 2, 2012 2:03 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

    Hi Peter.  Thanks.  I'm on an iMac with :

    Memory  2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

    Processor  2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

     

    I forgot to mention the problem started when I installed Lion.

  • by PeterBreis0807,Helpful

    PeterBreis0807 PeterBreis0807 Feb 2, 2012 4:55 PM in response to Joanie Landau
    Level 8 (35,830 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 2, 2012 4:55 PM in response to Joanie Landau

    2 Gb is not much, 4gb is much more comfortable and best to max it out for your model, RAM is cheap.

     

    Lion is more demanding and slower than Snow Leopard.

     

    It sounds like you have an iMac 20" early 2008. Installation is very easy:

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1423#2

     

    Apple reports that you can add up to 4Gb (2x2) of RAM but you can go to 6Gb.

     

    You need 2GB + 4GB Kit DDR2 SODIMM PC2-6400 800Mhz Unbuffered Non ECC

     

    Make sure you tell the supplier it is for the Mac, which is quite picky.

     

    Double check I have identified your Mac correctly:

     

    Menu > Apple > About this Mac > More Info… > Hardware > Model Identifier: iMac 8,1

     

    Peter

  • by Joanie Landau,

    Joanie Landau Joanie Landau Feb 3, 2012 7:28 AM in response to PeterBreis0807
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Feb 3, 2012 7:28 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

    Thanks so much, Peter.  Yes, that is exactly that iMAC I have.  I will look into this.

     

    Thanks for taking the time!

  • by Joanie Landau,Solvedanswer

    Joanie Landau Joanie Landau Feb 4, 2012 6:59 PM in response to Joanie Landau
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Feb 4, 2012 6:59 PM in response to Joanie Landau

    Dear Peter,

     

    Per your advice, I brought in my Mac today and put in 4GB RAM.  Pages and alpha are now working perfectly!!! Thank you so, so much for your help.  You are your own "Genius Bar!"

     

    Best,

     

    Joanie

  • by PeterBreis0807,

    PeterBreis0807 PeterBreis0807 Feb 4, 2012 7:02 PM in response to Joanie Landau
    Level 8 (35,830 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 4, 2012 7:02 PM in response to Joanie Landau

    Just picture me in a blue T-shirt.

     

    Peter

  • by Joanie Landau,

    Joanie Landau Joanie Landau Feb 4, 2012 7:08 PM in response to PeterBreis0807
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Feb 4, 2012 7:08 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

    Lol!