My old 2006 MBP 2.13 C2D has decided to slow right down to pain. I swapped out to a SSD just before Christmas and it was great, but now it's slowed down again. This would indicate software / directory structure, but I fear it's hardware. IO stats / memory and top look fine, I have 3GB (Max supported ram - Macsales website figures are wrong BTW, it looks like some scheme to get you to buy from them, buy crucial ram). I am not alarmingly paging out even with Photoshop running. Firefox does not help, I think it's still got a memory leak issue.
To be honest a laptop of this age is end of life, but it feels like Apple are hinting at that with every software update. I have run diagnostics (no errors), repaired the disk (yes usual stuff) reinstalled and stripped and cleaned all connectors, nothing helps.
I have spent 20 years in IT, but now I'm a conservation volunteer, this maybe my last Mac 😟 as I think it's nearly time to lay it to rest.
My slightly newer 2.33 MBP is doing the same too, this one is 7 years, the other is 6 1/2!
If anyone continues this thread I would be interested in how fast there internet is, I think it has something to do with it.