[jlftrsh]

10 month old 15" Al Powerbook w/Superdrive (Rev B). 1 GB RAM. It seems as though my optical drive is not reading as fast as it once did. While I don't remember precisely what my iTunes import speeds used to be, I am sure that they were faster than the 4x to 5x speeds I am getting now. Interestingly, the same CD will import at 11x on my original 800 MhZ 15" flat-panel iMac.

Can anyone tell me what the import speeds ought to be on a machine like mine?

[anamexis]

Generally speaking, import speeds are never hindered by the optical drive but by processor speed. The on-the-fly encoding is what slows it down. That said, you should look for things that may cause your computer to slow down, such as any programs running in the background. Check the process monitor for anything out of the ordinary, too.