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i_wolf · Feb 16, 2005, 03:14 PM

We installed pages (since it came with iWork which we bough for Keynote 2) on our G5 work machine and the iBook G4 that is floating about the office.
Since this is apple, and because typically they write their software well so that it runs well on a wide configuration of hardware I was very surprised how slowly pages runs on an iBook G4 933MHz. I particularly notice this when you rearrange the text around any graphics/pictures whatsoever on a page. In fact practically any operation involving the use of graphics brings pages to a crawl. MS Word in these circumstances runs far quicker. Pages absolutely crawls. I checked this also on a dual G5 and while a considerable improvement it wasn't as smooth as I would have expected it.

Anybody else noticed this ?
i_wolf

Finrock · Feb 16, 2005, 04:12 PM

Yes, I've noticed it. Performance in Pages is one of the reasons I've been so hesitant to start using it more than Word. I use it on two machines, an iBook G4/1GHz and my iMac G5/1.8, and it only is useable on the iMac, really.

Just for kicks I installed it on my iBook G3/800/640 and it crawled. The Altivec must really make a difference, but obviously not enough.

How much memory do you have in that iBook?

i_wolf · Feb 16, 2005, 10:14 PM

An ibook with 640megs ram.

It seams rediculous that it should be such an intensive application. Keynote 2, iPhoto, iMovie all seam far more responsive relative to Pages. Yet I couldn't imagine Pages requiring the same level of hardware as say iPhoto or iMovie.
Its a pity because its an application that has a lot of promise.

Hopefully a 1.1 release will fix the performance issues.

Thinine · Feb 16, 2005, 11:47 PM

Uh, live repagination of text around an object or when dragged is extremely processor intensive. Aside from this issue, I've found performance on my iBook 500 to be fine.

DeathMan · Feb 17, 2005, 06:18 AM

There's a lot stuff going on in that "simple" app. Now I'm not apologizing here, but try to have realistic expectations for a version 1 product. iApps are historically slow to begin with, and slowly improve with time. Remember iPhoto v1 (and 2).

i_wolf · Feb 17, 2005, 08:56 AM

Uh, live repagination of text around an object or when dragged is extremely processor intensive. Aside from this issue, I've found performance on my iBook 500 to be fine.

you are missing the point. I am well aware there are a lot of complex things happening at one time... yes resizing images and live repagination is going to be intensive. That is besides the point, I have become to accustomed to the way Apple has enabled relatively low end hardware such as this iBook to handle complex tasks.... the examples I gave are apps which are also very heavy processor intensive .. iPhoto, iMovie etc...
Yet while the iApps are busy doing things they are very responsive and don't give the impression that the iBook has bitten off more than it can chew.
Since live repagination is touted as a feature of Pages, I would have expected it to have been designed in such a way that it isn't merely limited to those with a high end G5. This is a general consumer class app... it isn't motion! I guess we have just been spoilt over recent generations with iLife!

threestain · Feb 17, 2005, 09:00 AM

Sorry - you replied to counter-punch my argument far too fast!

mitchell_pgh · Feb 17, 2005, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by DeathMan:
There's a lot stuff going on in that "simple" app. Now I'm not apologizing here, but try to have realistic expectations for a version 1 product. iApps are historically slow to begin with, and slowly improve with time. Remember iPhoto v1 (and 2).

Do they, or do we just get faster systems