Apple's New 27-Inch iMacs Experiencing Performance Issues?

MacRumors · Oct 30, 2009, 01:24 PM

Engadget reports that Apple's discussion forums are starting to see reports of poor performance on the company's new 27-inch iMacs introduced last week. While users have reported several issues, including inappropriate spinning down of the hard drive and corrupted Snow Leopard installations, the primary complaint seems to be poor Flash performance.

Quote:

The most common symptom seems to be incredibly slow Flash video playback, but people are also claiming that there's a bug forcing the hard drive to spin down, that there's a corrupted Snow Leopard build preinstalled, and even that the problem is bad permissions, which is basically how an OS X user gives up trying to figure things out.

Engadget notes that it has not seen any such problems with its own machines, suggesting that the issues may not be universal. Regardless, the volume of complaints indicates that there may be a relatively significant issue that will require Apple's attention. The company has yet to acknowledge or comment on the issues, but is likely to be studying them to determine possible causes.

Article Link: Apple's New 27-Inch iMacs Experiencing Performance Issues?

jnguyen4 · Oct 30, 2009, 01:25 PM

doesn't flash play slowly on all macs?

Di9it8 · Oct 30, 2009, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnguyen4

doesn't flash play slowly on all macs?

Does not work at all on my iphone

-hh · Oct 30, 2009, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Di9it8

Does not work at all on my iphone

This sort of thing very well could be why.

-hh

mabaker · Oct 30, 2009, 04:38 PM

That is supposed to be a NEWS bit!?

It's known that the flash performance be it on Tiger, Leopard or SL is ABYSMAL.

Nothing new. No pressure from Apple on Adobe either.

For everyone who cares here's a bug thread on Adobe forums commenting heavily on the issue:

http://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-890

peterdevries · Oct 30, 2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabaker

No pressure from Apple on Adobe either.

You don't know that..

I'm quite sure that Apple must be very annoyed at getting thousands of error reports a minute caused by Flash. Actually 95% of all error reports that get sent from my machine are caused by Flash.

MacDSmith2 · Oct 30, 2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabaker

For everyone who cares here's a bug thread on Adobe forums commenting heavily on the issue:

http://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-890

I went to this site, and this is what I found: Dated 9 SEP 2009
Version: Flash Player 10 - 10_0_32_18

Steps to reproduce:
1. Go to hulu.com. Stream a TV show. Pop it out into a new window and play back at 2-3 times normal size
2. On a 2009 model Mac Pro with 8 Nehalem Xeon processors and 12 GB of RAM, flash uses 50% of all CPU time available, and uses all cores. In 10.5, CPU usage was substantially lower (monitor with activity monitor.)
3. There is no 3.

Actual Results:
CPU usage is the highest I have ever seen for video playback. For comparison, the same machine uses virtually no CPU playing back a 1080p video at full screen on a 2560x1600 display.

Expected Results:
CPU usage should not be high for this operation. If this were a laptop, the battery would be drained in a hurry. Compare to quicktime playback of just about any video format, or to Silverlight, for much better video playback performance.

50% CPU Usage on an Mac Pro with 8 Nehalm Processors and 12 Gigs of RAM!

What chance do us "normal" Mac Users have? This is clearly an Adobe Screw-up!

macintoshtoffy · Nov 1, 2009, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Di9it8

Does not work at all on my iphone

I fail to see how that can be a problem.

thompson11 · Oct 30, 2009, 01:28 PM

Flash performance on SL is just abysmal, no matter what machine you're using.

My unibody MB played flash without a hicup on Leopard... now, if I try and watch youtube it'll be about 45 seconds before the fans start to kick into high-gear. The processor percentages the flash plugin eats up are just astronomical.

I'm assuming this is an Adobe issue, but who knows -- maybe it's some weird interaction with the 64-bit Safari?

All I can say is that SL made me find, install, and fall in love with ClickToFlash!

tempusfugit · 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thompson11

All I can say is that SL made me find, install, and fall in love with ClickToFlash!

Wow! I was wondering if there was a way to do what clicktoflash does on mac. I love that my Ubuntu box does the same thing by default, and always wondered if I could get that working on my mac.

Thanks!

PS, who besides me thinks that its absolutely ridiculous that Microsoft Silverlight works so much better than flash on macs?

Shame on Adobe. I don't even feel like using their products sometimes... but alas I must. Dreamweaver is just sooooooooo much better than iWeb, which has to be the worst editor out there.

Macromedia would have never let this happen.

Buzz Bumble · Oct 30, 2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thompson11

Flash performance on SL is just abysmal, no matter what machine you're using.

I think you meant to say:

Flash is just abysmal, no matter what machine you're using.

Flash has always been garbage, only marginally better than all the other formats like Windoze Muddier Video and RealUseless Player. The only proper way to to use video on a computer is QuickTime.

philipt42 · Oct 30, 2009, 06:55 PM

There are about 30 "positive" ratings on this story on the front page. Can anyone tell me why? This seems to be a bad thing, and I don't know why anyone would give it a "positive"!

philipt42 · 07:05 PM

I don't know how to delete my posts, but I just edited out a repost here.

M87 · Oct 31, 2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thompson11

Flash performance on SL is just abysmal, no matter what machine you're using.

My unibody MB played flash without a hicup on Leopard... now, if I try and watch youtube it'll be about 45 seconds before the fans start to kick into high-gear. The processor percentages the flash plugin eats up are just astronomical.

I'm assuming this is an Adobe issue, but who knows -- maybe it's some weird interaction with the 64-bit Safari?

All I can say is that SL made me find, install, and fall in love with ClickToFlash!

I have no issues with watching youtube on my uMBP running Snow Leopard. My fans only start going if I'm editing HD video or something like that.

soft · Oct 31, 2009, 11:50 AM

I think i found the cause of it (Airport) and made a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flT7U_kGpaM

hobes270 · Oct 31, 2009, 11:59 AM

I have a 21.5" and 27" affected by this

locust76 · Oct 31, 2009, 12:01 PM

If you click on the video provided in the article, the guy posted a follow-up video showing how to fix it.

I find it ironic that he chose to show how to fix the problem while playing back one of those smug-ass "I'm a Mac" commercials where the woman talks about wanting a computer that "just works," while the guy watching the video on his "just working" computer has to turn off wireless and turn it back on just to get simple internet videos to play correctly.

skate71290 · Oct 31, 2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thompson11

I'm assuming this is an Adobe issue, but who knows -- maybe it's some weird interaction with the 64-bit Safari?

All I can say is that SL made me find, install, and fall in love with ClickToFlash!

64-bit Safari... where did you get that from... i'm really intrigued

BornAgainMac · Oct 30, 2009, 01:28 PM

I hope the problem can be fixed. That would really be a huge disappointment for someone that is getting their first Mac.

[Update] Can Adobe send their programmers to training so they can write better Mac apps?

Jman6439 · Oct 30, 2009, 01:30 PM

shouldn't the "spin down" issue be solved by installing the Performance Update 1.0 that was sent out prior to the refreshes?

Me1000 · Oct 30, 2009, 01:32 PM

As if we needed another reason to ditch the crap technology that is Flash!

justperry · Oct 30, 2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me1000

As if we needed another reason to ditch the crap technology that is Flash!

You are sooooo right

I still use My pismo and flash is just not playable.
Worse,most sites nowadays use CR*P Flash,just plain stupid

gt1948 · Oct 30, 2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me1000

As if we needed another reason to ditch the crap technology that is Flash!

Hear Hear

Digitalclips · Oct 30, 2009, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me1000

As if we needed another reason to ditch the crap technology that is Flash!

My Mac Pro is fine but on my old faithful iBook G4 Flash Click to Flash (CtF) is a life savor. The poor thing went from working fine last year to this year over heating and freezing when CNN or Time web sites were loaded. Now with CfF installed it is working fine again. It is interesting (correction horrifying) to see the sheer number of flash windows scattered all over the web pages when CtF is running, many invisible, many over things where you would normally click for a link. The web designers are totally over doing sneaky invisible flash windows. Try CtF, if only to see these damn invisible flash windows!

greygray · Oct 31, 2009, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me1000

As if we needed another reason to ditch the crap technology that is Flash!

Windows PC all come bundled with it.

Oct 30, 2009, 06:55 PM	#12
philipt42 macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: RI	There are about 30 "positive" ratings on this story on the front page. Can anyone tell me why? This seems to be a bad thing, and I don't know why anyone would give it a "positive"! __________________ "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as the fly by" -Douglas Adams 14"late 2003 ibook g4, 640 MB RAM, 90GB HD; 4GB iPod nano

Oct 30, 2009, 07:03 PM	#13
philipt42 macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: RI	I don't know how to delete my posts, but I just edited out a repost here. __________________ "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as the fly by" -Douglas Adams 14"late 2003 ibook g4, 640 MB RAM, 90GB HD; 4GB iPod nano Last edited by philipt42 : Oct 30, 2009 at 07:05 PM. Reason: Repost!

Oct 31, 2009, 11:59 AM	#16
hobes270 macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2008	I have a 21.5" and 27" affected by this __________________

Oct 30, 2009, 01:30 PM	#20
Jman6439 macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Brea, CA	shouldn't the "spin down" issue be solved by installing the Performance Update 1.0 that was sent out prior to the refreshes? __________________ 13'' Unibody Macbook (Collector's Edition ), 2.0ghz, 2 GB RAM (trying to purchase 4GB from crucial, but waiting for prices to drop) iPhone 3GS 16GB White Forever

Oct 30, 2009, 01:32 PM	#21
Me1000 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jul 2006	As if we needed another reason to ditch the crap technology that is Flash! __________________ TimeTable: The Freelancer's Tool

Oct 30, 2009, 01:25 PM	#2
jnguyen4 macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2006	doesn't flash play slowly on all macs?

Oct 30, 2009, 04:38 PM	#5
mabaker macrumors member Join Date: Jan 2008	That is supposed to be a NEWS bit!? It's known that the flash performance be it on Tiger, Leopard or SL is ABYSMAL. Nothing new. No pressure from Apple on Adobe either. For everyone who cares here's a bug thread on Adobe forums commenting heavily on the issue: http://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-890

Oct 30, 2009, 01:28 PM	#9
thompson11 macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2009	Flash performance on SL is just abysmal, no matter what machine you're using. My unibody MB played flash without a hicup on Leopard... now, if I try and watch youtube it'll be about 45 seconds before the fans start to kick into high-gear. The processor percentages the flash plugin eats up are just astronomical. I'm assuming this is an Adobe issue, but who knows -- maybe it's some weird interaction with the 64-bit Safari? All I can say is that SL made me find, install, and fall in love with ClickToFlash!

Oct 31, 2009, 11:50 AM	#15
soft macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2009	I think i found the cause of it (Airport) and made a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flT7U_kGpaM

Oct 31, 2009, 12:01 PM	#17
locust76 macrumors member Join Date: Jan 2009	If you click on the video provided in the article, the guy posted a follow-up video showing how to fix it. I find it ironic that he chose to show how to fix the problem while playing back one of those smug-ass "I'm a Mac" commercials where the woman talks about wanting a computer that "just works," while the guy watching the video on his "just working" computer has to turn off wireless and turn it back on just to get simple internet videos to play correctly.

Oct 30, 2009, 01:28 PM	#19
BornAgainMac macrumors 68030 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Florida Resident	I hope the problem can be fixed. That would really be a huge disappointment for someone that is getting their first Mac. [Update] Can Adobe send their programmers to training so they can write better Mac apps?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode