10.7.1 + Onyx Lion = Performance

[S3rgin]

Hey Guys,

I apologize in advance for my long post.

I'd like to share with you something that I did during my second attempt to have Lion running properly on my Late '08 MacBook Pro.

Just like many people on this forum, my first time with Lion was not the best there is, then I was kind of forced back to Snow Leopard in order to have my MBP up and running again.

I was somehow bothered because I felt like I was missing on something, I don't know...

Then after a lot of reading on how to tweak Lion to make it run a bit better, I came across this article on CNET

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_...0.7.1-fails-to-address-prominent-lion-issues/

The thing that got my attention was the tip about using Onyx to clear the boot caches.

So, I tried once again to tame the Lion!

I did a complete clean install of Lion (as it is known to perform better than the upgrading from snow leopard).

Once the system was installed, I did a system update to have 10.7.1 installed plus the iTunes 10.4 and the remote desktop client update.

I was a bit worried that my 10.7.1 weighted only 17.4Mb... but no complains.

A system reboot later, I was back at my desktop.

So I decided to take CNET's advice about cleaning the boot caches and went and downloaded Onyx for Lion.

When using Onyx for Lion, in the cleaning tab, you can find 6 other cleaning tabs - System, User, Internet, Fonts, Logs and Misc. With each option having its own cleaning preferences.

I did not change any setting at all.

For each tab I just clicked "execute" and after it has done its job, it prompted me to restart, and so i did it. Mind you that it is going to ask for a restart every single time you click execute, you can do it each time, or you can do it all at once and then restart.

After all the cleaning was done, I can tell you guys that it feels like I am using Snow Leopard with all the Lion's whistles and bells.

It is fast again, it does not overheat anymore, animations are no longer choppy - the only exception being the dock, but it is not as bad as it was, just no as fluid as snow leopard, but a huge improvement anyway - and last but not least, it does not take forever to shut down.

I am using an Intel 320 SSD myself, and even with it, the shutdown process was taking twice as much compared to Snow Leopard. Now I can tell you that it is faster or at least equal to Snow Leopard.

How am I sure of what I am talking about?

I decided to take this adventure around 11:30PM this friday, and it is now 07:04AM on Saturday, and for all this time straight, the MBP never failed me once! No kernel panics, no freezing and no airplanes turbines out of it.

I had to reinstall all my apps (ilife, office, photoshop, auto cad, etc..) run updates, iTunes library, etc.. and it has been such a breeze.

Once again, I am sorry for the long post, but I hope this one can help others still struggling with Lion.

Now off to bed, because I do need to sleep.

Cheers!!!

 

[Taz Mangus]

Hey Guys,

I apologize in advance for my long post.

I'd like to share with you something that I did during my second attempt to have Lion running properly on my Late '08 MacBook Pro.

Just like many people on this forum, my first time with Lion was not the best there is, then I was kind of forced back to Snow Leopard in order to have my MBP up and running again.

I was somehow bothered because I felt like I was missing on something, I don't know...

Then after a lot of reading on how to tweak Lion to make it run a bit better, I came across this article on CNET

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_...0.7.1-fails-to-address-prominent-lion-issues/

The thing that got my attention was the tip about using Onyx to clear the boot caches.

So, I tried once again to tame the Lion!

I did a complete clean install of Lion (as it is known to perform better than the upgrading from snow leopard).

Once the system was installed, I did a system update to have 10.7.1 installed plus the iTunes 10.4 and the remote desktop client update.

I was a bit worried that my 10.7.1 weighted only 17.4Mb... but no complains.

A system reboot later, I was back at my desktop.

So I decided to take CNET's advice about cleaning the boot caches and went and downloaded Onyx for Lion.

When using Onyx for Lion, in the cleaning tab, you can find 6 other cleaning tabs - System, User, Internet, Fonts, Logs and Misc. With each option having its own cleaning preferences.

I did not change any setting at all.

For each tab I just clicked "execute" and after it has done its job, it prompted me to restart, and so i did it. Mind you that it is going to ask for a restart every single time you click execute, you can do it each time, or you can do it all at once and then restart.

After all the cleaning was done, I can tell you guys that it feels like I am using Snow Leopard with all the Lion's whistles and bells.

It is fast again, it does not overheat anymore, animations are no longer choppy - the only exception being the dock, but it is not as bad as it was, just no as fluid as snow leopard, but a huge improvement anyway - and last but not least, it does not take forever to shut down.

I am using an Intel 320 SSD myself, and even with it, the shutdown process was taking twice as much compared to Snow Leopard. Now I can tell you that it is faster or at least equal to Snow Leopard.

How am I sure of what I am talking about?

I decided to take this adventure around 11:30PM this friday, and it is now 07:04AM on Saturday, and for all this time straight, the MBP never failed me once! No kernel panics, no freezing and no airplanes turbines out of it.

I had to reinstall all my apps (ilife, office, photoshop, auto cad, etc..) run updates, iTunes library, etc.. and it has been such a breeze.

Once again, I am sorry for the long post, but I hope this one can help others still struggling with Lion.

Now off to bed, because I do need to sleep.

Cheers!!!

This is why I like to clean install each major OS update. Bloat and corrupted files are the biggest reasons to do a clean install.

 

[hwojtek]

I decided to take this adventure around 11:30PM this friday, and it is now 07:04AM on Saturday, and for all this time straight, the MBP never failed me once! No kernel panics, no freezing and no airplanes turbines out of it.

That's a great piece of endorsement from a Frenchman to a French piece of software, however Onyx is fairly known, no need to make such a fuss about it
BTW - I don't think 8 hours straight without a kernel panic does prove anything. 8 months, maybe.
I do use Onyx for a couple of years, however.

 

[rangen]

Onyx has always provided a modest performance improvement for me, Lion included.

 

[Hyper-X]

OnyX appears to be a decent app but I've never tested it thoroughly to really see if it makes a real difference.

My issue with tweaks and such for any OS (not just limited to Lion) is that tweaks should not be needed for any OS to run properly from the beginning. If you need to use a tweak to "fix" an operating system just so it runs normally, then that's a problem.

It would be like you having to use duct tape on your plane's wings just so it can fly properly.

 

[S3rgin]

That's a great piece of endorsement from a Frenchman to a French piece of software, however Onyx is fairly known, no need to make such a fuss about it
BTW - I don't think 8 hours straight without a kernel panic does prove anything. 8 months, maybe.
I do use Onyx for a couple of years, however.

Who said I am French????

To tell you the truth, this is my first time using Onyx. I don't like the idea of using such kind of software, because sometimes they can mess with your system.

For the time being, it did a good job, no doubts about it, but as soon as Apple sort this whole Lion performance thing out, I'm sure I won't need to use Onyx anymore.

 

[DICKNPHYL]

Onyx works !!!!

I have been using onyx for over a year now and it has never failed me in fing a lot of problems ! I keep an icon alias of it in my dock.
DICKSTER-----

 

[hwojtek]

For the time being, it did a good job, no doubts about it, but as soon as Apple sort this whole Lion performance thing out, I'm sure I won't need to use Onyx anymore.

I use Onyx since Panther, I think, and believe me - there will always be a need for a 3rd party tool that removes old log files, cleans caches etc etc etc...

 

[MisterMe]

OnyX appears to be a decent app but I've never tested it thoroughly to really see if it makes a real difference.

It's called "The Placebo Effect."

My issue with tweaks and such for any OS (not just limited to Lion) is that tweaks should not be needed for any OS to run properly from the beginning. If you need to use a tweak to "fix" an operating system just so it runs normally, then that's a problem.

It would be like you having to use duct tape on your plane's wings just so it can fly properly.

I cannot agree more. I have had Onyx since there was an Onyx. However, years pass between the times that I use it on some of my Macs. Running on a new OS installation is a complete and total waste of time.