2015 MBP 13" always pokey with PDFs?

[ryanedw]

Hi everyone,

I've been a 15" MBP user since they launched in 2006, but I recently got an early 2015 13" (3.1 GHz core i7) with 16 gigs of RAM and the default integrated Intel Iris Graphics 6100 graphics card, which I gather shares system memory. I don't work in graphic design; I'm an academic, but I like to have lots of article PDFs open, and I like to have lots of programs open. I'm coming off a 15" MBP mid-2010, whose dynamic switching started causes panics due to that infamous GPU problem.

I've been startled to see the system get all pokey with just a bunch of PDFs open. No crashes, but everything seems labored. Has anybody else noticed this kind of behavior? Is it the price one pays with the less robust graphics card? I may just tough it out, because I love having a smaller machine, but it's pretty irritating when all I'm doing is looking at image files.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Hi everyone,

I've been a 15" MBP user since they launched in 2006, but I recently got an early 2015 13" (3.1 GHz core i7) with 16 gigs of RAM and the default integrated Intel Iris Graphics 6100 graphics card, which I gather shares system memory. I don't work in graphic design; I'm an academic, but I like to have lots of article PDFs open, and I like to have lots of programs open. I'm coming off a 15" MBP mid-2010, whose dynamic switching started causes panics due to that infamous GPU problem.

I've been startled to see the system get all pokey with just a bunch of PDFs open. No crashes, but everything seems labored. Has anybody else noticed this kind of behavior? Is it the price one pays with the less robust graphics card? I may just tough it out, because I love having a smaller machine, but it's pretty irritating when all I'm doing is looking at image files.

What software are you usinjg for opening those PDF's??? I find preview uses a lot of resources and works very hard, and I'd rather beat myself than use any adobe free software if it's avoidable. I reccomend you use skim for your PDF's it is small light and resource easy.

http://skim-app.sourceforge.net/

 

[abta1]

I have the same machine as the OP except with an i5 and 8Gb of RAM. With 8 pdfs (text and images), safari (multiple tabs), mail, ical and various chat clients open, I notice little to no impact on speed or smoothness.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I have the same machine as the OP except with an i5 and 8Gb of RAM. With 8 pdfs (text and images), safari (multiple tabs), mail, ical and various chat clients open, I notice little to no impact on speed or smoothness.

Hey I have a 2013 and don't have any issues either but I always use skim because preview canes my battery. To be honest the thing with PDF's is some are terrible and some are great and it depends a hell of a lot on source and encoding software size of file and all sorts of other things as to how they perform.

 

[ryanedw]

Thanks, everyone! I'll try out skim, that's a great idea.