Just bought an M1 Imac and it's slow

[glittersgold808]

I just bought a brand new M1 Imac from the Apple website and things are loading slowly. It doesn't matter what website I go to or what app I load, it loads slowly. I also noticed right when I first turned it on for the first time that my mouse was moving very slowly. Even when I went into settings to turn it up to the fastest speed, it's still much slower than I think it should be. I thought at first that maybe these issues were bc of my internet connection but I don't have this problem on my HP laptop or my iPhone which are all connected to the same internet. This is my first Apple computer so I'm not really sure where to start with finding out what the issue may be.

 

[rpmurray]

Do you have any devices that could be causing radio interference in the vicinity of the iMac? In particular poorly shielded USB 3.0 hubs?

 

[kevcube]

Check activity monitor, see if there's anything taking a high percentage of your CPU. If so, might want to let that task finish or kill it.

Also, I'd recommend using a wire for your internet connectivity. It will alleviate a bunch of potential issues with wireless, and make this problem easier to track down. If your desk or working area contains a lot of metal, it might make it hard for the signal to reach the iMac.

There should not be any issue with your machine being able to draw the mouse movements on the screen, so like @rpmurray mentioned above, check for wireless interference, or try debugging with a wired mouse temporarily

 

[mj_]

You have to be more specific because slow ≠ slow. A slow mouse pointer is something completely different than a slow application launch or websites loading very slowly. None of these have anything to do with each other yet you seem to be lumping all of them in with each other.

 

[glittersgold808]

Sorry i don't know how else to put it. Websites and apps load slowly and also the mouse is slow. I really don't know how else to put it lol. I don't know why it's happening.

 

[SRQrws]

I have no clue why the cursor movement would be slow, but regarding web page and app loading: 1) try running the Ookla Speed Test on your iMac and then on another device in the same location. See if your download speeds are similar. 2) If the apps you are referring to are designed to run on Intel they will need Rosetta on your iMac. They will run fine, but the first time you load them, they can take upwards of 10 full seconds to start up. Subsequent loading should be faster. Hope this helps.

 

[za9ra22]

Sorry i don't know how else to put it. Websites and apps load slowly and also the mouse is slow. I really don't know how else to put it lol. I don't know why it's happening.

The broad description you give is rather suggestive of an active process keeping the system busy. On new systems during setup there are several things going on in the background that could cause this kind of problem if they fail to complete and close.

First thing I would do is open Activity Monitor (in Applications>Utilities) and then click on the '%CPU' heading, to get a list of what's running on your system, in order in which they are actively using the CPU. This would at least tell you what is actively running, and give some opportunity to see what may be causing the system to stall - priority CPU tasks can cause widespread slowdowns.

 

[nathan_reilly]

orrrrr a graphical user interface glitch? Am I the only one who has used a computer running at a low frame rate?

 

[petvas]

Sorry i don't know how else to put it. Websites and apps load slowly and also the mouse is slow. I really don't know how else to put it lol. I don't know why it's happening.

Did you restore from a Time Machine Backup? What browser are you using? Is the iMac slow when opening the finder or other apps? Can you explain more what you mean by slow?
Do you have any extensions on your browser?

 

[ikir]

it seems the system loaded in safe mode or similar. Check is keyboard has struck keys. have You updated to last macOS? Have you tried with a clean system?
I suggest you to bring it to an Apple store.
M1 is INCREDIBLY FAST, so this is a hardware or software issue,

 

[old-wiz]

I have an early MBA with the M-chip and it is definitely faster than any other Mac that I have. I would agree with others -call up Activity Monitor and see where all of the cpu time is going.

 

[PsykX]

I tried an M1 MacBook Air and it's faster than any other computer (PC/Mac) I've ever tried in my life.

Since it's your first Mac, I'm putting the Time Machine restore aside, I say it's a faulty unit.
Try to get it replaced.

 

[mj_]

A slow mouse cursor isn't indicative of anything, particularly if we're talking about a new Mac user. Which we are in this case. The mouse cursor movement is much slower on macOS by default than it is on Windows or Linux. Always has been and most likely always will be.

As for the other issues: launching applications and loading websites are, again, two completely different things that have absolutely nothing in common. For example, launching non-native x86_64 applications can be very slow because these have to go through a translation layer first. Generally speaking the same application will take significantly longer to launch on macOS than its Windows-equivalent will take to launch on Windows, e.g Microsoft Office, Firefox, LibreOffice, Photoshop, etc. The only connection between the two is Apple's service to check for malicious modifications prior to launch which in theory could slow down application launch times significantly if your internet connection was massively flakey. Which it might as well be. Easiest way to find out: disable Wi-Fi, reboot your iMac and see if application launch times improve. It's imperative that you disable Wi-Fi and reboot because otherwise the results will be skewed by RAM cache and a reestablished Wi-Fi connection after reboot should you simply disconnect instead of disabling the Wi-Fi modem completely.

Since this is your first Apple computer I suggest you take advantage of one of the greatest features brand-new Macs come with: free phone support by Apple. They will be able to help you much better and faster than we are. You may want to call them, describe your issues and have them check your computer from afar for potential problems.

 

[Clix Pix]

Could spotlight indexing be a factor in this? Usually the first thing that happens with a new Mac is that Spotlight needs to index everything, and that does tend to slow things down a bit.

 

[Realityck]

I just bought a brand new M1 Imac from the Apple website and things are loading slowly. It doesn't matter what website I go to or what app I load, it loads slowly. I also noticed right when I first turned it on for the first time that my mouse was moving very slowly. Even when I went into settings to turn it up to the fastest speed, it's still much slower than I think it should be. I thought at first that maybe these issues were bc of my internet connection but I don't have this problem on my HP laptop or my iPhone which are all connected to the same internet. This is my first Apple computer so I'm not really sure where to start with finding out what the issue may be.

Launch Safari browser check https://www.speedtest.net and see what connectivity is like. Likely you have several things that are being updated from the internet initially. For example it ships with 11.3, but it would try to update to 11.4 MacOS. You should have nothing else connected except the wired cable to power supply port or connected to your WiFi when starting. Just use the bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The mouse being slow would usually be akin of a lot of processor activity unless for some reason the optical mouse is having a issue with your surface it being moved on.

 

[Duane Martin]

Since this is your first Apple computer I suggest you take advantage of one of the greatest features brand-new Macs come with: free phone support by Apple. They will be able to help you much better and faster than we are. You may want to call them, describe your issues and have them check your computer from afar for potential problems.

See above. Posting to a web forum when you do not even know how to describe the problem (as many have already posted your symptoms seem unrelated to each other) is not going to be helpful. Apple support will be helpful and fast. You paid for it when you paid for your computer so take advantage of it.

 

[PsykX]

Websites and apps load slowly and also the mouse is slow.

Is the mouse laggy / jerky when you move it ? Does it seem to "jump" from one place to another ?

Or is the movement silky smooth, but you have to move your mouse really far to move it where you want ?

 

[ZipZilla]

wipe the drive, unplug everything except factory mouse and keyboard and see what happens. also make sure it's not too hot in the room you're in. overheating Macs do what you're describing.

alternatively, make an appointment at the genius bar if you have one

 

[TimmuJapan]

This thread is kind of hysterical. LOL… “it’s radio interference! No, you need the Ookla speed test!!! Wait, could it be a graphical user interface glitch!?!! Was it a problem with a time machine back up!!??! Safe mode? Have you updated your OS? No, it’s the spotlight indexing!! WIPE THE DRIVE! WIPE THE DRIVE!“ 🤣🤣🤣

If I was a first time Mac user reading through this post, I would think the Macrumors crowd is a little bit nuts. LOL. There are two simple bits of good advice buried in the chaos above:

1) If it is a brand new machine and not performing properly, either call Apple or make an appointment at the store to have them fix the problem or give you a new device. It is possible that you have a defective product, or something went wrong in the setup. Apple will fix that for you over the phone or in person.

2) If you want to trouble shoot on your own, the best advice and first step is to simply check the activity monitor. [applications—>utilities—> activity monitor]. That will show you if something is slowing down your Mac’s CPU. You can take a screen shot of your activity monitor and post it here, and that would be the first step, if you want real help from this thread.

 

[Eso]

Sorry i don't know how else to put it. Websites and apps load slowly and also the mouse is slow. I really don't know how else to put it lol. I don't know why it's happening.

The cursor is slow because the Magic mouse is one of the worst designed mice of all time. Use a different mouse and the cursor will be just fine.

 

[ZipZilla]

The cursor is slow because the Magic mouse is one of the worst designed mice of all time. Use a different mouse and the cursor will be just fine.

Corded Logitech M100. Can't go wrong. Lasts forever. Batteries are for suckers

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Are you connecting to the net via wifi or ethernet?
What are your measured internet speeds? Use the free "speedtest" app to check.

Could you be having "interference" with the wireless keyboard and/or mouse?
Do you have a wired USB keyboard and mouse you could try?

 

[rpmurray]

Once you get this working like it should post what the problem was so we'll know whose advice was the winner.

 

[mBox]

Best MacRumors thread to date!
Today is technically my Friday and I love reading good satire

 

[Racineur]

This thread is kind of hysterical. LOL… “it’s radio interference! No, you need the Ookla speed test!!! Wait, could it be a graphical user interface glitch!?!! Was it a problem with a time machine back up!!??! Safe mode? Have you updated your OS? No, it’s the spotlight indexing!! WIPE THE DRIVE! WIPE THE DRIVE!“ 🤣🤣🤣

If I was a first time Mac user reading through this post, I would think the Macrumors crowd is a little bit nuts. LOL. There are two simple bits of good advice buried in the chaos above:

1) If it is a brand new machine and not performing properly, either call Apple or make an appointment at the store to have them fix the problem or give you a new device. It is possible that you have a defective product, or something went wrong in the setup. Apple will fix that for you over the phone or in person.

2) If you want to trouble shoot on your own, the best advice and first step is to simply check the activity monitor. [applications—>utilities—> activity monitor]. That will show you if something is slowing down your Mac. You can take a screen shot of your activity monitor and post it here, and that would be the first step, if you want real help from this thread.

Well said. Full of solutions applying to an old Mac. It's brand new. Don't even try to sort of what's wrong. Call Apple immediately. For God Sake, when its on warranty time, don't bother trying to solve problems yourself. What's that way of thinking? Call Apple right now. If you're under your 15 days, then return it and buy another one. Stop giving you headaches with that thing.