MacBook 12" 2015 getting slower with Catalina

[sdfox7]

OP, mysterious slowdowns are Apple's way of saying "time to give us new money." The Apple timetable for Macs is only 7 years and you are at year 10. As Ferris Bueller says at the end of his movie, "it's over... go home."

If you want to keep using a Mac, time to buy a new Mac. What you are experiencing will only worsen as you step forward through time. It doesn't matter if you cling to the last stable version of macOS and dodge new upgrades- the apps themselves will stop working as you are experiencing with Safari not being able to load some websites. That will just get worse... and move beyond only Safari. The apparent "design" is to drive ever-growing frustration until you open the wallet for a new one.

2 OTHER OPTIONS

1. Hack it with OCLP, which can allow older Macs to run newer macOS at the risk of whatever unique security risks are exposed by leaning on the hack. LOTS of older Mac users do this and seem quite happy with it. OCLP readily proves that older Macs can run newer macOS versions just fine but where's "another record quarter" in that?
2. Install Windows 11 on bootcamp and you should have an up-to-date Windows PC good for at least a few more years.

Otherwise, you are fighting against a rising current "designed" to overwhelm you. Move along with a new Mac, a hack, make that one a "new" PC... or roll on with ever-growing frustrations.

Agreed.

Modern Macs are throwaway machines. This isn't the early to mid 2010's where you could tinker around and upgrade your components. You're supposed to use them for 5 years and then buy a new one. Even if you buy a Mac today, there will be features in the next OS that don't support your "new" machine. Slowly but surely your Mac will be obsolete in no time.

It's a shame but that's the way it is. Anyone who can read can figure out how to use OCLP to extend the life of a Mac. And once Apple drops Intel support, that's the end of that.

Apple: We are committed to protecting the planet.

Also Apple: Your Mac is no longer supported, buy a new one and throw that one out!

Nothing more than Apple greenwashing.

 

[Z3man]

Agreed.

Modern Macs are throwaway machines. This isn't the early to mid 2010's where you could tinker around and upgrade your components. You're supposed to use them for 5 years and then buy a new one. Even if you buy a Mac today, there will be features in the next OS that don't support your "new" machine. Slowly but surely your Mac will be obsolete in no time.

It's a shame but that's the way it is. Anyone who can read can figure out how to use OCLP to extend the life of a Mac. And once Apple drops Intel support, that's the end of that.

Apple: We are committed to protecting the planet.

Also Apple: Your Mac is no longer supported, buy a new one and throw that one out!

Nothing more than Apple greenwashing.

It is a real shame, but what you are saying is probably correct.

If that is the case, it is time they started lowering prices.

 

[Z3man]

Switching to an alternative browser once Apple stops supporting Safari in the version of macOS that you're running is always a good idea. Especially if you're doing anything sensitive in any way, using an up to date browser is a must.

I am trying Firefox at the moment, seems pretty good and has good integration with Big Sur. But i would like the bars at the top of the page to take up less space like in Safari. I have got rid of theBookmarks toolbar, but i still have two toolbars left, not sure what you call them but i think they are a tabs bar and a address bar, is ther any way of merging these.

 

[Z3man]

Trying orion now.

Not sure if i have it set up properly, do i have to keep opening and closing the side bar to view my bookmarks menu. I have to click sidebar, pick my bookmark and then manually close the sidebar, is this correct.

The bookmarks dont appear when i click bookmarks at the top of the page like they do on Safari and Firefox.

 

[bzgnyc2]

Trying orion now.

Not sure if i have it set up properly, do i have to keep opening and closing the side bar to view my bookmarks menu. I have to click sidebar, pick my bookmark and then manually close the sidebar, is this correct.

That doesn't sound right but we probably use our browsers different and it's hard to visualize what you want versus what you are getting from this distance...

The bookmarks dont appear when i click bookmarks at the top of the page like they do on Safari and Firefox.

If you are going to Bookmarks -> Show Bookmarks and getting the popup window but would prefer always having bookmarks show on a sidebar, I think what you want is View -> Show Bookmarks Sidebar.

Otherwise if you don't hear anything in the MacRumors forum, you should be able to find help in this forum:

Orion Public Issue Tracker

Report bugs and submit feature suggestions for the Orion browser.

orionfeedback.org

P.S.Now that you are on Big Sur you also have the option of Brave. I've been trying out Brave for the past few days and have to admit it is pretty snappy. Orion's UI/UX is closer to Safari and I overall prefer it from that perspective. Also Orion starts out 0 telemetry and I feel like I had to spend more time going through Brave's configuration options to disable things I don't want. As such still prefer Orion.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I encourage you to install OCLP on your MacBook, OP. MacOS Sequoia runs very well on the 2015. My 2015 looks and acts new outside of the battery health. Very happy with OCLP. I wish I could get Apple to replace the battery on there 2015.