Slow iBook when running Word

[CaptainMatt]

I just recently got an G4 ibook 12inch with 512mb of ram and a 60gig HD in January. I installed Microsoft Office for the mac and I've noticed that whenever I use Word I have a problem. There is a noticable lag when you type. It averages about a couple letters to a word or two behind what I'm typing. It is very frustrating. Is it the iBook? some setting in OS X?

Nothing else is running while I'm using Word. I also have noticed that whenever I try and load something from the HD that there is a little lag. I have a slower PC at home that feels a lot faster than this ibook. Is this due to the Hard Drive? Or how OS X operates?

What can I do to speed things up?
any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Matt

PS: I've already tried repairing permissions and using Onyx but to no avail.

 

[wordmunger]

You can try what I did: Enable Quartz text smoothing under preferences --> general. Amazing speed increase, and fonts look better to boot!

 

[Blue Velvet]

There's some discontent building up about Office 2004 depending on the zip of your machine...

Try:
• Downloading SP1 for Office from here.
• Disabling some of the auto features like grammar-checking

 

[CaptainMatt]

You can try what I did: Enable Quartz text smoothing under preferences --> general. Amazing speed increase, and fonts look better to boot!

I can't find this option. It's not under the menu that you say it is. Maybe it's my version of Word?

 

[Blue Velvet]

Maybe it's my version of Word?

Which is...?

 

[CaptainMatt]

Which is...?

Office for the Mac 2004

 

[Blue Velvet]

I can't find this option. It's not under the menu that you say it is. Maybe it's my version of Word?

I'm not in front of my work machine with Office 2004 at the mo.

Why don't you search the Word Help for "Text smoothing"...
See where it might be...

 

[CaptainMatt]

I'm not in front of my work machine with Office 2004 at the mo.

Why don't you search the Word Help for "Text smoothing"...
See where it might be...

I tried that and found nothing.

I did however disable live word count and WYSIWYG font and style menus and that made things a little more bearable.