One challenge to using the MacBook Air is memory management. When working I typically run OmniOutliner, OmniFocus, iCal, Mail, Bento, and quite often some concoction of Parallels, Safari, Scriviner, Pages and Microsoft Word. I then spend my time bouncing back and forth between them as required. That is a lot of applications to keep in just 2 gigs.
I recently bought a $19 license to iFreeMem which seems to help. iFreeMem puts a nice little meter in my MenuBar.
When I notice the green area vanishing and the yellow and red areas getting too big, I simply click the MenuBar icon and the friendly one button fix drops down.
I then give it a clicky and it takes less than a minute to reshuffle the memory usually ending up with gobs of recovered memory. While it is running, the computer is frozen so that is a good time to go make tea. Things definitely run more snappy afterward. On my MacBook Air I do this two or three times a day. You probably get a better ‘flush’ with a restart but this is much easier and it is so gratifying watching the green pie grow.
I noticed that there are some Applescript hooks in iFreeMem too. I’m toying with the idea of designing a script or automator action around it but I’m not sure if that would be a good idea since I want to be in complete control of when my computer freezes for a minute.
Anybody else using iFreeMem or have suggestions for memory management?
I use an old freeware program called Memory Monitor which puts a sizable, floating or not floating window on the desktop. I just keep it between DragThing and Dragthing’s Trashcan.
One can also use MenuMeters, also Freeware, which can monitor CPU, Disk, Memory and Activity in a variety of formats in the menubar. I use it for disk activity. It does not give as much info as Memory Monitor, esp tracking page in and page outs. When I start seeing pageouts, I know it is time to do some memory maintenance if possible.
One thing that SOMETIMES frees up memory, esp if one has had lots of windows and tabs open, is to force relaunch the Finder.
Bill
I use an old freeware program called Memory Monitor which puts a sizable, floating or not floating window on the desktop. I just keep it between DragThing and Dragthing’s Trashcan.
One can also use MenuMeters, also Freeware, which can monitor CPU, Disk, Memory and Activity in a variety of formats in the menubar. I use it for disk activity. It does not give as much info as Memory Monitor, esp tracking page in and page outs. When I start seeing pageouts, I know it is time to do some memory maintenance if possible.
One thing that SOMETIMES frees up memory, esp if one has had lots of windows and tabs open, is to force relaunch the Finder.
Bill
I use an old freeware program called Memory Monitor which puts a sizable, floating or not floating window on the desktop. I just keep it between DragThing and Dragthing’s Trashcan.
One can also use MenuMeters, also Freeware, which can monitor CPU, Disk, Memory and Activity in a variety of formats in the menubar. I use it for disk activity. It does not give as much info as Memory Monitor, esp tracking page in and page outs. When I start seeing pageouts, I know it is time to do some memory maintenance if possible.
One thing that SOMETIMES frees up memory, esp if one has had lots of windows and tabs open, is to force relaunch the Finder.
Bill
I use an old freeware program called Memory Monitor which puts a sizable, floating or not floating window on the desktop. I just keep it between DragThing and Dragthing’s Trashcan.
One can also use MenuMeters, also Freeware, which can monitor CPU, Disk, Memory and Activity in a variety of formats in the menubar. I use it for disk activity. It does not give as much info as Memory Monitor, esp tracking page in and page outs. When I start seeing pageouts, I know it is time to do some memory maintenance if possible.
One thing that SOMETIMES frees up memory, esp if one has had lots of windows and tabs open, is to force relaunch the Finder.
Bill
I use an old freeware program called Memory Monitor which puts a sizable, floating or not floating window on the desktop. I just keep it between DragThing and Dragthing’s Trashcan.
One can also use MenuMeters, also Freeware, which can monitor CPU, Disk, Memory and Activity in a variety of formats in the menubar. I use it for disk activity. It does not give as much info as Memory Monitor, esp tracking page in and page outs. When I start seeing pageouts, I know it is time to do some memory maintenance if possible.
One thing that SOMETIMES frees up memory, esp if one has had lots of windows and tabs open, is to force relaunch the Finder.
Bill
I would love an apple script that triggers iFreeMem when my computer has been idle for some number of minutes. THat way I would never feel the moment of unresponsiveness that iFreeMem causes, but always have a smoothly running computer.
I would love an apple script that triggers iFreeMem when my computer has been idle for some number of minutes. THat way I would never feel the moment of unresponsiveness that iFreeMem causes, but always have a smoothly running computer.
I would love an apple script that triggers iFreeMem when my computer has been idle for some number of minutes. THat way I would never feel the moment of unresponsiveness that iFreeMem causes, but always have a smoothly running computer.
I would love an apple script that triggers iFreeMem when my computer has been idle for some number of minutes. THat way I would never feel the moment of unresponsiveness that iFreeMem causes, but always have a smoothly running computer.
I would love an apple script that triggers iFreeMem when my computer has been idle for some number of minutes. THat way I would never feel the moment of unresponsiveness that iFreeMem causes, but always have a smoothly running computer.
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Hello I just search the google and I found out your site. Nice post I am very worth reading it. Thanks!
Hello I just search the google and I found out your site. Nice post I am very worth reading it. Thanks!
Hello I just search the google and I found out your site. Nice post I am very worth reading it. Thanks!