Alfred is very slow to show itself

[jamescridland]

Running a MacBook Air with 2GB memory, OSX 10.8.4, and a 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. (The memory, in particular, might be important). I'm running Alfred v2.0.5 (202). My hotkey is changed to CTRL+SPACE. I have only one workflow added - the Rdio control from David Ferguson.

 

If I try to invoke Alfred after not using it for a bit, it's very slow in appearing. Sometimes it takes a few seconds for it to appear. During this time, it's not capturing keypresses. This means that regularly you'll see me apparently typing "ynote" or even "te" instead of "keynote".

 

I can't instantly replicate it: but after a while of not using Alfred, it is, once more, sluggish to appear.

 

I never had this issue with Alfred v1; and wondered whether Alfred v2 is significantly heavier on memory or something? Is there anything I can help you with to return Alfred to his snappier self?

[Andrew]

Running a MacBook Air with 2GB memory, OSX 10.8.4, and a 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. (The memory, in particular, might be important). I'm running Alfred v2.0.5 (202). My hotkey is changed to CTRL+SPACE. I have only one workflow added - the Rdio control from David Ferguson.

 

If I try to invoke Alfred after not using it for a bit, it's very slow in appearing. Sometimes it takes a few seconds for it to appear. During this time, it's not capturing keypresses. This means that regularly you'll see me apparently typing "ynote" or even "te" instead of "keynote".

 

I can't instantly replicate it: but after a while of not using Alfred, it is, once more, sluggish to appear.

 

I never had this issue with Alfred v1; and wondered whether Alfred v2 is significantly heavier on memory or something? Is there anything I can help you with to return Alfred to his snappier self?

 

Alfred v2 should be extremely lightweight on memory, my current MacBook Air is showing just 13.5MB usage at this point.

 

Having said that, I think your issue is going to be 2GB ram when running OS X 10.8.4 - Your Mac will be swapping to SSD the whole time which will be slowing everything on your Mac down.

 

If you are running low on ram, there won't be much you can do to make Alfred show instantly if OS X has moved him out to the SSD. When showing Alfred, it would be much like loading an un-launched app when there is no memory available.

[Andrew]

[moved to the help forum]

[jackstraw]

I have had this same issue on a poor old late-2007 MacBook 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo with 4 GB of RAM.

 

Alfred 2 would take a second or two to show itself upon first startup, and then would be a bit better, but it is not nearly as instantaneous as Alfred 1.

 

Just today, I downgraded to Alfred 1 and immediatly, my computer seems much more snappier overall. I only use Alfred as an application launcher, and I do not have the Powerpack, so I am not losing any functionality.

[jdfwarrior]

I have had this same issue on a poor old late-2007 MacBook 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo with 4 GB of RAM.

 

Alfred 2 would take a second or two to show itself upon first startup, and then would be a bit better, but it is not nearly as instantaneous as Alfred 1.

 

Just today, I downgraded to Alfred 1 and immediatly, my computer seems much more snappier overall. I only use Alfred as an application launcher, and I do not have the Powerpack, so I am not losing any functionality.

 

Have you added any other drives to Alfred's default search scope? Perhaps an external drive?