Flash is making me hate my Mac!

trumptman · 12-14-2004, 09:41 AM

I'm sure many of you have encountered this as well. What is the deal with certain flash ads pegging my CPU at 100% usage and basically locking up the machine? The only web browser that doesn't do it amazingly and terribly enough is Internet Explorer. Any Mozilla browsers or Safari will take my machine and peg the CPU usage at 100% for certain flash ads on various websites. I would just avoid those websites (Anandtech is a pretty good guarantee to peg my CPU for example) but this website with it's many flash ads happens to be one of the worst offenders.

Since I can't fix the website, can someone help me figure out why flash does this?

I know there was a prior discussion of this, but it seemed to end with people discussing how Mozilla still accesses quickdraw for functions instead of the modern OS X variant. (Cocoa?) They held out home that a March update to Firebird/Mozilla would cure this problem.

However I really don't think that is the solution since Safari does it as well, and also so does Camino.

Nick

segovius · 12-14-2004, 11:51 AM

I don't know why it does it but I know you can block some flash ads with css in Mozilla.

hanxu · 12-14-2004, 11:04 PM

Macromedia just like Microsoft in web design industry, I hate flash for Mac too. But what can we do, unless some real genius publish another web animation format without so many bugs and real platform independant and most importantly open source. Until then we have to just live with it.

I hope up coming (I don't know I am just guessing) Macromedia 2005 MX based flash (maybe flash 8?) will improve mac performance

johnq · 12-14-2004, 11:22 PM

Put the ad servers in a hosts file. Ask for details. Screw ads.

AllInOne · 12-15-2004, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by trumptman
I'm sure many of you have encountered this as well. What is the deal with certain flash ads pegging my CPU at 100% usage and basically locking up the machine? The only web browser that doesn't do it amazingly and terribly enough is Internet Explorer. Any Mozilla browsers or Safari will take my machine and peg the CPU usage at 100% for certain flash ads on various websites. I would just avoid those websites (Anandtech is a pretty good guarantee to peg my CPU for example) but this website with it's many flash ads happens to be one of the worst offenders.

Since I can't fix the website, can someone help me figure out why flash does this?

I know there was a prior discussion of this, but it seemed to end with people discussing how Mozilla still accesses quickdraw for functions instead of the modern OS X variant. (Cocoa?) They held out home that a March update to Firebird/Mozilla would cure this problem.

However I really don't think that is the solution since Safari does it as well, and also so does Camino.

Nick

I don't use it myself by lots of folks swear by pith helmet:

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/10752

a plugin for safari that selectively blocks ads.

Randycat99 · 12-19-2004, 11:57 PM

It's another workaround, but I have resorted to simply disabling plugins in Safari preferences. That seems to kill all the Shockwave/Flash fanfare dead (as you would expect). Then if you happen upon a website that needs Shockwave/Flash to function properly, you can either enable it or just open the webpage again in IE (where plugins is enabled, presumably). That allows you to isolate when Shockwave/Flash is allowed to "own" your computer to just when you need it and not every other website that wants a fancy ad to show you. With that situation "contained", the only other thing you need to worry about are roving gangs of animated smiley gifs- a nasty bunch they can be at eating away CPU cycles.

On a sidenote, I think it would be really great if developers could get Safari to not suck down a constant 25-30% of my CPU resources whether I am actually using it or if it is entirely hidden into the background. It does this no matter what I disable. I just don't get why it would need to do this.

Thorzdad · 12-22-2004, 09:57 AM

It isn't just Flash content that makes Safari gag. Pages with a lot of simple animated gifs cause the CPU usage to spike, too.

The AI post page, for instance, always makes my G5's fans roar like it's about to take off. All those #@*& smilies.

12-14-2004, 09:41 AM	#1
trumptman My snark goes to 11. Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Galt's Gulch Posts: 11,514	Flash is making me hate my Mac! I'm sure many of you have encountered this as well. What is the deal with certain flash ads pegging my CPU at 100% usage and basically locking up the machine? The only web browser that doesn't do it amazingly and terribly enough is Internet Explorer. Any Mozilla browsers or Safari will take my machine and peg the CPU usage at 100% for certain flash ads on various websites. I would just avoid those websites (Anandtech is a pretty good guarantee to peg my CPU for example) but this website with it's many flash ads happens to be one of the worst offenders. Since I can't fix the website, can someone help me figure out why flash does this? I know there was a prior discussion of this, but it seemed to end with people discussing how Mozilla still accesses quickdraw for functions instead of the modern OS X variant. (Cocoa?) They held out home that a March update to Firebird/Mozilla would cure this problem. However I really don't think that is the solution since Safari does it as well, and also so does Camino. Nick There is nothing to take a man's freedom away from him, save other men. To be free, a man must be free of his brothers. I need no warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction. THE blog

12-14-2004, 11:51 AM	#2
segovius The New Number 2 Join Date: May 2003 Location: The Village Posts: 7,528	I don't know why it does it but I know you can block some flash ads with css in Mozilla. Wanted: new sig. Applications invited by posting ridiculously lame wingnut comments in this thread.

12-14-2004, 11:22 PM	#4
johnq Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Atlanta Posts: 2,659	Put the ad servers in a hosts file. Ask for details. Screw ads. "The Roots of Violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principles" - Mahatma Gandhi "I don't think our troops should be used for what's called 'nation building'." - George W. Bush, 2000

12-19-2004, 11:57 PM	#6
Randycat99 Banned from AO Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Little Saigon- er I mean, Westminster, CA Posts: 1,919	It's another workaround, but I have resorted to simply disabling plugins in Safari preferences. That seems to kill all the Shockwave/Flash fanfare dead (as you would expect). Then if you happen upon a website that needs Shockwave/Flash to function properly, you can either enable it or just open the webpage again in IE (where plugins is enabled, presumably). That allows you to isolate when Shockwave/Flash is allowed to "own" your computer to just when you need it and not every other website that wants a fancy ad to show you. With that situation "contained", the only other thing you need to worry about are roving gangs of animated smiley gifs- a nasty bunch they can be at eating away CPU cycles. On a sidenote, I think it would be really great if developers could get Safari to not suck down a constant 25-30% of my CPU resources whether I am actually using it or if it is entirely hidden into the background. It does this no matter what I disable. I just don't get why it would need to do this. Lauren Sanchez? That kinda hotness is just plain unnatural. Last edited by Randycat99; 12-20-2004 at 12:14 AM..

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12-14-2004, 11:04 PM	#3
hanxu Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 22	Macromedia just like Microsoft in web design industry, I hate flash for Mac too. But what can we do, unless some real genius publish another web animation format without so many bugs and real platform independant and most importantly open source. Until then we have to just live with it. I hope up coming (I don't know I am just guessing) Macromedia 2005 MX based flash (maybe flash 8?) will improve mac performance

12-22-2004, 09:57 AM	#7
Thorzdad Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 45	It isn't just Flash content that makes Safari gag. Pages with a lot of simple animated gifs cause the CPU usage to spike, too. The AI post page, for instance, always makes my G5's fans roar like it's about to take off. All those #@*& smilies.

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