The Macintosh Diet

Jason Snell

THANKS FOR "10 Steps to a Slim System" (July '95, page 104). I am finally able to get rid of some of the memory eaters in my system. I've been trying to do this for a while, and your article has given me a better outlook on making do with what we have.

    Ed Reverdy
    ereverdy@lynx.neu.edu

WOW! I trimmed almost 50 MB from my hard disk. Great article. Question: Inside the System Folder is a "suitcase" called System, which claims 930K. However, when I open that suitcase, it contains a mere 41K worth of stuff. What's up with that?

    Vann Anderson
    OUT4GOLF@aol.com

/ Although the System file is a suitcase that can contain various items, it also contains all the invisible software goodies that make your Mac's system run. In other words, that 930K is vital equipment. Don't throw it out!

    /Jason Snell

YOU INDICATE THAT "disabled" folders in the System Folder can be deleted, but this is how extension-management utilities (Conflict Catcher or Apple's own Extensions Manager, for example) do their work. If you've just booted up with your minimum set of system add-ons (to speed your machine for a superhigh-frame-rate game of Marathon, for example), most of your system extensions, control panels, and the like will be in these folders. If you trash them, you'll lose a lot of useful, and sometimes necessary, files.

    Brian Latimer
    BLatimer@mdta.mdc.com

/ You're right -- you should always check what's inside those folders and only then throw away any items in them that you never plan to use again.

    Jason Snell