Depending on who you talk to , OS X 10.4 ’s Dashboard is either an insanely keen feature or a tremendous waster of CPU power and screen real estate … OK , so perchance there ’s a center ground , too . If you fall into the “ great feature ” camp , and enjoy the corking motley of doodad that Dashboard has made possible , today ’s tip just might make your Dashboard experience a morsel quicker .
Over meter , depending on which widgets you use and how often you use them , you may notice that Dashboard grows slower — each time you activate it , it might take a bit longer , or you may feel wait when working with a given widget . If this is the slip , the following lead might help the situation — but it sure as shooting wo n’t hurt anything to try it .
As you work with various Dashboard contrivance , the Dashboard app caches information — that is , it creates a local copy of various widgets ’ data . So if you want to get at that data again , it ’s available topically , instead of requiring a trip to the Internet . These cache files are stored in your substance abuser ’s Library - > Caches pamphlet , in a folder identify DashboardClient .
So here ’s the baksheesh : drag all the cache files in that pamphlet to the trash and empty the methamphetamine hydrochloride . After doing this , you ’ll necessitate to restart the Dock ( as that ’s the program that controls Dashboard ) . you’re able to do this by using Terminal ( typekillall Dock ) or through Activity Monitor ( in Applications - > Utilities ; typedockinto the search box seat , click once on the Dock process , then sink in the Quit Process button , then the Quit button in the resulting dialogue ) . The Dock will re-start automatically ; after it does , try on loading Dashboard and see if it ’s not faster for you .
I was initially quite doubtful — cache is say tospeed , not slow , accession to information . But after testing it on my own machines , there ’s no doubt it made a deviation . Since these are only cache file cabinet , you ca n’t hurt anything by try . Worst showcase , you ’ll find no alteration in speed , and the cache files will be recreated as needed .
If it works , and you ’d wish to permanently prevent Dashboard from creating any cache files , that ’s quite unproblematic to do , too . Navigate to the DashboardClient brochure , pick out it , then start the Get Info window ( Command - I ) . In the General section of the Info window , dawn the Locked checkbox . That ’s it — once the folder is operate , Dashboard wo n’t be able-bodied to save to it any more . ( evidently , to overthrow this , just open Get Info again and uncheck the Locked loge . )
As I noted , this may or may not make any difference of opinion for you . My cache pamphlet was nearly 20 MB in size ( principally due to PearLyrics ’ cached lyrics ) , and Dashboard was notably quicker after emptying the stash . A friend ’s machine , however , had only about 100 KB in hoard , and he saw no benefit to erasing the files . As they say , YMMV .