Not sure if I have a problem

Question

Hi All,
Well, have my MBP 2.53 and started setting it up but seem to have a couple of issues and not sure if it's the MBP or if it's normal so any advice or input would be helpful.
1. When repairing permissions on the Unibody (10.5.5 with all updates installed) the message:
Repairing permissions for “Macintosh HD”
Reading permissions database.
Reading the permissions database can take several minutes.
appears and then it takes an average of about 85 seconds where there is the rolling bar and the message reading permissions database beside it before it changes to the progress bar. Once the progress bar appears and it starts to repair permissions then it is no slower than my old MBP using 10.4.
Is the 85 second 'Reading Permissions Database' normal under 10.5 or is this unusual? This is the first time using 10.5 so I have no basis for comparison.
2. When opening a few .jpg files (about 30) at the same time in individual windows is it normal for the unibody MBP to beachball? Did not happen on my old MBP so again not sure if its a 10.5 thing and need your input.
Have only had the Unibody for a day and a half but starting to get a little concerned.
Thanks for any and all input.
Cheers

Answer 1

1. Yes, it's normal. Leopard uses a completely different method of tracking permissions than Tiger, so the time it takes to repair permissions is much longer - typically from 5-10 minutes depending on what's currently on the hard drive.
2. Don't know. Do not own a new model so I can't test one to see. It may be slower after you first start them up because Spotlight is indexing the drive for the first time. This indexing could take quite some time (several hours) if you continue to use the computer while indexing is taking place. This could easily cause everything to run slower. If Spotlight is still indexing your drive, then wait until it finishes before doing any work. If you click on the Spotlight icon in the right corner of the menu bar a drop down pane will show the progress, and you will see a tiny dot inside the icon that indicates Spotlight is working on indexing the drive.