this is not a Macintosh specific item. When the operating system (Windows or MacOSX) uses RAM, it is typically a combination of actual electronic RAM and available hard drive space (also known as "virtual memory"). In the MacOSX environment, you can see this use of real vs virtual memory in the "Activity Monitor" application that is loaded onto your machine by default when you do a system install or when it comes from the factory.
An easy "rule" to remember is to have a minimum of 10%-15% of your hard drive as "Available". This means this is the LOWEST amount of hard drive space you should have. More is DEFINITELY better. Never, ever run out of hard drive space that is on the same disk as your System.
In you particular case, the best thing you could do is to increase the amount of real, electronic, RAM. When virtual memory is used (remember, that is on the hard drive), things are a bit slower than when real electronic memory is used. There is a lot of work/time using the hard drive for RAM. If you have more electronic RAM, then less virtual memory is needed...
Once can NEVER have enough electronic RAM or hard drive space. More of both is always better. But you are doing well by keeping yourself so disciplined as to keep hard drive space available.
Hello - I've got an Ibook G3 [and hoping it lasts forever it's so good], with 800mhz, 640ram, 30gig hd, 22.78 free, and Firefox 2.0 as the browser. Thinking that saving HD space for better performance has perhaps lead me into being more careful than warranted. Whenever I download Itunes albums, or other items, I then copy them to cd, deleting the file, trying to keep as many 'free' gigs available for good performance. Now I've been reading that perhaps even 5 'free' gigs is sufficient! Wondering how these figures are decided, and whether simply opinion has factored in here. Currently, even on a dialup connection, it runs relatively 'blazing'...I'd hate to change that. Any thoughts? Thanks much, Eric

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