Reminder: Make sure "Prevent App Nap" is checked

[mikehalloran]

I have an issue with Word 2008 in Sierra being unresponsive if it's been open too long. App Nap might be the culprit. ...

I can now confirm that AppNap was definitely the culprit. I was contemplating going back to Office 2011 because of this issue. My wife is a freelance editor and teaches writing so it was bugging her, too.

This wasn't an issue in El Cap for some reason. Office 2008 cannot be installed in Sierra but, like DP 7.24, it still works if installed in a previous OS. 2008 got really slow in OS 10.8 and I went to 2011 for a few years but never liked it. In Yosemite, it became snappy again and even better in El Capitán ... no idea why and we're not complaining over here.

Thanks for this thread!

[James Steele]

Yeah. App Nap seems to introduce a whole bunch of woes and I personally hate it because it's a laptop thing and why it's forced by default on desktop users is beyond me. I'm still using Liquid Mix via 32 Lives, but if App Nap is not disabled on the Liquid Mix app, it's unusable.

App Nap... blech! Just seems like another reminder that Apple is totally focused on the casual home user.

[mikehalloran]

Yeah. App Nap seems to introduce a whole bunch of woes and I personally hate it because it's a laptop thing and why it's forced by default on desktop users is beyond me. I'm still using Liquid Mix via 32 Lives, but if App Nap is not disabled on the Liquid Mix app, it's unusable.

App Nap... blech! Just seems like another reminder that Apple is totally focused on the casual home user.

Yea... it would have been simple to disable it if the installer detected a Mac that wasn't a laptop (Hey, Apple, remember those?).

[mhschmieder]

Yes, at my end as well, as by now I think I have done every category of "heavy" that I ever do with DP, and with nary a hiccup.

I don't understand WHY AppNap was causing the freeze-ups, as the app was active and shouldn't have thought it needed to take a nap.

[James Steele]

I don't understand WHY AppNap was causing the freeze-ups, as the app was active and shouldn't have thought it needed to take a nap.

I'm no programmer, but I suspect that it might be possible that certain processes or code/modules/functions within an app that aren't in active use could be de-prioritized even if it's the front most app. Maybe the connection between DP and drivers is given lower priority? All I know is in intensive real-time apps like DAWs, this shouldn't happen. I wonder if MOTU has the ability to eliminate this altogether or have the installer set it to "prevent" after installation?

[mikehalloran]

I don't understand WHY AppNap was causing the freeze-ups, as the app was active and shouldn't have thought it needed to take a nap.

I'm no programmer, but I suspect that it might be possible that certain processes or code/modules/functions with in an app that aren't in active use could be de-prioritized even if it's the front most app. ...

With Word 2008, it was something like that. I could compose, edit, save, print to .pdf etc. in the active document. I never lost any data. On closing the active screen, there would be a white space and Word was frozen. To continue, I had to force-quit. I could re-start immediately and it would be fine till the next time.

It was reading this thread that caused me to wonder if... and it was.

[toodamnhip]

Yeah. App Nap seems to introduce a whole bunch of woes and I personally hate it because it's a laptop thing and why it's forced by default on desktop users is beyond me. I'm still using Liquid Mix via 32 Lives, but if App Nap is not disabled on the Liquid Mix app, it's unusable.

App Nap... blech! Just seems like another reminder that Apple is totally focused on the casual home user.

Apple is getting a very bad habit of “lumping in” Pro user with iPhones, lap tops, and not updating their high end computers. Thus they have had to make the extraordinary recent announcements on how they are working on a new , high end Mac. App nap It should at least default to OFF on desktops. It is programming laziness, or, there is something about the feature we need on desktops, something we are over looking, ( but I doubt it).
And this thread is a great thread, showing how valuable this site can be. I had no clue “app nap” was lurking. Thanks to all.

[James Steele]

...or, there is something about the feature we need on desktops, something we are over looking, ( but I doubt it).

Only thing I can guess is it may reduce power consumption and save a dollar or two on the electric bill?

And this thread is a great thread, showing how valuable this site can be. I had no clue “app nap” was lurking. Thanks to all.

I can't remember when Apple introduced App Nap, but it does seem to create a lot of problems with some apps.

[mikehalloran]

I can't remember when Apple introduced App Nap, but it does seem to create a lot of problems with some apps.

Mavericks. I don't remember having problems with it before Sierra, though. I'm guessing that it was somehow "improved" in OS 10.12.x.

[Killahurts]

Yea... it would have been simple to disable it if the installer detected a Mac that wasn't a laptop (Hey, Apple, remember those?).

Exactly! You know, Apple recently have stated that they want to kiss and make up with the pro users in the next years.. I think they could start with a "deactivate-mom-and-pop" button in the OS install.

[bayswater]

I think they could start with a "deactivate-mom-and-pop" button in the OS install.

And a "don't nag me" button for OS X and iOS. I'm keeping my iPhone 4S now that it's obsolete and no longer nags me to update every time I use it.

[James Steele]

I can't remember when Apple introduced App Nap, but it does seem to create a lot of problems with some apps.

Mavericks. I don't remember having problems with it before Sierra, though. I'm guessing that it was somehow "improved" in OS 10.12.x.

Well the "problem" was always that it doesn't really play well with apps where you need consistent performance like DAWs, etc. I first really discovered it when I could not get my LiquidMix to work with 32 Lives. Once I checked "Prevent App Nap" on the LiquidMix app, everything worked great.