> Aurora loads (warm, not cold) at about 2.1 seconds for me, from run to display. In context, that's about half a second faster than Firefox opening (again, warm) on the same computer, as Firefox opens in about 2.6 seconds.
I really suggest getting a SSD if you can afford it. The amount of time it will save you everytime you boot your computer and/or start programs really adds up in the long run.
But, it's about the only thing an end user can realistically do.
Spend a few hundred dollars on hardware - install once - things run faster. Go about your business.
or
Learn to program in a variety of languages. Join multiple projects. Grab code, start hacking. Lobby to get your patches accepted. Deal with months of political infighting on various projects. Consider forking projects because patches aren't accepted. Deal with your contributions being removed or broken in future commits. Contend with slower hardware during the months (or years) it takes for this process to occur for all the major programs you run (and forget about the dozens of smaller programs you use daily).
Hrm... yeah, I can see why getting faster hardware is a tad silly. Not sure what the OP was thinking.
Given that it takes 2.1 seconds, can we assume that at least some of that time is physical loading from the drive, and has nothing to do with the actual program itself? Faster hardware does indeed work. And I'm saying this as someone with SSD lust, and can't quite justify the expense of a 256g or 512g SSD. :/
I'm not saying it isn't irritating, or that having a shiny SSD wouldn't be be awesome, or that Firefox is turning into bloated software - because those are all true statements. But when put in the context of:
A) wait 2 seconds
B) Buy a $200 hard drive
C) Fork Firefox yourself
waiting the 2 seconds seems like the sanest solution. Perhaps I've been working on budget hardware for so long that it doesn't bother me anymore, but the delay just doesn't seem like that big of a deal.
I imagine checking your email or reading HN kills more time per day than waiting for programs to start.
Regarding that last bit, both Firefox and Aurora were both run from the same computer, within the same minutes, and I took averages. Just wanted it to be clear that, while hardware is a factor, I was stating implicitly admitting that when I said in context. But yes, I agree changing hardware is the easiest solution (but I would do the former just because it's technically cost-effective, and I know how to program :).
I really suggest getting a SSD if you can afford it. The amount of time it will save you everytime you boot your computer and/or start programs really adds up in the long run.
Once you go SSD, you can't go back.