slow iMac 20" bootup

[Piepz]

Hello,
I recently bought an iMac 20", my first Mac, I absolutely love it, but there's also a problem.
Every time I shutdown it (I need to use Windows for work and university) and boot it up in OS X, it just takes so damn long.. Even my Windows XP boots faster..
OS X itself boots pretty fast, but then there's a big slowdown for some minutes.. for what ? Didn't know that loading Skype, Colloquy and Mail takes so much system resources and makes my hard drive go berserk..

This is really annoying, I thought Macs should boot lightning fast, guess I was wrong..

 

[mad jew]

It should be quickl. What's listed as your Login Items in the Accounts pane of System Preferences? Also, what items are listed in the StartupItems folder in the Library?

 

[Piepz]

It should be quickl. What's listed as your Login Items in the Accounts pane of System Preferences? Also, what items are listed in the StartupItems folder in the Library?

StartupItems folder:

Login Items:

 

[mad jew]

Okay, well remove some of the Login Items and see how it goes. By the way, are you noticing general tardiness when using the OSX side of your system at normal times (not at startup)? Since you mentioned the hard drive, maybe use Disk Utility to verify your hard drive, just to check that it doesn't need repairs.

 

[Piepz]

Okay, well remove some of the Login Items and see how it goes. By the way, are you noticing general tardiness when using the OSX side of your system at normal times (not at startup)? Since you mentioned the hard drive, maybe use Disk Utility to verify your hard drive, just to check that it doesn't need repairs.

OS X is very fast.. usually I just put it to the sleep and then it wakes instantly and is ready for the work.
I already did that verification and everythings seems fine.

And btw.. what is that MagicMenu on that list and how does iTunesHelper really help me ? Can I switch off these items ?

 

[mad jew]

I don't run MagicMenu but it's a third party app that I have a feeling is now redundant. iTunesHelper is exactly what it says on the box and from memory, it helps with iPod recognition and possibly system-wide music playback although I would've thought that'd be QuickTime exclusively. Anyway, leave the iTunesHelper and iCalAlarmSchedular there, but remove everything else. Tell us how it goes.