slow iBook

[Don Hinkle]

My iBook is noticably running slow on nearly everything, especially on 
Mail and Safari, with delays before showing messages after I click on 
them, etc.
I do have Cocktail and run it occasionally, but I only fix permissions 
and run the Cron scripts because I don't understand the other 
utilities. The Help file doesn't explain much either because frankly 
it's too technical for me.
Can someone spell out the other utilities and what they do in simply 
lingo?
Much thanks in advance!
-don