[G4] start up time

[LRugolo at centurytel.net]

Here's something I copied from somewhere many moons ago but is 
pertinent to this discussion. Note that the key combination when 
opening the Control Panels to disable the RAM test is Command-Option.

"If you're the finger-drumming, teeth-gnashing type, waiting for your
Mac to restart is probably a long and painful experience. The newer G4
Macs have certainly improved their startup times, but if you've got a
trusty older machine, in particular, you can speed up restarts by
disabling your Mac's memory test. You see, every time you start your
Mac, the OS scans the RAM to make sure everything's hunky-dory. If you
opt not to test your RAM each and every time, you'll cut out a good
percentage of startup time. (You can always turn the test back on if
your Mac starts acting cranky.)

To disable the RAM test at startup, you first press Command-Option as
you open the Memory control panel. (Go to the Apple Menu and choose
Control Panels, Memory.) When the Memory control panel opens, it will
display a Startup Memory Tests option, which you can toggle on and
off."

--Larry