Article: Select "App Store"  from the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen and check for software updates.  Keeping your software up to date helps keep your laptop running fast. Click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen and select “System Preferences”. Select “Users and Groups” followed by “Login Items”. Check the box next to the each program you no longer want to open automatically at startup and then click “-” to delete the items from the list. Preventing programs and apps from opening automatically at startup is another great way to increase your laptop’s speed. Your laptop runs a variety of programs in the background. These background processes can monopolize your laptop’s memory, causing it to run slowly. Ending the background processes will improve the speed of your laptop. Open the "Applications" folder, then launch "Utilities". Open “Activity Monitor”, click on the “Memory” tab, then the “Memory” filter. Double-click on a program you want to quit and then click "Quit”. To end the program, click “Quit” again.  Only close programs that you are familiar with. The memory filter will sort the programs by the amount of memory they are using. The program using the most memory will appear at the top of the list. Visual effects, such as the way your laptop minimizes windows, can also slow down your laptop. To turn these off, click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen and select “System Preferences”.  Select “Dock”. Change the “Minimize windows using” preference from “Genie effect” to “Scale effect”. Return to “System Preferences” main menu and open “Accessibility”. Check the box next to “Reduce transparency”. This will decrease the transparency of drop-down menus, the dock, etc.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Click the Apple menu to check for software updates. Limit the number of programs that open automatically under “System Preferences”. End unnecessary background processes with the "Activity Monitor". Disable your laptop’s visual effects through the "System Preferences".