Common applications like the Finder and the Dock query the filesystem when you open a context menu, among many other things that don't intuitively seem to be fi

Common applications like the Finder and the Dock query the filesystem when you open a context menu, among many other things that don't intuitively seem to be filesystem-dependent. But then there are applications which have a reasonable excuse to be hitting the filesystem, like iTunes or Photos or Mail. They absolutely redline the filesystem on a regular basis. The basic speed of the flash storage in a MacBook Pro frequently masks these problems, but the filesystem works against it.