Try nvi. It'll open files vim chokes on. Try Ni string esc where N > 1000000 (insert 1000000 copies). Or however high you need to go to watch vim choke and gasp

Try nvi. It'll open files vim chokes on. Try Ni string esc where N > 1000000 (insert 1000000 copies). Or however high you need to go to watch vim choke and gasp and wheeze and make you think your computer hung. Then go do the same thing in nvi and watch it happen in one second. Likewise, find the file of size that vim can't handle on your machine, then open it with nvi. For those virtues, speed and opening large files, nvi eats vim's lunch.