Unfortunately, having just done that, it appears it did not help. I have my Mac set to reopen last-used apps on reboot. After quitting all my apps and doing the Software Updates, the memory munchers still do their dirty deeds, although the one with the biggest appetite for RAM seems to be eating it in two separate courses processes:

Even more disturbing, that memory consumption seems to need no help from the user, because here’s what happened when I just let the Mac sit idly while I went off to the shower:

But, I should report a bit of related good news here relating to real vs. metaphorical appetites. The maligned memory-eater was visited two days before Christmas, in hopes I might finally succeed at baking popover pastries that really DID pop (even at 5,000 feet), and they actually DID (photos on request).

I know opinion polls are often frowned upon by listserv monitors, but I AM curious about whether other users believe I’ll resolve this issue by updating to Sequoia. I do have one other weapon to deploy here, however. My spouse’s Christmas “haul” includes a brand new M3 MacBook Air that I’m setting up for her (not as rapidly as she’d like). It arrived a month or so ago running Sonoma 14.6 and Safari 17.6, so I’ll “feed” it a bit of leitesculinaria while I bicycle to nowhere on my indoor trainer and see what happens.

--?
Jim Robertson