WP.org is sluggish (very slow) though installed locally?!

hello,

i’m still testing WP, looking at sample sites, reading tips etc.

i want to familiarize myself. it’s hyped as so easy, but for a layman,
it is not. it’s quite vast, complex and certainly the installation on
my Mac was not easy!

now that i finally have it on “localhost” as that is your wp.ORG
mantra vs. wp.COM, it is supposed to be local, therefore fast, right?!

problem:
1. SPEED
well, it’s quite slow, despite my Mac Pro 2.8GHz Quad Core 8GB RAM 2TB
HD config!!

it’s sluggish to login and do anything.
the worst is to preview the blog, it is much too slow for a modern
solution ca. 10 sec. for only blahblah text or 2 short test posts.

2. MAINTENANCE?!
a moment ago i could not log in due to error message “maintenance”. i
thought it was saved locally not on your site – does it still require
to access your site if i do not upload? what does it require or why
does it need to link to wp.ORG?

thanks,
rolf