With only a simple download of the Flash 8 player from Macromedia, any site using Flash will load many times faster. For example, use Safari to load cnet.com to check the speed difference.
[robg adds: I don't normally run 'new version out' notes as hints here, but after playing with Flash Player 8 (which looks like it's been available since early September), I decided to make an exception in this case. I've always been somewhat disappointed with the speed of Flash on the Mac -- animations were jerky, scrolling wasn't smooth, etc. However, this version seems to have answered my complaints, and the speed now feels quite comparable to Flash on the PC. My favorite test site (and time-waster site!) is this mini putt game, which really used to drag badly when scrolling between holes. With the new Flash player, that lag is now gone, and I even noticed smoother animation of something as simple as the rolling ball.]
Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050916180744421