I'm aware that another poster was placing a similar message to mine (found here: http://www.gnutellaforums.com/showth...aluminium+skin) on several threads and it got to the point where admin got a bit fed up with finding the same message all over the place. I don't want to fall into the same trap, but the suggestion worked well for me in terms of solving the general system slow down which happens when OsX 10.3.9 users install LW 4.10. Perhaps it warrants a sticky as this theme seems to come up all the time.
Upshot: OsX 10.3.9 users should consider a different skin to the Brushed Aluminium one. See if your system doesn't recover once you change the skin.
It's a painful sacrifice in terms of aesthetics, but a worthwhile one in my humble experience.