"top" uses a lot of CPU Cycles in OSX

[kd7swh]

I logged into a powerbook via ssh and opened "top" to find a pid or two and I have noticed that it uses 5% - 10% of the CPU at any given time. This is quite a chunk. On my Dell Latitude D610 (edgy) top uses 0.1% to 1% of its CPU. Do any of you OSX uses have the same type of high CPU usage for top?

[Alfa989]

0.4% to 1% on my iBook G4, 1.33 Ghz and 1Gb of RAM...:)

[Realm]

I logged into a powerbook via ssh and opened "top" to find a pid or two and I have noticed that it uses 5% - 10% of the CPU at any given time. This is quite a chunk. On my Dell Latitude D610 (edgy) top uses 0.1% to 1% of its CPU. Do any of you OSX uses have the same type of high CPU usage for top?

Here is my CPU load with Firefox, iChat, iTunes, AudioScrobler, X-Chat Aqua, Mail.app, and 8 Dashboard widgets open. This is on a 2.0 Ghz Core Duo iMac.

Activity Monitor (http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5281/picture1qq4.png) (1250 x 1024)
Terminal (http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4141/picture2xk6.png) (575 x 1008)

[kd7swh]

Realm:

in that terminal screenshot, "top" is using 11.2% of your CPU that is what I was talking about.
Your mac book is fast, and for the most part programs take almost no CPU cycles. Why is top so demanding?