numarray.array can be VERY slow

[Edward C. Jones]

#! /usr/bin/env python

"""Should this program take 4.3 seconds to run? I have a Linux PC with
    an AMD Athlon XP 2000+ chip (1.7Gh). I use Python 2.4.1 and numarray
    1.2.3, both compliled from source."""

import time, numarray
from numarray.numerictypes import *

nested = []
for i in range(8):
     inner = []
     for j in range(8):
         inner.append(numarray.ones((256,256), Float64))
     nested.append(inner)
t = time.clock()
arr = numarray.array(nested)
print time.clock() - t