TITLE
    Mac286 vs. SoftPC Performance Update: July 1988
Article ID:
Author:
Created:
Modified:
2957

5/26/88
09/02/88

TOPIC


DISCUSSION



    Here's an update on MS-DOS emulation on the Mac II -- a rerunning of May's
    benchmark tests.  The latest results for the Norton System Information Indexes,
    DBASE III Plus, and Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.01. are listed below.  (All results
    are in seconds except for the Norton indexes and the accuracy test in 1-2-3.)
    The old figures for version 1.0 of Mac286 are for comparison purposes.

    Monitor setting        Mono            Color                   Mono
    AST's Mac286           V1.0            V1.01              Insignia's SoftPC
    -----------------     --------       --------              ----------------
    Norton SI Indexes:
    ------------------
    Computing Index:        8.2               8.2                       1.2
    Disk Index:             3.7               3.7                       3.4
    Performance Index:      6.7               6.7                       1.9


    DBase III Plus:
    --------------
    Launch Program:         7.7               5.8                      10.4
    Search*:                7.2               4.6                       6.7


    *: Search 100 record (12 fields) database.


    1-2-3 Version 2.01:
    -------------------
    Launch Program:         5.6                 4.8                    10.5
    Add Integers:           1.1                 1.5                     4.0
    Add Floating Pt.:       1.1                 1.9                     5.3
    Multiply Integer:       1.3                 2.0                     4.6
    Multiply Floating Pt.:  1.4                 2.0                     6.2
    Integer/SIN:            3.8                 4.8                    29.0
    Load Multiply FP File:  4.0                 3.8                    10.5
    Save Multiply FP File:  3.5                 3.2                     5.1
    Accuracy (SQRT)**:     99.99999936         99.99999936             99.99999936

    *: Result of taking the square root of 100 twenty-five times, then squaring
    that result 25 times.  The final result should be 100.

    The  add, multiply, and integer/SIN tests were done in a 25X25 matrix where the
    result in each cell was dependent on another cell above or to the left  of it.



    General Comments:

    The hardware setup was as follows: Macintosh II w/2mb RAM, 2-800k floppy
    drives, 40Mg internal hard disk, 80Mg external hard disk, and a color monitor.
    All tests with the software were run from the 80Mg external hard disk.  The
    monitor was set to color mode with 256 grey levels for V1.01 tests. This was
    the only change made from the previous comparison.  For version 1.0 of Mac 286
    and SoftPC, the monitor was set to mono and 2 grey levels.

    A problem in version Mac286 1.01 is that resizing the screen in graphics mode
    and then returning to text mode causes a 1" margin on the left side of the
    screen.  This is only an annoyance, because you can avoid this problem by
    moving the horizontal scroll bar to the left and then back to the right edge
    before returning to text mode.  Also, Mac286 sometimes "loses" the cursor when
    running certain programs (Dollars and Sense, for example).

    For more information, search the Tech Info Library for Insignia Solutions
    and AST Research.



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