WebKit's New JavaScript Performance

Platform: PPC, PowerMac G4 2x867MHz, 2GB RAM, Mac OS X 10.4.11, Safari 3 web browser.

Below are each build's SunSpider benchmark results -- built locally, but no special build flags.

This is revision 36535, 2008-09-16...

http://www2.webkit.org/perf/sunspider-0.9/sunspider-results.html?%7B%223d-cube%22:%5B3020,2115,1647,2118,2115%5D,%223d-morph%22:%5B1176,1149,1140,1155,1151%5D,%223d-raytrace%22:%5B1344,1045,1064,1326,1339%5D,%22access-binary-trees%22:%5B193,135,132,136,131%5D,%22access-fannkuch%22:%5B238,236,236,236,237%5D,%22access-nbody%22:%5B3078,2361,2494,3040,3178%5D,%22access-nsieve%22:%5B90,85,90,83,97%5D,%22bitops-3bit-bits-in-byte%22:%5B91,83,89,81,85%5D,%22bitops-bits-in-byte%22:%5B116,115,121,115,118%5D,%22bitops-bitwise-and%22:%5B139,138,137,139,144%5D,%22bitops-nsieve-bits%22:%5B504,417,425,483,522%5D,%22controlflow-recursive%22:%5B81,72,73,75,84%5D,%22crypto-aes%22:%5B124,118,116,115,115%5D,%22crypto-md5%22:%5B384,327,327,350,411%5D,%22crypto-sha1%22:%5B334,346,337,337,362%5D,%22date-format-tofte%22:%5B271,256,264,257,261%5D,%22date-format-xparb%22:%5B408,417,400,403,410%5D,%22math-cordic%22:%5B1418,1102,1126,1386,1561%5D,%22math-partial-sums%22:%5B1761,1372,1395,1722,2215%5D,%22math-spectral-norm%22:%5B826,668,687,834,864%5D,%22regexp-dna%22:%5B1173,1126,1130,1133,1194%5D,%22string-base64%22:%5B205,189,209,212,217%5D,%22string-fasta%22:%5B435,409,421,434,449%5D,%22string-tagcloud%22:%5B556,544,531,525,589%5D,%22string-unpack-code%22:%5B452,438,449,439,422%5D,%22string-validate-input%22:%5B453,413,442,438,442%5D%7D


This is revision 36738, 2008-09-21...

http://www2.webkit.org/perf/sunspider-0.9/sunspider-results.html?%7B%223d-cube%22:%5B401,403,400,399,397%5D,%223d-morph%22:%5B509,510,510,506,505%5D,%223d-raytrace%22:%5B324,366,349,356,333%5D,%22access-binary-trees%22:%5B110,111,124,113,113%5D,%22access-fannkuch%22:%5B246,237,235,236,238%5D,%22access-nbody%22:%5B405,452,478,456,452%5D,%22access-nsieve%22:%5B86,82,82,85,85%5D,%22bitops-3bit-bits-in-byte%22:%5B87,87,87,88,88%5D,%22bitops-bits-in-byte%22:%5B118,118,117,117,117%5D,%22bitops-bitwise-and%22:%5B137,137,140,136,140%5D,%22bitops-nsieve-bits%22:%5B190,196,206,195,207%5D,%22controlflow-recursive%22:%5B78,78,77,77,77%5D,%22crypto-aes%22:%5B128,129,124,124,124%5D,%22crypto-md5%22:%5B130,129,134,135,127%5D,%22crypto-sha1%22:%5B132,131,131,131,133%5D,%22date-format-tofte%22:%5B232,232,233,244,247%5D,%22date-format-xparb%22:%5B325,321,321,316,319%5D,%22math-cordic%22:%5B334,328,328,328,334%5D,%22math-partial-sums%22:%5B402,418,405,408,404%5D,%22math-spectral-norm%22:%5B209,211,223,212,211%5D,%22regexp-dna%22:%5B1092,1067,1078,1069,1066%5D,%22string-base64%22:%5B157,158,152,156,154%5D,%22string-fasta%22:%5B268,267,272,262,270%5D,%22string-tagcloud%22:%5B480,475,468,463,466%5D,%22string-unpack-code%22:%5B425,426,434,440,432%5D,%22string-validate-input%22:%5B327,322,328,328,330%5D%7D


TEST COMPARISON FROM TO DETAILS

=============================================================================

** TOTAL **: 2.34x as fast 17262.6ms +/- 11.7% 7381.6ms +/- 0.6% significant

=============================================================================

3d: 3.65x as fast 4580.8ms +/- 16.8% 1253.6ms +/- 1.9% significant
cube: 5.51x as fast 2203.0ms +/- 28.2% 400.0ms +/- 0.7% significant
morph: 2.27x as fast 1154.2ms +/- 1.4% 508.0ms +/- 0.6% significant
raytrace: 3.54x as fast 1223.6ms +/- 15.7% 345.6ms +/- 6.1% significant

access: 3.73x as fast 3301.2ms +/- 14.6% 885.2ms +/- 3.6% significant
binary-trees: 1.27x as fast 145.4ms +/- 22.8% 114.2ms +/- 6.1% significant
fannkuch: ?? 236.6ms +/- 0.5% 238.4ms +/- 2.3% not conclusive: might be *1.01x as slow*
nbody: 6.31x as fast 2830.2ms +/- 16.4% 448.6ms +/- 7.4% significant
nsieve: - 89.0ms +/- 7.6% 84.0ms +/- 2.8%

bitops: 1.50x as fast 812.4ms +/- 7.6% 541.6ms +/- 2.0% significant
3bit-bits-in-byte: ?? 85.8ms +/- 6.0% 87.4ms +/- 0.8% not conclusive: might be *1.02x as slow*
bits-in-byte: ?? 117.0ms +/- 2.7% 117.4ms +/- 0.6% not conclusive: might be *1.00x as slow*
bitwise-and: - 139.4ms +/- 2.4% 138.0ms +/- 1.7%
nsieve-bits: 2.37x as fast 470.2ms +/- 12.4% 198.8ms +/- 4.6% significant

controlflow: ?? 77.0ms +/- 8.5% 77.4ms +/- 0.9% not conclusive: might be *1.01x as slow*
recursive: ?? 77.0ms +/- 8.5% 77.4ms +/- 0.9% not conclusive: might be *1.01x as slow*

crypto: 2.11x as fast 820.6ms +/- 6.7% 388.4ms +/- 0.8% significant
aes: *1.07x as slow* 117.6ms +/- 4.0% 125.8ms +/- 2.5% significant
md5: 2.75x as fast 359.8ms +/- 12.8% 131.0ms +/- 3.2% significant
sha1: 2.61x as fast 343.2ms +/- 4.1% 131.6ms +/- 0.8% significant

date: 1.20x as fast 669.4ms +/- 1.4% 558.0ms +/- 1.2% significant
format-tofte: 1.10x as fast 261.8ms +/- 2.9% 237.6ms +/- 3.8% significant
format-xparb: 1.27x as fast 407.6ms +/- 2.0% 320.4ms +/- 1.3% significant

math: 3.98x as fast 3787.4ms +/- 20.4% 951.0ms +/- 0.7% significant
cordic: 3.99x as fast 1318.6ms +/- 18.7% 330.4ms +/- 1.2% significant
partial-sums: 4.16x as fast 1693.0ms +/- 25.2% 407.4ms +/- 1.9% significant
spectral-norm: 3.64x as fast 775.8ms +/- 14.6% 213.2ms +/- 3.3% significant

regexp: 1.07x as fast 1151.2ms +/- 3.3% 1074.4ms +/- 1.3% significant
dna: 1.07x as fast 1151.2ms +/- 3.3% 1074.4ms +/- 1.3% significant

string: 1.25x as fast 2062.6ms +/- 3.0% 1652.0ms +/- 0.3% significant
base64: 1.33x as fast 206.4ms +/- 6.4% 155.4ms +/- 1.9% significant
fasta: 1.60x as fast 429.6ms +/- 4.4% 267.8ms +/- 1.7% significant
tagcloud: 1.17x as fast 549.0ms +/- 5.7% 470.4ms +/- 1.8% significant
unpack-code: - 440.0ms +/- 3.3% 431.4ms +/- 1.8%
validate-input: 1.34x as fast 437.6ms +/- 4.2% 327.0ms +/- 1.1% significant

Found Work

I have not been updating lately, but maybe that will change. Back in March I started a new job. Getting back on top of things has taken a while, but within the bounds of protecting the privacy of my new employer, I'll have to say you will not be reading much about my new job here.

I think there is plenty else that I can talk about that will be fun to blog about.

New Desktop, Windows Vista Need Not Apply

Problem: A client had a four and a half year old Dell Dimension with oozing capacitors and slow performance. Further, the client was strongly adverse to being a Vista "guinea pig". Client was a modest computer user in her mid-60s, that also played some older PC games with her 8 year-old grandson. Eventually the new computer might be loaded with Windows Vista after it becomes more mature and the legacy software the client had was no longer a "must have".

Solution:
Dell OptiPlex 320 Mini Tower

CPU: P4 Intel Pentium Dual Core processor E2140 (1.60GHz, 1M, 800MHz FS)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, SP2
File System: NTFS
Memory: 1.0GB DDR2 non-ECC SDRAM, 667MHz, (1DIMM)
Keyboard: Dell USB Keyboard, no hot keys, English, Black
Monitors: no monitor
Video Card: ATI Radeon X1300 128MB, DVI and TV-out
Boot Hard Drives: 160GB SATA 3.0Gb/s, 8MB cache
Floppy Drive Options: no floppy drive
Mouse: Dell USB 2-Button Entry Mouse with Scroll, Black
Removable Media Storage Devices: no optical device
Speakers: no internal speaker
Resource CD: Resources CD contains Diagnostics and Driver for OptiPlex
Warranty & Service: 3 year Limited Hardware Warranty with next business day on-site service

Total Price
Sub-total: $567.00
Shipping & Handling: $29.99
Shipping & Handling Discount: -$29.99
Tax: $31.76
Total Price: $598.76

NOTES
(1) The "Pentium" CPU (E2140) is a Core 2 Duo, except with reduced internal cache. It is fully 64-bit capable. It's named "Pentium" for marketing reasons.
(2) No DVD/CDROM drive was needed in this case because the client was transferring a recently purchased Samsung DVD±RW with Nero DVD software from the previous computer. This OptiPlex — and few other new Dells — has an IDE (PATA) connector for optical drives.
(3) The client had also recently purchased a wide-panel Samsung LCD, so this computer really needed a DVI connector, but I would have preferred a video card with 256MB RAM. The on-board video controller only exited the computer via a VGA connector.

If only we all thought through starting a blog as well as Ted.

Worth A Try

Simson Garfinkel blogs about getting hard disk drives working by putting them in your kitchen freezer.

I've worked this trick since the mid-1990s. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't; but the price is right.

I always place the drive in a "zip-lock" bag — get as much air out as possible. Any moister in the air will freeze, of course.

Hard drives are designed to passively move heat. I have always felt that an hour or two was long enough. Then, I try mounting the drive while it is still freezer cold, but I also try as (and after) it has warmed back to room temperatures.

When a hard drive is obsolete or beyond repair they are always good for a few rare-earth magnets!

Please Sir, May I Have Some More?

No one likes a whiner; therefore I haven't written to my blog lately.

Here are a few quick list of things happening right now:

1. After nine years working independently, I'm looking for a full-time salary job, wish me luck!
2. I've been doing volunteer work for WebKit. WebKit is the web engine behind Apple's Safari web browser.
3. PT Wetter 3 is actively remaking his to-do system, Frictionless. I will be trying this out tonight.
4. I have been fixing-up my 1993 Volvo 850 GLT sedan. It's got 179,000 miles and going strong.
5. Now that it is past 15 May it's Summer in this part of Arizona.

Something Techies Should Know By Now

Prelude: Client hoses his operation system because he is an aggressive power-user. Techs at BestBuy and CompUSA declare that his hard drive is failing. Client buys new computer. A third (part-time?) tech recovers client data to a CD-R.

Start working the problem:

1. CD-R disc is discovered not have important files, like outlook.pst.
   
2. The hard drive was placed in a bubble wrap envelope, with no anti-static properties.
   
3. The SATA connector is partially broken; someone used hot-glue to hold their connector cable.
   
4. Hardware-wise the hard drive works fine.
   
5. The file system could be in better shape: many zero-size files with names like, "X~@", but scandisk returns no errors.
   
6. Cannot access some folders. Hmm . . .
   
7. The operating system is — can you guess? — Windows XP Professional!
   
8. Unlock the folders. The procedure is nicely documented at MSKB 810881.
   
9. Recover 9.5 Gigabytes of personal data, including a 0.5 GB outlook.pst file.