Understanding and Using
 MacBenchÆ 4.0
Doc-To-Help Standard Manual

 

Ziff-Davis Publishing Co.

Contents
License Agreement and Trademarks	
LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR ZIFF-DAVIS’ MACBENCHÆ 4.0	
Trademarks and copyrights	
About this File	
Introduction	
Available MacBench documentation	
Finding the information you need	
Our assumptions about you	
Conventions this manual uses	
80/20 on the 80/20 items in this file	
Part 1: Introducing MacBench	
Chapter 1: Introducing MacBench 4.0	
80/20 on MacBench 4.0	
MacBench 4.0 in a nutshell	
MacBench measures subsystems	
MacBench’s main tests	
MacBench’s base machine	
About the market-centered and publishing tests	
Market-centered tests	
Publishing tests	
About ZD benchmarks	
Chapter 2: What’s New in this Release	
New! Graphics technology	
New! Video tests	
Applications we profiled	
Custom disk tests	
Automated running of custom test suites	
UI enhancements	
Other changes and enhancements	
Part 2: Quick Start	
Chapter 3: Quick Start — Running Tests and Saving Results	
MacBench’s minimum system requirements	
Optional software and hardware MacBench can use	
Delete older versions of MacBench on your hard disk	
About the Main Tests suite	
Running the test	
Step 1. Start MacBench	
Step 2. Run MacBench’s Main Tests suite	
Running time for Main Tests suite	
Interrupting a test run	
Step 3. Save the results	
Step 4: Compare your results to other machines	
Step 5. Exit MacBench	
Chapter 4: Licensing and Registering MacBench	
Licensing MacBench	
Registering MacBench	
Registering creates MacBench’s Preferences file	
Part 3: Running MacBench	
Chapter 5: What Do All These Buttons and Menus Do?	
Using the menus	
File menu	
Edit menu	
Tests menu	
Test Suites menu	
Graph menu	
Apple menu	
Using the toolbar buttons	
Using the keyboard	
Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests	
80/20 on running tests	
Starting a MacBench session	
Setup and execution phases of a MacBench test	
Interrupting a test or suite	
Interrupting a playback test	
MacBench’s Preferred memory size	
Running test suites	
Miscellaneous information on suites	
Running custom test suites	
Running the Processor test	
Running the Floating Point test	
Running the Disk tests	
Running the Disk test	
Running the Publishing Disk test	
Running disk inspection tests	
Running a custom disk test	
Running the Graphics tests	
Running the Graphics test	
Running a Publishing Graphics test	
Running graphics inspection tests	
Running the CD-ROM tests	
Running the CD-ROM	
Running CD-ROM inspection tests	
Running a custom CD-ROM test	
Running the video tests	
Running video inspection tests	
Selecting and running a custom movie	
Running MacBench in demo mode	
Quitting a MacBench session	
Quitting when you haven’t saved your results	
Chapter 7: Standard Testing Procedures	
Keep these guidelines in mind	
Do this in extreme cases	
Tests and test settings	
Save Current System results before changing test settings	
Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings	
Introduction	
Opening the Test Settings dialog box	
Changing test settings	
Save your current results before changing any test settings	
Chapter 9: System Information	
80/20 on MacBench’s System Information window	
Working with system information	
How does MacBench gather system information?	
Viewing system information	
Using the System Information window	
Extra notes on the System Info window	
Clicking on a system name in the Results window	
Using the results and export files	
Editing system information	
Adding comments about the Current System	
Printing system information	
Publishing results	
System Information reference tables	
General Info	
Model	
Virtual memory (KB)	
Storage Devices	
Display Devices	
Movies	
System Files	
Test Settings	
Chapter 10: Setting Preferences	
80/20 on setting preferences	
Opening and using the Preferences dialog box	
Where MacBench stores the preferences you select	
Preferences options	
Results Window	
Custom Tests	
Warnings	
Part 4: The Tests	
Chapter 11: Processor and Floating Point Tests	
80/20 on the Processor and FPU tests	
About the Processor test	
How we created the Processor test	
About the Floating Point test	
Hardware and software FPUs	
About the Processor and FPU scores	
Calculating the Processor and FPU scores	
Chapter 12: Disk Tests	
80/20 on disk tests	
Disk playback tests	
What the disk playback tests do	
How we created the disk playback tests	
Disk playback scores	
How MacBench computes the disk playback scores	
Disk inspection tests	
Sequential tests	
Random tests	
How do block sizes affect the tests?	
Disk inspection test results	
List of disk inspection tests	
Custom disk tests	
Create a custom disk test suite	
Chapter 13: Graphics Tests	
80/20 on the graphics tests`	
Graphics playback tests	
What the graphics playback tests do	
How we created the graphics playback tests	
Working around other applications’ limitations	
Publishing Graphics tests and display resolution issues	
Graphics playback scores	
How MacBench computes the graphics playback scores	
General notes on what you’ll see	
Graphics inspection tests	
What happens during an inspection test	
About the inspection test results	
QuickDraw modes	
List of tests	
If you run inspection tests in black and white	
Chapter 14: CD-ROM Tests	
80/20 on the CD-ROM tests	
CD-ROM test	
What the CD-ROM test does	
How we created the test	
CD-ROM test scores	
How MacBench computes the CD-ROM score	
CD-ROM inspection tests	
About the CD-ROM inspection test results	
About the Sequential Read test results	
List of CD-ROM inspection tests	
Custom CD-ROM tests	
Create a custom CD-ROM test suite	
Chapter 15: Video tests	
80/20 on the video tests	
About the video tests	
Names of the MacBench-provided movies	
Video test settings	
About the video test results	
Video test tips and troubleshooting	
Should you play the video clips from the CD-ROM or hard disk?	
Create a custom video test suite	
Miscellaneous information	
Data on the MacBench-included movies	
Frame-by-frame breakdowns	
Video clip attributes	
Part 5: More Advanced Tasks	
Chapter 16: Creating Custom Disk and CD-ROM Tests	
About custom tests	
MacBench’s default custom tests	
Creating custom tests	
What if you don’t create a custom test?	
How does MacBench name the custom tests?	
Create a custom suite of custom tests	
Handling custom test conflicts	
Custom tests and the Preferences dialog box	
Custom test restrictions	
Only one unique set of custom tests at a time	
Custom tests not included in test suites	
Custom tests and custom test suites	
Custom CD-ROM tests	
Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites	
80/20 on custom test suites	
Introducing suites	
Built-in suites	
Custom suites	
Suites and test settings	
Creating a custom suite	
Run order of the tests in a custom suite	
Running a suite multiple times — automatically	
Adding a custom suite to the menus	
Adding a custom suite from the Finder	
Editing the current custom suite	
Using a built-in suite to create a custom suite	
Chapter 18: Hands-free Testing with AppleScript	
80/20 on MacBench and AppleScript	
About AppleScript	
Requirements for AppleScript	
Using AppleScript with MacBench 4.0	
MacBench’s AppleScript files	
MacBench’s AppleScript commands	
Required Suite	
Standard Suite	
MacBench Suite	
Part 6: Viewing, Analyzing, and Publishing Results	
Chapter 19: Using the Results Window	
Viewing results	
80/20 on viewing results	
Understanding the Results window	
Test names	
System names	
Current System	
Bar graphs and grid lines	
Normalized scores	
100% system	
Adding results to the Results window	
Changing the order of displayed results	
Fit to window	
Hiding and showing test names	
Removing results from the Results window	
Selecting a 100% system	
Sizing the Results window	
View by Scale	
What does the “1” in “2:1” mean?	
Zoom in, zoom out	
Viewing system information	
Working with results	
80/20 on working with results	
Saving results	
Results file contents	
File‑naming suggestions	
Exporting results	
The Current System and exported results	
Differences between results files and export files	
Printing the Results window graph	
Chapter 20: What Do All These Numbers Mean?	
80/20 on what the numbers mean	
The units MacBench uses	
Comparing results	
Comparing two or more machines	
Changing components or settings	
Why results differ	
Finding comparison results	
Checking Ziff-Davis publications	
Using on-line services	
Chapter 21: What Can Affect Results	
Your mileage may vary	
Measuring subsystems, not components	
The processor subsystem	
The disk subsystem	
The graphics and video subsystem	
The CD-ROM subsystem	
Testing tips	
General performance tips	
Processor subsystem tips	
Disk subsystem tips	
Graphics subsystem tips	
Video subsystem tips	
Network client software	
Chapter 22: Publishing Results	
What the license agreement requires	
Re-reading the license agreement	
Part 7: Troubleshooting and Technical Support	
Chapter 23: Troubleshooting a Problem	
Introduction	
What MacBench does when it encounters an error	
Tracking persistent errors	
General troubleshooting tips	
Files are inaccessible or don’t exist	
Low memory conditions	
Types of MacBench error messages	
Internal errors	
Low memory	
Insufficient disk space	
File errors	
Compatibility errors	
Preferences file	
Chapter 24: Contacting ZDBOp Technical Support	
I just found a bug. What do I do?	
Information we’d like from you	
Problem Report Form	
Chapter 25: Getting Copies of the Benchmarks	
How can I get a Ziff-Davis benchmark program?	
Benchmark Request Form	
Appendix A: Base Machine Specifications	
About the base machine specs	
Acknowledgments	
And great big thank yous to--	
Glossary of Terms	
Index	

License Agreement and Trademarks
LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR ZIFF-DAVIS’ MACBENCHÆ 4.0
READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE SOFTWARE EMBODIED IN THE MACBENCHÆ 4 CD-ROM OR, IF PRELOADED ON YOUR HARD DRIVE, DOWNLOADED OR IF PROVIDED AS PART OF A COLLECTION, THE PRELOADED, DOWNLOADED OR COLLECTED FILE(S) (the “Media”). Embodied in the MacBench Media is the MacBench 4.0 computer program and related documentation (the “Software”). Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, having a place of business at One Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016 (“Ziff-Davis”), is the licensor under this Agreement and you are the licensee. By using the Software, in whole or in part, you agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement. If you do not agree to the terms of this Agreement, promptly return the Software to Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation at 1001 Aviation Parkway, Suite 400, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560 (or, if downloaded or preloaded on your hard drive, delete the Software, or if provided as part of a collection, cease use of the Software). Title to the MacBench 4.0 Software and all copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary rights therein are owned by Ziff-Davis. All rights therein, except those expressly granted to you in this Agreement, are reserved by Ziff-Davis. 
1.	Limited License
This Agreement grants you only limited rights to use the Software. Ziff-Davis grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Software on a single dedicated MacÆ OS computer system or on a file server networked with multiple Mac OS computer systems for the sole purpose of conducting benchmark tests to measure the performance of Mac OS computer system hardware and operating system configurations. You have the right to make a single copy of the Software for archival purposes and the right to transfer a copy of the Software across an internal local area network only to the Mac OS computer systems attached to such network; provided, however, that all such copies are considered Software hereunder, that all uses of such copies are governed by the terms and conditions of this Agreement and that you shall be responsible for all uses of such copies in violation of the terms and conditions of this Agreement. 
Ziff-Davis hereby grants you the right to publish, except in any country where a third party claims during the term of this license that such publication infringes that party’s proprietary rights, benchmark test results obtained by you from your use of the Software provided that with the publication of each such result you: 
A.	Identify Ziff-Davis, the name and version number of the benchmark Software used (i.e., Ziff-Davis’ MacBenchÆ 4);
B.	Identify the specific MacBench 4.0 score(s) being reported (i.e., Ziff-Davis’ MacBenchÆ 4 Processor score);
C.	Identify the exact name, processor speed and type, number of processors, amount of RAM, amount of L2 RAM cache, if any, bus speed, hard disk model, type of hard disk controller, and size of hardware hard disk cache, if any, of the Mac OS computer system used for the test (e.g., AppleÆ MacintoshÆ IIci with 32 KB L2 RAM cache, dual-processor, WXY Corp. 33-MHz 68040 XYZ CPU accelerator, 8 MB of RAM, 80 MB hard disk, SCSI controller, and no hardware disk cache or Apple Power MacintoshÆ 6100/60 with 60-MHz PowerPCô 601 CPU, 8 MB of RAM, 250 MB hard disk, IDE controller, and no hardware disk cache);
D.	Identify the exact graphics card name (or on-board graphics, if applicable), amount and type of RAM on it, graphics driver name and date, graphics resolution and color depth, and refresh rate that produced the result (e.g., AppleÆ MacintoshÆ 21-inch Color Display using on-board video with 1 MB of VRAM, 1152 by 870 pixels with 256 colors, and a refresh rate of 72 Hz);
E.	Identify the exact CD-ROM drive model, CD-ROM controller model, CD-ROM controller RAM cache size (if any), and CD-ROM-specific software cache and size, if any, that produced the result (e.g., AppleCDô 300 drive, XYZ Corp. CD-ROM controller, with no controller RAM cache and no CD-ROM specific software cache); 
F. 	Identify the operating system version (e.g., System 7.5), size and type of software disk cache, if any (e.g., 32 KB System 7.1 disk cache), and any other special conditions used to achieve the result (e.g., disk compression utility ABC version 1 enabled); 
G.	For video results, identify the movie, resolution, color depth, data rate, frame rate, QuickTimeÆ version, and the CODEC type that produced the result (e.g., XYZ movie played at 240 by 160 pixels with 256 colors, 400 kilobytes per second data rate, 30 frames per second, QuickTime version 2.5, and CinePak CODEC);
H.	State that all products used in the test were shipping versions available to the general public;
I.	State that the test was performed without independent verification by Ziff-Davis and that Ziff-Davis makes no representations or warranties as to the result of the test; and 
J.	Follow proper trademark usage and acknowledge Ziff-Davis’ trademark rights (e.g., “[ ] achieved a Processor score of 39.89 on the MacBenchÆ 4 Processor test. MacBench is a registered trademark or trademark of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company in the U.S. and other countries.”). 
This Agreement and your rights hereunder shall automatically terminate if you fail to comply with any provision of this Agreement. Upon such termination, you shall cease all use of the Software, cease the transfer of any copies of the Software and cease the publication of benchmark test results obtained by you from use of the Software. Further you shall delete the Software and destroy all tangible copies of the Software and other materials related to the Software in your possession or under your control, or, if downloaded or preloaded on your hard drive or if provided as part of a collection, you shall cease use of and destroy any and all copies of the Software in your possession or under your control.
2.	Additional Restrictions
A.	You shall not (and shall not permit other persons or entities to) rent, lease, sell, sublicense, assign, or otherwise transfer the Software or this Agreement. Any attempt to do so shall be void and of no effect.
B. 	You shall not (and shall not permit other persons or entities to) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, merge, modify, include in other software or translate the Software, or use the Software for any commercial purposes, except for the publication of test results, as provided above.
C.	You shall not (and shall not permit other persons or entities to) remove or obscure Ziff-Davis’ copyright, trademark or other proprietary notices or legends from any of the materials contained in this package or downloaded.
D.	You acknowledge that the Software contains Ziff-Davis’ trade secret information and you shall not disclose or disseminate such information other than as provided herein.
3.	Disclaimer of Warranty
THE SOFTWARE AND THE MEDIA ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE AND THE MEDIA IS ASSUMED BY YOU, AND ZIFF-DAVIS AND ITS AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR APPLICATION OF OR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE SOFTWARE OR THE MEDIA. IN NO EVENT SHALL ZIFF-DAVIS OR ITS AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE OR THE MEDIA, EVEN IF ZIFF-DAVIS OR ITS AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCH DAMAGES OCCURRING. ZIFF-DAVIS AND ITS AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGES OR COSTS, ARISING OUT OF, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS OR REVENUE, LOSS OF USE OF THE SOFTWARE OR THE MEDIA, LOSS OF DATA OR EQUIPMENT, THE COSTS OF RECOVERING SOFTWARE, THE MEDIA, DATA OR EQUIPMENT, THE COST OF SUBSTITUTE SOFTWARE OR THE MEDIA, DATA OR EQUIPMENT OR CLAIMS BY THIRD PARTIES, OR OTHER SIMILAR COSTS.
SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
4.	U.S. Government Restricted Rights
The Software is licensed subject to RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication or disclosure by the Government or any person or entity acting on its behalf is subject to restrictions as set forth in subdivision (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software Clause at DFARS (48 CFR 252.227-7013) for DoD contracts, in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights clause in the FAR (48 CFR 52.227-19) for civilian agencies, or in the case of NASA, in Clause 18-52.227-86(d) of the NASA Supplement to the FAR, or in other comparable agency clauses. The contractor/manufacturer is the Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation, 1001 Aviation Parkway, Suite 400, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560.
5.	General Provisions
Nothing in this Agreement constitutes a waiver of Ziff-Davis’ rights under U.S. copyright laws or any other Federal, state, local or foreign law. You are responsible for installation, management, and operation of the Software. However, if you have questions or problems regarding the Software or Media, you can write to Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation, 1001 Aviation Parkway, Suite 400, Morrisville, NC 27560 Attn: Distribution Coordinator. This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and governed under New York law. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Trademarks and copyrights
MacBenchÆ, NetBenchÆ, ServerBenchÆ, WinBenchÆ, and WinstoneÆ are registered trademarks and WebBenchô and ZD Net™ are trademarks of Ziff‑Davis Publishing Company.
AdobeÆ and PageMakerÆ are registered trademarks and Adobe Illustrator™ and Adobe Photoshop™ are trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc., which may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
Apple®, the Apple logo, AppleScript®, AppleTalk®, MacÆ, Macintosh®, Macintosh Quadra®, Performa®, PowerBook®, Power Macintosh®, QuickTime®, and TrueTypeÆ are registered trademarks and Finder™, Power Mac™, QuickDraw™, QuickDraw™ GX, and the Mac OS logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Classic® is a registered trademark licensed to Apple Computer, Inc.
Claris®, ClarisWorks® and FileMaker® are registered trademarks and the ClarisWorks 3.0 design and the FileMaker 2.0 design are trademarks of Claris Corporation.
CompuServe® is a registered trademark of CompuServe Inc.
CorelÆ and WordPerfectÆ are registered trademarks of Corel Corporation.
IntuitÆ and Quicken® are registered trademarks of Intuit, Incorporated.
Microsoft®, PowerPoint®, and Windows® are registered trademarks and Encarta™ is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
NuBus™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments Incorporated.
Microsoft®, PowerPoint®, and Windows® are registered trademarks and Encarta™ is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
NuBus™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
PowerPCÆ is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
QuarkXPressô is a trademark of Quark, Inc.
RAM Doublerô is a trademark of Connectix Corporation. 
WordPerfect® is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
You Don’t Know Jackô is a trademark of Jellyvision, Inc.

Copyrights
MacBench 4.0 © 1993-1997, Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. All rights reserved. 
Corel Professional Photos CD-ROM: World’s Best Photos Copyright © 1993 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Toy Story. Disney © 1996, Pixar © 1996. All rights reserved. 

About this File
Introduction
This is the reference manual for MacBench® 4.0. This manual provides information on installing and using MacBench as well as information on interpreting results.
Note	Before you do anything with the software, you need to read the license agreement at the front of this manual. (The same license agreement appears on the screen the first time you start MacBench.)
This section lists available MacBench documentation, the different parts of this handbook, and the conventions the handbook uses.
Available MacBench documentation
The following documentation is available in this release of MacBench:
This document	Is located in the	And contains	
Read Me	MacBench® 4.0 folder on the CD-ROM or in the folder where you installed MacBench. The file is in SimpleText format.	The license agreement, a list of new features, and a list of known problems as of the CD-ROM’s release.	
MacBench Doc 
(MS Word 6)
MacBench Doc 
(MS Word 5.1)
MacBench Doc (RTF)	Documentation folder on the CD-ROM or in the folder where you installed MacBench. The CD-ROM may include three different formats of the manual (Microsoft Word 5.1 and 6 formats and Rich Text Format).	The MacBench 4.0 reference manual.	

Finding the information you need
This manual includes the following parts:
Part	Title	Description	
1	Introducing MacBench	Provides an introduction to MacBench and what’s new in this release.	
2	Quick Start	Provides a step-by-step quick start and how to license and register the software.	
3	Running MacBench 	Discusses things you need to know before you run MacBench, test settings, how to run MacBench’s tests, and how to work with system information and preferences.	
4	The Tests	Explains all there is to know about all of MacBench’s tests, including how we created them and what their results mean.	
5	More Advanced Tasks	Covers custom disk and CD-ROM tests, custom test suites, and AppleScript. 	
6	Viewing, Analyzing, and Publishing Results	Explains how to view results in the Results window, save and export results, discusses what the numbers mean about a Mac OS system’s performance, and tells you what information you must include about a Mac OS system if you publish its MacBench results.	
7	If You Have a Problem	Provides troubleshooting information and explains how to contact Ziff-Davis if you have a problem with the benchmark. 	
This manual also includes the following additional material:
Part	Title	Description	
A	Base Machine Specifications	Contains the results file for MacBench’s base machine, a Power Macintosh® 6100/60, so you can see how it’s configured.	
Our assumptions about you
If you’re installing and/or running MacBench, we assume you’re already familiar with the Mac OS system and its various components: the mouse, windows, scroll bars, and so on.
If you have questions about your Mac OS system or the applications you run on it, consult the documentation that came with your computer or the applications.

Conventions this manual uses
The following table describes several of the formatting conventions and terminology this handbook uses:
This term or convention:	Refers to:	
Mac OS system 	Apple® Macintosh® or Power Macintosh® computers or any computers that use the Macintosh operating system.	
we	Either the Ziff‑Davis Benchmark Operation (ZDBOp) or Ziff‑Davis.	
boldface type	File and folder names. Also used for occasional emphasis. Example:
“You can find the results file, Quadra 700, in MacBench’s Results folder.”	
monospace font	System responses that appear on the screen or information you need to type.	
click, double-click	Clicking once on an item to mark it or select it and double-clicking an item to carry out an action. 
For example, you click on check boxes and menu items to select them. You double-click the MacBench icon to start MacBench.	
80/20 on the 80/20 items in this file
Nineteenth-century economist Vilfredo Pareto made the following observation, known today as the “80/20 rule”: “The significant items in a given group normally constitute a relatively small portion of the total items in the group.” In everyday life, you can interpret this to mean: a small number of your activities/tasks/customers contribute the most to your success.
In this file, we flag the beginnings of some chapters with “80/20 on Ö” These sections summarize the 20 percent of the information that provides you with 80 percent of what you need to know—which may be all you need to know to get the benchmark up and running. If you need more details, read the rest of the chapter.
End of About this File

Part 1: Introducing MacBench

Chapter 1: Introducing MacBench 4.0
80/20 on MacBench 4.0
•	MacBench 4.0 is a subsystem-level benchmark that measures the performance of a Mac OS system’s graphics, disk, processor, FPU, video, and CD-ROM subsystems.
•	MacBench normalizes all scores relative to the base machine, a Power Macintosh 6100/60. The base machine receives a score of 100 MacBench 4.0 units on the main tests. For all MacBench tests, bigger numbers mean better performance. 
•	MacBench’s new Graphics technology reproduces the graphics operations performed by leading Mac OS business and publishing applications, affording you a better-than-ever measure of your PC’s graphics subsystem. MacBench runs the following main tests that provide an overview of a system’s graphics, disk, processor, FPU, and CD-ROM subsystems performance:
•	Processor
•	Floating Point Unit
•	Disk
•	Graphics
•	CD-ROM
•	Along with its market-centered tests, MacBench also includes Publishing Disk and Publishing Graphics tests (the latter in both low and high resolution formats) that reproduce the specialized activity of more demanding applications. 
•	A new addition to MacBench are full-motion video tests that measure a Mac OS system’s video subsystem performance. You can even have MacBench play a movie file of your choice.
•	Among the many enhancements to MacBench 4.0 is a way to toggle the Results window view so you can see only those tests that have results, and a facility that automates running a custom test suite numerous times.
MacBench 4.0 in a nutshell
MacBench is a subsystem‑level benchmark for all MacÆ OS systems — Apple® Macintosh® and Power Macintosh® computers, and Mac OS-compatible systems. MacBench measures the performance of a Mac OS system’s processor, floating point, disk, graphics, CD-ROM, and video subsystems.
For MacBench 4.0, we recorded the graphics, disk, and CD-ROM activity performed by top-selling Mac OS products, including database, business graphics and desktop publishing, spreadsheet, and word processing applications. MacBench’s tests reflect how well your Mac OS system should run popular Macintosh applications.
Note	MacBench 4.0 doesn’t run actual applications during its tests. 
MacBench measures subsystems
MacBench primarily measures subsystems, not components (though the speed of a component can affect the speed of the subsystem). The subsystems MacBench measures are:
•	Processor. The processor subsystem includes the main processor chip, the RAM, any L1 or L2 cache, main memory and virtual memory (if available), the bus speed and architecture, and, on any Mac OS system that has one, a CPU accelerator card. 
•	Floating-Point Unit. The floating-point processor (FPU) on many older, 680x0-based Mac OS systems is Apple’s standard floating-point emulation software running on the main processor subsystem. Most newer systems, however, contain built-in hardware floating-point support; the 68040 chip and all PPC chips, for example, include a floating-point processor. 
•	Disk. The disk subsystem includes your system’s hard disk, SCSI interface, SCSI software, disk cache software, and disk compression software. Whether you have enough room on the hard disk and whether the hard disk is fragmented are also important factors in your system’s disk performance. The disk subsystem also includes your system’s bus architecture, along which information travels from the disk to RAM and back again.
The video subsystem’s components are essentially similar to the graphics subsystem’s, but includes the CD-ROM or disk containing the movie.	•	Graphics. The graphics subsystem includes your system’s monitor, accelerator cards, the number of displayed colors, resolution, the graphics device driver, and the bus, which carries graphics information from the monitor to and from the processor subsystem. 
•	CD-ROM. The CD-ROM subsystem includes your system’s CD-ROM drive, drive controller, drive software, and disk cache software. The CD-ROM subsystem also includes your system’s bus architecture, along which information travels from the drive to RAM and back again.	
As you analyze results, it’s important to remember two things: a subsystem is made up of more than one component and subsystems affect each other’s performance. The processor subsystem, for example, directly affects the speed of all other subsystems.
MacBench’s main tests
When Ziff‑Davis publications review Mac OS system performance, they usually compile results from the following MacBench tests:
•	The Processor test, which measures raw processing power and is a good indicator of a computer’s overall speed. 
•	The Floating Point test, which measures the speed of floating-point operations, which is important for scientific calculation and 3‑D rendering. 
•	The Disk test, which measures hard‑disk performance and the speed of disk‑intensive operations as performed by 11 popular business applications. The Publishing Disk test replays the disk subsystem activity we recorded for our two profiled publishing applications. 
•	The Graphics test, which measures the graphics card and monitor performance as performed by 11 popular business applications. The Publishing Graphics tests replay the graphics subsystem activity we recorded for our two profiled publishing applications. 
•	The CD-ROM test, which measures CD-ROM drive performance and shows you how fast the drive can perform large searching and reading operations. The CD-ROM test replays the CD‑ROM subsystem activity we recorded for five profiled applications. 
MacBench’s base machine
A software-based benchmark works best with a single computer as a reference point. The benchmark can then compare all scores gathered from other computers to this reference point. For MacBench, that computer (which we call the “base machine”) is a Power Macintosh 6100/60, which is equipped with a PowerPCÆ 601 processor running at 60 MHz, 16MB of RAM, a 258MB hard disk, an AV graphics card, and running System 7.5.5.
All of MacBench’s scores are relative to the Power Macintosh 6100/60; if the Power Macintosh 6100/60 scores 100 on a test and your Mac OS system scores 200, then your system is twice as fast at that test than the Power Macintosh 6100/60.
For detailed statistics on the setup and configuration of our base machine, the Power Macintosh 6100/60, refer to “Appendix A: Base Machine Specifications“ for more information. 
About the market-centered and publishing tests
Like previous versions of the benchmark, MacBench 4.0 offers “market-centered” tests based on business applications. The goal of these tests is to measure the level of performance typical users will achieve while performing common operations with leading business applications. 
MacBench also provides tests based on high-end publishing applications. The publishing applications, and the tasks they perform, place a wide range of performance stress on Mac OS systems.
MacBench’s Disk, Publishing Disk, Graphics, and Publishing Graphics tests play back the disk and graphics subsystem operations we recorded for the market-centered and publishing applications. 
Market-centered tests
For the list of applications, see page “Chapter 2: What’s New in this Release“ on page 9..	MacBench uses “market-centered” tests in the, for example, Disk and Graphics playback tests. Market-centered tests aim to measure the level of performance typical business users will achieve while performing common operations with leading Mac OS-based business applications.	
The market-centered results will be useful to the vast majority of users because most users spend a great deal of computing time working with the same basic types of programs—such as word processing, database, or spreadsheet applications—during the course of their day. Such users will gain great value from the Disk and Graphics tests. (The weights we use to calculate the scores reflect confidential market-share information from Computer Intelligence.) 
We picked these applications because of their high current and projected market shares by unit of the Mac OS system software market. This market-centered approach lets MacBench reflect the center of the software market and provides you with a more realistic view how your Mac OS system can run today’s software.
Publishing tests
While the market-centered tests reflect the bulk of the software market, the publishing tests will be most helpful to users of more demanding, specialized software — specifically publishing software. The publishing applications and the work the tasks they perform in the Publishing Disk and Publishing Graphics tests represent particularly demanding work.
High-end publishing applications tend to be performance sensitive and are more likely than business applications to show the differences, for example, between 32MB of RAM and 64MB of RAM. (In Business applications, those RAM gains have lower returns.) Because these applications are more demanding, their users often care more about performance in general and the performance of their particular applications.
For the Publishing Disk and Publishing Graphics tests, MacBench uses two applications: Adobe Photoshopô and QuarkXPressô. Although these applications are also present in the market-centered tests, the publishing tests place more demands on the applications, in the form of larger file sizes and more intensive tasks.
About ZD benchmarks
Ziff-Davis is the leading producer and innovator of industry-standard benchmarks. Ziff-Davis desktop computer benchmarks incorporate all four of the recognized benchmark testing techniques:
Application-based. This test runs real applications through a series of scripted activities and uses the time a computer requires to complete those activities to produce a performance score. The score is a performance metric for an entire system. WinstoneÆ 97 is the primary example of an application-based benchmark. 
Ziff-Davis uses proprietary profiling tools, proprietary playback engines, and a rigorous methodology to accurately test a computer’s subsystem.	Playback. ZD’s proprietary playback technology acts rather like a subsystem-level VCR, playing back the previously recorded subsystem-level activities the profiled applications made while executing the scripts. Using ZD-proprietary tools, ZDBOp developers recorded logs of the graphics, disk, and CD-ROM subsystem activity of the applications. These logs contained every graphics (or disk or CD-ROM) function the applications performed. When a playback test starts, the benchmark uses these logs, which come on the Mac OS Benchmark CD-ROM, to literally play back those stored calls. MacBench 4.0’s Disk, Graphics, and CD-ROM playback tests fall into this category.	
Synthetic. A synthetic test is the best choice when application-based or playback tests are impractical or technically impossible to implement. For this kind of test, we profile application activity in a subsystem and run a statistical approximation of the operations that subsystem performed. MacBench’s Processor and FPU tests are examples of synthetic tests.
Inspection. Inspection tests are non-profiled tests that execute a specific operation in a specific subsystem. You might want to run these tests when you conduct more specific investigations of a subsystem’s application-based, playback, or synthetic test scores. MacBench includes inspection tests for the disk, graphics, and CD-ROM subsystems. An example of such a test is the Random Read 64K disk test.
Note:	Be aware that it’s very easy to take an inspection test’s result out of context. The application-based, playback, and synthetic tests provide more rounded and accurate views of a system’s or subsystem’s performance than a single component test. 
End of Chapter

Chapter 2: What’s New in this Release
New! Graphics technology
Previous versions of MacBench featured startlingly accurate disk and CD-ROM playback technology. Based on the same principles, MacBench now adds full-scale graphics playback as well. MacBench is the first benchmark in the Mac OS realm to offer this technology in the desktop environment. 
MacBench doesn’t include the time required for reading the log files in its results.	MacBench’s Graphics and Publishing Graphics tests use ZD-proprietary playback technology to capture most of the graphics operations a Mac OS application performs and then replay those operations. So, when a Graphics or Publishing Graphics test is running, it appears as if the application itself is running (except for slight pauses every few seconds while the test reads more data from the test log and for the rapid pace of the replay). Of course, the application itself isn’t running; instead, MacBench is replaying all of the graphics subsystem operations the application made. 	
To create the graphics playback tests, we designed a tool that captures the graphics subsystem calls each Mac OS application made during our profiling. We then created a graphics replay engine to replay the raw log files containing the graphics operations. 
For more information, see “Graphics playback tests“ on page 82.
New! Video tests
MacBench 4.0 now offers full-motion video tests you can use to test video subsystem performance. MacBench provides four short movies in a variety of formats and sizes. If you like, you can also play a movie of your choice and control how it’s played. Use MacBench 4.0’s redesigned Test Settings dialog box to adjust these controls. For more information, see “Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings“ on page 49.
MacBench offers two video tests: Frames Played and Maximum Frame Rate. For each test, you can play MacBench’s four built-in movies plus one user-defined clip. If you’re playing the built-in movies, you can play them from either the MacBench CD-ROM or a hard disk. However, the user-defined movie can be on any hard drive or CD‑ROM drive accessible to MacBench. 
The Frames Played test plays the movie at its correct speed (with sound, if sound is included) and reports the percentage of frames the system displayed. The Maximum Frame Rate test plays the movie as fast as possible with the sound off. The test returns the average frame rate for that movie, reported as frames per second. 
For more information, see “Chapter 15: Video tests“ on page 95.
Applications we profiled
MacBench 4.0 contains 11 profiled applications. We profiled MacBench 4.0’s disk, graphics, and CD-ROM playback tests using the following applications. The list also indicates whether the applications ran in native or emulation mode.
•	Adobe Illustrator™ 6 (native)
•	Adobe Photoshop™ 3.5 (native)
•	Adobe® PageMaker® 6 (native)
•	ClarisWorks® 3 (native)
•	FileMaker® Pro 2.1v4 (emulation)
•	Microsoft® Excel 5a (native)
•	Microsoft® PowerPoint® 4 (native)
•	Microsoft® Works for Macintosh® 4 (native)
•	Microsoft® Word 6.1a (native)
•	QuarkXPressô 3.32 (native)
•	WordPerfect® 3.5 (native)
For the Publishing Graphics tests, we profiled QuarkXPress and Photoshop. However, the Publishing script we used to profile these applications was different and more representative of high-end users’ work than the applications’ Graphics script.
We also profiled the following CD-ROM applications for the MacBench CD-ROM tests:
•	Macintosh® System 7.5 Golden Master
•	Corel™ Professional Photos CD-ROM: World’s Best Photos
•	Disney’s Animated Storybook, Toy Story
•	Intuit® Quicken® Deluxe CD-ROM Version 6
•	Jellyvision, Inc.’s You Don’t Know Jackô
Custom disk tests
You can now specify a custom disk test buffer as small as 1 byte, reflecting the Mac OS system’s use of small buffer reads and writes. (MacBench 3.0’s limit was 1KB.) Use MacBench 4.0’s Test Settings dialog to adjust the Custom Disk Test options.
Automated running of custom test suites
MacBench’s custom test suites dialog box allows you to run a specific suite repeatedly. If you so specify, MacBench will also reboot the system between runs. After each run, MacBench automatically saves the results. 
UI enhancements
MacBench also features many small enhancements to the user interface. One of the most useful is the Display Tests Run toggle on the Results window. By checking this option (or pressing the Tab key), you can view only those tests that have results. (In MacBench’s standard view, all tests are visible, even those that don’t have results.)
Other changes and enhancements
•	The disk tests dialog box includes a line estimating how much time is left in the test. 
•	The MacBench 4.0 System Info window is longer than 3.0’s, allowing you to see more information at a glance. We’ve also increased the number of items MacBench reports in this window.
End of Chapter

Part 2: Quick Start

Chapter 3: Quick Start — Running Tests and Saving Results
MacBench’s minimum system requirements
If the Mac OS system doesn’t meet MacBench’s minimum requirements, MacBench won’t be able to run its tests properly. The following list describes the minimum requirements to install and run MacBench.
•	A 68030 processor or better 
•	System 7.5 or better
•	12MB or more of physical RAM
•	A CD-ROM drive (required for the CD-ROM and standard video tests)
•	Apple CD-ROM driver extension or equivalent. You need this driver if you’re running MacBench off a CD-ROM or want to run the CD-ROM or video tests.
•	A 13-inch or better monitor size
•	Minimum display resolution of 640x480 (for the Hi-Res Publishing Graphics test, the resolution must be at least 1152x780)
•	The following amounts of free disk space: for the standard disk inspection tests, 32MB; for the Disk test, 115MB; and for the Publishing Disk, 126MB

If you’re playing the built-in movies from disk, then you’ll also need enough free disk space to hold those movies. The sizes are: 
CinePak 1		3.4MB
CinePak 2		10.5MB
Motion JPEG-A	29.7MB
Uncompressed	58.1MB

Optional software and hardware MacBench can use
MacBench can also take advantage of the following optional hardware and software:
•	Drag Manager extension. MacBench supports Drag and Drop capabilities, but only if you have installed this extension. (This software is built into System 7.5.)
•	AppleScript® extension. MacBench supports AppleScript and even has some AppleScript examples in the Sample Scripts folder. AppleScript lets you write or record scripts to automate MacBench’s operation. 
Note	If you have older versions of MacBench on your system, and you want to run MacBench 4.0’s AppleScript files, then you need to rebuild the desktop before running the scripts.
The following System 7.5 extensions must be active to take advantage of other special MacBench features:
•	Apple® Event Manager extension. AppleScript needs this extension for its scripts to work. 
•	Clipping extension. Required so you can drag results from the Results window and create an export file on the Desktop.
•	QuickTime® extension. Required for the MacBench 4.0 Apple Guide on-line help, Graphics playback tests, and video tests.
•	Apple Guide extension. Required for the MacBench 4.0 Apple Guide on-line help.
Delete older versions of MacBench on your hard disk
Another reason to delete older versions of the benchmark: Test suites that reboot the system might launch the wrong version of MacBench!	If you have previous versions of MacBench on your hard disk, we recommend you install MacBench 4.0 in its own folder. We also recommend that, after you install MacBench 4.0, you archive or delete your previous copies of MacBench. MacBench 4.0 scores and file formats are totally incompatible with earlier versions of MacBench.	
Note	If you have older versions of MacBench on your system, and you want to run MacBench 4.0’s AppleScript files, then you need to rebuild the desktop before running the scripts.
About the Main Tests suite
MacBench’s main tests are the:
Processor 
Floating Point 
Disk 
Graphics 
CD-ROM 
MacBench runs the five tests in the order you see them on the Tests menu. All tests use the current test settings.
Running the test
This section assumes you’ve installed MacBench 4.0, it’s ready to run on your system, and you understand a little about how the program works.
You can disable extensions on the fly by holding down the Shift key as the computer starts up. Alternatively, you can use the Extensions Manager control panel.	Note	Before you run a test, you should, at a minimum, restart your Mac OS system. For the most accurate results, however, you should also defragment the system’s hard disk, disable any non-essential extensions or programs in the Startup Items folder, and restart Windows. 	
Step 1. Start MacBench
Before you can run any tests, you need to start up MacBench. To do this, double‑click the MacBench icon in the MacBench® 4.0 folder. (For other ways to start MacBench, turn to “Starting a MacBench session“ on page 32.)
If you haven’t previously registered MacBench, you’ll have to read and agree to the license agreement before you can continue. 
MacBench briefly displays its logo and copyright information before displaying the Results window.
Step 2. Run MacBench’s Main Tests suite
You can run the Main Tests suite in either of two ways:
•	Select “Main Tests” from the pop-up menu of suite names to the right of the Run Test Suite button and then click the button. (MacBench displays “Main Tests” in the list of suite names by default when you start MacBench.) 
•	From the Test Suites menu, select Run Test Suite and then select Main Tests.
•	Press Command-R. This key combination runs the currently selected test suite.
Note	To run the CD-ROM test, the CD-ROM containing MacBench must be in the Mac OS system’s CD-ROM drive.
Running time for Main Tests suite
	The time MacBench takes to run the Main Tests suite varies based on your Mac OS system’s speed and configuration. The following table shows a few examples of how long some machines in our Research Center took to run this suite. Faster machines took less time, while slower machines took more time.	
This computer	Took about this much time:	
Quadra 630	71 minutes	
Power Macintosh 6100/60	55 minutes 35 seconds	
Power Macintosh 8500/180	18 minutes 40 seconds	
While MacBench is running the main tests, it displays status messages on the screen. As MacBench completes each test, it displays the result for that test in the Results window.
Interrupting a test run
If you cancel a test before it is complete, MacBench will not produce results for that test.	If you need to interrupt a test run, press Command‑. (period) or click on a Cancel button if it’s available. MacBench halts the current test and cleans up any test files.
It may take a while for MacBench to halt the current test. When you interrupt a suite, MacBench finishes the currently running test and stops running the rest of the suite.	
Step 3. Save the results
When the test finishes, MacBench automatically displays the Current System results in the Results window. Whenever you save results, you’re saving the Current System results. To save your Current System results to a file:
1.	Choose Save from the File menu or press Command‑S. 
2.	When the directory dialog box appears, go to the folder where you want to save the results and enter a name for the results file.
	You can, if you like, save the results to MacBench’s Results folder.
3.	Click on Save.
	MacBench clears the Current System of its results and places the saved results below the Current System. If you look in the Results folder, or wherever you saved the results, you’ll see a standard MacBench results file icon with the name you gave the results.
Step 4: Compare your results to other machines
To see how your system’s results compare to other machines:
For other ways of adding results to the Results window — for example, by using drag and drop — see “Adding results to the Results window“ on page 133.	1.	Select Open from the File menu or press Command-O (the letter O, not zero).
2.	At the standard directory dialog box, select the Sample Results folder located in the MacBenchÆ 4.0 folder. This folder contains sample results collected from machines in our Research Center. 
3.	Select the result you want to load and click Open.	
	You can select only one file at a time. The directory dialog box will not display the names of files you’ve already loaded.
4.	If you want to add more results, repeat steps 1‑2. 
	MacBench adds the scores from the results file(s) you select to the Results window. 
You can have a maximum of 29 results files, plus the current system, open at the same time. Attempting to load more than 29 results generates an error message.
Step 5. Exit MacBench
You can exit MacBench by pressing Command‑Q or choosing Quit from the File menu. If you have unsaved scores when you exit, MacBench asks you if you want to save those scores.
End of Chapter

Chapter 4: Licensing and Registering MacBench
Licensing MacBench
If for any reason you don’t agree to the terms and conditions of the license agreement, return the CD-ROM and anything that came with it to the following address:
Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation
1001 Aviation Parkway, 
Suite 400
Morrisville, North Carolina 27560	Before you can run any of MacBench’s tests, you must license and register your copy of the software. The first time you start MacBench, it prompts you with its licensing screen.
By licensing MacBench, you agree to the requirements and terms of the license agreement displayed on the screen. (You’ll find the same license agreement at the front of this manual and in the Read Me file.) You should read the license agreement carefully before continuing.
To license MacBench:
1.	Start MacBench by double‑clicking its icon. The first time you run MacBench, it displays the licensing information.
2.	Read the licensing information. Use the Next and Previous buttons to see all of the licensing information.
	After you’ve read the license agreement, you can:
a.	Choose Agree to continue with the licensing procedure.
b.	Choose Quit to leave the program without licensing MacBench.	
Registering MacBench
If you agree to the terms of the license agreement and choose to continue, MacBench displays its Registration window.
To register MacBench:
1	Enter your name in the registration window. 
	You must enter a name to register MacBench. If you don’t, the program won’t continue. (The Organization field is optional.) 
2.	Choose Agree to license and register your copy of MacBench.
Note	If you don’t agree to the terms of the license agreement, choose Quit. You must then delete all copies of MacBench on your system’s hard disk and return to ZDBOp any materials you received.
MacBench only prompts you with the license and registration information the first time you run it. The next time you start the program, you won’t need to license and register it again.
Registering creates MacBench’s Preferences file
Registering the product puts a MacBench Preferences file in your System folder’s Preferences folder. If you ever delete the preferences file, you’ll have to go through the licensing and registering process again.
Note	If you have older versions of MacBench on your hard disk, MacBench 4.0 overwrites that version’s preferences file with its own.
End of Chapter

Part 3: Running MacBench

Chapter 5: What Do All These Buttons and Menus Do?
Using the menus
MacBench’s menus control all of MacBench’s functions. You can use the menus to perform tasks, such as exporting results, that aren’t assigned to a toolbar button or Command‑keyboard equivalent. MacBench displays Command‑keyboard equivalents for certain functions on the menus.
File menu
If you click on File, you’ll see the following items.
Menu item	Function	
Open	Select Open or press Command-O when you want to load previously saved MacBench results into the Results window. For complete information on how to add results to the Results window, see the section “Adding results to the Results window“ on page 133.	
Save	Select Save or press Command-S to save the Current System results to a MacBench results file. For complete information on how to save results, see the section “Saving results“ on page 138.	
Export	Select Export to export all the results in the Results window to a text file that a spreadsheet application or word processor can read. For complete information on using MacBench’s Export feature, see the section “Exporting results“ on page 140.	
System Info	Select System Information, the System Information toolbar button, or press Command-I to see detailed system information on your Mac OS system. For more information on the data displayed in the System Information window, turn to “Chapter 9: System Information“ on page 53.	
Page Setup	Select Page Setup or press Command-; (semi‑colon) to change your printer’s paper size, orientation, and so on. For more information on how to use the Page Setup dialog box, consult your Macintosh operating system documentation.	
Print Graph	Select Print Graph or press Command-P when you want a paper copy of your Results window. For more information on printing the contents of the Results window, refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129.	
Preferences	Select Preferences to change several of MacBench’s default settings. For more information, turn to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65.	
Quit	Select Quit or press Command‑Q to quit the program.	
Note	MacBench warns you if you haven’t yet saved any results or suites and gives you a chance to save them before you exit.
Edit menu
MacBench includes the standard Edit menu. None of the Edit menu items typically apply when you’re in the throes of using MacBench. However, you can use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands in directory dialog boxes. You can use the commands, for example, to copy or paste filenames.
Tests menu
If you click on Tests in the menu bar, you’ll see the following items:
Menu item	Function	
Test Settings	Select Test Settings, the Test Settings toolbar button, or press Command-T to open a dialog box that lets you specify settings for the individual tests you plan to run. For complete information on how to use this dialog box, see the section “Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings“ on page 49.	
Processor	Select Processor or press Command-1 to run the Processor test. For information on what happens when you run this test, “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.	
Floating Point	Select Floating Point or press Command-2 to run the Floating Point tests. For information on what happens when you run this test, refer to “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.	
Disk	The Disk tests submenu displays other submenus, one for each of the major classes of disk tests. To run a test, select the test from the list. For information on selecting and running the disk tests, refer to “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.	
Graphics	The Graphics tests submenu displays many other submenus, one for each of the major classes of graphics tests. To run a test, select the test from the list. For information on selecting and running the graphics tests, refer to “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.	
CD-ROM	The CD-ROM tests submenu displays many other submenus, one for each of the major classes of CD-ROM tests. To run a test, select the test from the list. For information on selecting and running the CD-ROM tests, refer to “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.	
Video	The Video tests submenu displays two submenus: Frames Played and Maximum Frame Rate. From these submenus, you can select the movie to test or play a custom movie of your choice. (You must first select the custom movie in the Test Settings dialog box.) For information on selecting and running the video tests, refer to “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.	
Run Demo	Choose the Demo Mode to run MacBench in a demonstration mode. For more information on demo mode, refer to “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.	
Test Suites menu
Choose the Test Suites menu to create, load, and edit custom suite files and also to run MacBench’s built-in suites. For more information on suites, refer to “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.
Menu item	Function	
New Suite	Select New Suite or press Command-N to open the Create Custom Suite dialog box. You use this dialog box to specify which individual MacBench tests you want in your custom suite file. For information on how you can create your own suite files, see “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.	
Open Suite	Select Open Suite or Other from the Run Test Suite toolbar button’s pop‑up menu to open a custom suite file and load it into MacBench. For information on how to add your suite’s name to the list of available suites, see “Adding a custom suite to the menus“ on page 114.	
Edit Current Suite	Select Edit Current Suite or press Command-E to edit the currently loaded test suite. You can use a built-in suite as a template for your own custom suite. For information on editing suite files, see “Editing the current custom suite“ on page 115.
Note	The suite you want to edit must be loaded in MacBench and must be present on the Run Test Suite button’s pop-up menu or the Run Test Suite submenu. 	
Run Current Suite	Select Run Current Suite or press Command-R to run the currently selected suite. (The currently selected suite is the suite whose name you see in the Run Test Suite button.)	
Run Test Suite	Select Run Test Suite or Other from the pop-up menu beside the Run Test Suite toolbar button to display a submenu listing all of MacBench’s loaded suites. Selecting a suite makes it the currently selected suite.
Restarting MacBench returns the Run Test Suite submenu to its default selections. For more information on running test suites, refer to “Running test suites“ on page 33.	
Graph menu
The Graph menu lets you manipulate and arrange how MacBench displays results in the Results window. If you select the Graphs menu, you’ll see the following items:
Menu item	Function	
Zoom In	Select Zoom In or press the Command‑] keyboard equivalent to enlarge the size of the results bars in the Results window. For more information, refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129.	
Zoom Out	Select Zoom Out or press the Command‑[ keyboard equivalent to shrink the size of the results bars in the Results window. For more information, refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129.	
Scale	Select Scale or press the Scale box in the lower left corner of the Results window to display a submenu where you can select a specific ratio for viewing the results bars in the Results window. For more information, refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129.	
Set 100% System	Select Set 100% System to display a submenu listing all results files loaded in the Results window. Use the submenu to specify a set of results that MacBench will use as the comparison system. For more information, refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129.	
Remove From Graph	Select Remove From Graph to display a submenu listing all results files loaded in the Results window. Use the submenu to specify a set of results you want MacBench to remove from the Results window. For more information, refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129.	
Clear Graph	Select Clear Graph or press Command-K to immediately clear the Results window of all scores and graphs. For more information, refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129.	
Apple menu
The Apple menu contains the About MacBench item. Choose About MacBench or press the About MacBench toolbar button to display MacBench’s version number, the names of the people who worked on the software, and an address you can write to for more information.
Using the toolbar buttons
MacBench’s toolbar looks like this:

The MacBench Toolbar
The toolbar buttons, by and large, duplicate many of the menu commands. For people who do continuous testing, the toolbar provides a fast way to run a series of tests and view the system information on a variety of machines. The following table describes each button’s function.
Button	Function	
	Clicking on the About MacBench button displays the names of the people who developed MacBench.	
	Clicking on the System Info button displays the System Information window, which contains information about your Mac OS system and any other system whose results are loaded in the Results window. 	
	Clicking on the Run Test Suite button runs the suite displayed in the pop‑up menu next to the button. The pop‑up menu contains all currently loaded suites.	
	Clicking on the Test Settings button opens a dialog box that lets you specify test settings for the MacBench tests.	
	Clicking on the Help button displays the MacBench Help in Apple Guide format. The Apple Guide help shows you, step by step, how to perform many MacBench procedures.	
Using the keyboard
The following table lists MacBench’s Command-key and Option-key equivalents.
If you want to…	Press this…	
Open a results file	Command-O	
Save current results to a file	Command-S	
View system information 	Command-I	
Display the Page Setup dialog box	Command-;	
Print the Results window 	Command-P	
Quit MacBench 	Command-Q	
Change test settings	Command-T	
Run the currently selected suite	Command-R	
Run the Processor Test	Command-1	
Run the Floating Point test	Command-2	
Run the Disk test	Command-3	
Run the Publishing Disk test	Command-4	
Run the Graphics test	Command-5	
Run the Lo-Res Publishing Graphics test	Command-6	
Run the Hi-Res Publishing Graphics test	Command-7	
Run the CD-ROM test	Command-8	
Create a custom suite	Command-N	
Edit the current suite	Command-E	
Zoom in	Command-]	
Zoom out	Command-[	
Set 100% system	Option-click on a results file’s numerical score	
Clear the Results window of all results	Command-K	
Display Apple Guide on-line help	Help 	
End of Chapter

Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests
80/20 on running tests
Here’s the least you need to know to run a benchmark’s tests:
•	MacBench runs several different kinds of tests: playback, inspection, and synthetic. For all tests, however, bigger results mean better performance.
•	You can run MacBench’s by selecting them from the Tests menu, running a suite, or — for some tests — pressing a Command-key combination. 
•	Each test category (Disk, Graphics, CD-ROM, and Video) has hierarchical menus off the Tests from which you can select the specific test you want to run. 
•	You can run a test suite by selecting a suite name from the Run Test Suite button’s pop-up menu and then clicking the button. For the currently selected test suite, you can run a test by pressing Command-R.
•	The “selected test suite” is the suite name displayed in the pop-up menu on the Run Test Suite button. 
•	You can run any of MacBench’s main tests immediately by pressing a Command-key combination. Command-1, for example, runs the Processor test. For a list of keyboard shortcuts, see “Using the keyboard” on page 29.
•	To run groups of tests easily, you can run one of MacBench’s built-in test suites, or you can create your own test suite. By creating a test suite, you can also specify the test settings (such as the location of a custom movie) the suite’s tests will use. For more information, see “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.
Note	You can also run the tests in “hands-off” mode using AppleScript and MacBench’s built-in AppleScript commands. For more information, see “Chapter 18: Hands-free Testing with AppleScript“ on page 119.
Starting a MacBench session
You can start MacBench by doing any one of the following actions:
•	Double‑click on the MacBench icon.
•	Drag one or more MacBench results files to the MacBench icon. MacBench opens and loads the results files in the Results window.
•	Drag one or more MacBench test suite files to the MacBench icon. MacBench opens and loads the test suite files. The Run Test Suite button’s pop-up menu displays the first suite you selected in the Finder™.
•	Double‑click on a MacBench results file. MacBench opens and loads the selected results file in the Results window.
•	Double‑click on a MacBench test suite file. MacBench opens and loads the selected test suite file in the pop‑up menu beside the Run Test Suite button.
When you start MacBench, it briefly displays its stopwatch logo and copyright information and then displays the Results window and toolbar.
Note	If you try to start MacBench 4.0 using results or test suite files from earlier versions of MacBench, you may instead start up that earlier version of MacBench (if it’s still on your hard disk). MacBench 4.0 is not compatible with any results files or test suite files created using previous versions of MacBench. 
Setup and execution phases of a MacBench test
A MacBench test typically has two phases: 
•	A setup phase, where MacBench gets its files ready to run a test.
•	An execution phase, where MacBench runs the test and times how long a Mac OS system takes to complete the test.
During the setup phase, you may see a dialog box telling you that MacBench is setting up test files. After the dialog box disappears, MacBench starts the execution phase by running the test. For some tests, MacBench displays a dialog box showing you the test’s progress so you know how much longer you’ll have to wait to see a result.
Although this scenario varies from test to test — the Processor and Floating Point tests don’t have a setup phase, for example — MacBench generally follows this same basic setup‑and‑run pattern with all of its tests.
Interrupting a test or suite
You can usually stop a running test or suite by pressing Command‑period or clicking on a Cancel button, if available. After you stop a test or suite, MacBench re‑displays the Results window. You can then begin entering new commands.
The only tests you can’t stop after you’ve started them are the Processor or Floating Point tests. (The Processor test runs for about 30 seconds and the Floating Point test for about 50 seconds.)
When you interrupt a suite, MacBench finishes the currently running test and stops running the rest of the suite. If you interrupt a long test, you may have to wait several minutes before MacBench finishes that test.
Interrupting a playback test
Some tests, such as the playback tests, are made up of distinct phases. When you cancel such a test, MacBench:
1.	Completes the test’s current phase, which is either setting up or running a test.
2.	Stops the test. 
3.	Cleans up any test files it created.
MacBench’s Preferred memory size
MacBench’s Preferred memory size is 9,000 kilobytes. If you have trouble running MacBench, try increasing the Preferred memory size in MacBench’s Get Info box.
Running test suites
In addition to the Main Tests suite, MacBench includes several other built-in suites to make running tests on your Mac OS system more convenient. These suites are:
•	Main Tests. Runs MacBench’s five main tests in the order they’re listed on the Tests menu: Processor, Floating Point, Disk, Graphics, and CD-ROM. 
•	All Tests. Runs all of MacBench’s tests in the order they’re listed on the Tests menu.
•	Publishing Tests. Runs MacBench’s Processor, Floating Pont, Publishing Disk, Lo-Res Publishing Graphics, and Hi-Res Publishing Graphics tests.
•	All Disk Tests. Runs all of MacBench’s disk tests in the order they’re listed on the Tests menu.
•	All Graphics Tests. Runs all of MacBench’s graphics tests in the order they’re listed on the Tests menu.
To run the CD-ROM tests or the MacBench-provided movies, the MacBench CD-ROM must be in the Mac OS system’s CD‑ROM drive. Otherwise, MacBench can’t run the  tests.	•	All CD-ROM Tests. Runs all of MacBench’s CD-ROM tests in the order they’re listed on the Tests menu. 
•	All Video Tests. Runs all of MacBench’s video test, including any custom movies you specified in the Current System Test Settings dialog box.	
To run any of these suites, follow the instructions in “Running the test“ on page 17.
Miscellaneous information on suites
This section provides miscellaneous information you might find useful on running suites.
•	All tests in a suite use the Current System’s current test settings. You cannot save test settings as part of a suite.
•	MacBench executes all tests in a suite in the order they appear on the Tests menu.
•	You cannot save custom disk test parameters as part of a custom suite. If you want to run a custom disk or CD-ROM test as part of a custom suite, you must specify the custom test settings manually (if they differ from the defaults) before you run the suite.
•	The most time‑intensive disk tests are the Sequential Read and Write tests that use small block sizes. Because these tests take a long time, your computer may appear frozen, even though it isn’t. In addition, since these disk tests are fairly throughput‑intensive, they take longer if you’ve set your Mac OS system’s disk cache to a high value.
Running custom test suites
MacBench lets you run custom suites that you created or copied from another Mac OS system. A custom suite is a package of individual MacBench tests you create.
To run a custom suite, you need to add it to the Run Test Suites pop-up menu. After adding it to the menu, click the Run Test Suite button or press Command-R to run the suite.
For information on creating custom suites and adding custom suites to the menu, see “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.
Running the Processor test
To run the Processor Test:
1.	Select Processor from the Tests menu or press Command‑1.
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
2.	You’ll see a dialog box that says, “Now running the Processor test. You cannot cancel this test.”
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. After the test finishes, MacBench displays the test’s score in the Results window.
Running the Floating Point test
To run the Floating Point Test:
1.	Select Floating Point from the Tests menu or press Command‑2.
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
2.	You’ll see a dialog box that says, “Now running the Floating Point test. You cannot cancel this test.”
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. After the test finishes, MacBench displays the test’s score in the Results window.
Running the Disk tests
This section describes how to run the following tests:
•	Disk 
•	Publishing Disk 
•	Disk inspection tests
•	Custom disk tests
Running the Disk test
To run the Disk test:
1.	Select Disk from the Disk submenu of the Tests menu or press Command‑3.
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
2.	MacBench displays a dialog box showing you the progress of the Disk’s setup phase.
	The Disk creates 27 files for this test. The dialog box tells you the:
•	Test name
•	Test volume name
•	An estimate of the time remaining in the test
•	Number of the test file MacBench is creating (such as File 2 of 27)
•	Progress of each test file’s creation (a status bar that MacBench fills in as it creates the file)
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. The dialog box also has a Cancel button you can use to stop the test.
3.	As MacBench runs the Disk, the second hand of the stopwatch shows the elapsed time. When the second hand finishes one revolution of the stopwatch, the Disk ends and the dialog box disappears.
	After the Disk finishes, MacBench deletes the test files and displays the Disk score in the Results window.
Running the Publishing Disk test
To run the Publishing Disk test:
1.	Select Publishing Disk from the Disk submenu of the Tests menu or press Command‑4.
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
2.	MacBench displays a dialog box showing you the progress of the Publishing Disk’s setup phase.
	The Publishing Disk creates 26 files for this test. The dialog box tells you the:
•	Test name
•	Test volume name
•	An estimate of the time remaining in the test
•	Number of the test file MacBench is creating (such as File 2 of 26)
•	Progress of each test file’s creation (a status bar that MacBench fills in as it creates the file)
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. The dialog box also has a Cancel button you can use to stop the test.
3.	As MacBench runs the Publishing Disk, the second hand of the stopwatch shows the elapsed time. When the second hand finishes one revolution of the stopwatch, the Disk ends and the dialog box disappears.
	After the Publishing Disk finishes, MacBench deletes the test files and displays the Publishing Disk score in the Results window.
Running disk inspection tests
To run disk inspection tests:
To run all the disk tests (including the playback and inspection tests) at one time, select the All Disk Tests suite.	1.	From the Tests menu, select Disk. 
2.	From the Disk hierarchical menu, select one of the classes of disk tests: Sequential Read, Random Read, Sequential Write, or Random Write.
3.	From the class’s hierarchical menu, select one of the following sizes: 512 bytes, 1K, 32K, 64K, 128K, or 1024K. 	
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
4.	MacBench displays a dialog box showing you the progress of the disk test’s setup phase.
	The dialog box tells you the:
•	Test name
•	Test volume name
•	An estimate of the time remaining in the test
•	Progress of the test file’s creation (a status bar that MacBench fills in as it creates the file)
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. The dialog box also has a Cancel button you can use to stop the test.
5.	As MacBench runs the test, the second hand of the stopwatch shows the elapsed time. When the second hand finishes one revolution of the stopwatch, the test ends and the dialog box disappears.
	After the test finishes, MacBench deletes the test file and displays the test’s result in the Results window. If you’ve hidden the disk tests, MacBench redisplays them so you can see the result.
Running a custom disk test
Before running a custom disk test test, you must specify its settings in the Current System Test Settings dialog. 	To run a custom disk test:
1.	From the Tests menu, select Disk. 
2.	From the Disk hierarchical menu, select one of the classes of disk tests: Sequential Read, Random Read, Sequential Write, or Random Write.
3.	From the class’s hierarchical menu, select Custom. MacBench uses the Custom settings specified in the Test Settings dialog box. 
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.	
4.	MacBench displays a dialog box showing you the progress of the disk test’s setup phase.
	The dialog box tells you the:
•	Test name
•	Test volume name
•	An estimate of the time remaining in the test
•	Progress of the test file’s creation (a status bar that MacBench fills in as it creates the file).
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. The dialog box also has a Cancel button you can use to stop the test.
5.	As MacBench runs the test, the second hand of the stopwatch shows the elapsed time. When the second hand finishes one revolution of the stopwatch, the test ends and the dialog box disappears.
	MacBench displays the test’s result in the Results window. If you’ve hidden the disk tests, MacBench redisplays them so you can see the result.
Running the Graphics tests
This section describes how to run MacBench’s:
•	Graphics test
•	Publishing Graphics tests
•	Graphics inspection tests
Note	To cancel any graphics test, press Command-period.
Running the Graphics test
To run the Graphics test:
1.	Select Graphics from the Graphics submenu of the Tests menu or press Command‑5.
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
2.	MacBench displays a dialog box with a progress bar that MacBench fills in as it prepares for each phase of the Graphics.
3.	As the Graphics runs, MacBench replays the log we recorded while profiling the applications. 
	After MacBench finishes running the Graphics, it displays the Graphics score in the Results window.
Running a Publishing Graphics test
You can choose to run either a low- or high-resolution version of the Publishing Graphics test. 
To run a Publishing Graphics test:
1.	Select Lo-Res Publishing Graphics from the Graphics submenu of the Tests menu or press Command‑6. Or, select Hi-Res Publishing Graphics from the Graphics submenu of the Tests menu or press Command‑7. 
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
2.	MacBench displays a dialog box with a progress bar that MacBench fills in as it prepares for each phase of the Publishing Graphics.
3.	As the Publishing Graphics runs, MacBench draws objects, pictures, and text on the screen.
	After MacBench finishes running the Publishing Graphics, it displays the Publishing Graphics score in the Results window.
Running graphics inspection tests
Although this procedure describes how to run one test at a time, you can create a custom test suite that includes all of the graphics inspection tests. For more information, see “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.	To run graphics inspection tests:
1.	From the Tests menu, select the Graphics submenu.
2.	From the Graphics submenu, select one of the classes of graphics tests: Arcs, CopyBits, Lines, Ovals, Pictures, Polygons, Rectangle, Regions, Round Rectangles, and Text.
	Each class of graphics test has its own submenu of tests.
3.	Select a test from the appropriate class’s submenu.
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.	
4.	MacBench displays a dialog box with a progress bar that MacBench fills in as it prepares for the test.
	Before the test, MacBench fills the system’s RAM with all the shapes or images the test will draw. When the progress bar disappears, the tests begin. MacBench doesn’t display a dialog box while it runs any graphics tests.
5.	As the test runs, MacBench draws the appropriate objects, pictures, and text on the screen.
	After MacBench finishes running the test, it displays the test’s score in the Results window. If you’ve hidden the tests, MacBench redisplays them so you can see the result.
Running the CD-ROM tests
This section explains how to run MacBench’s CD-ROM tests. This section describes how to run MacBench’s:
•	CD-ROM
•	CD-ROM inspection tests
•	Custom CD-ROM tests
Running the CD-ROM
To run the CD-ROM:
1.	Put the MacBench CD-ROM in the computer’s CD-ROM drive.
2.	Select CD-ROM from the CD-ROM submenu of the Tests menu or press Command‑8.
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
	The CD-ROM uses 330MB of files located on the MacBench CD-ROM. Because the files are already on the CD-ROM, MacBench doesn’t need to initiate a setup phase. The dialog box tells you the:
•	Test’s name
•	Name of the test volume
•	An estimate of the time remaining in the test
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. The dialog box also has a Cancel button you can use to stop the test.
3.	As MacBench runs the CD-ROM, the second hand of the stopwatch shows the elapsed time. When the second hand finishes one revolution of the stopwatch, the CD-ROM ends and the dialog box disappears.
	MacBench displays the CD-ROM score in the Results window.
Running CD-ROM inspection tests
To run CD-ROM inspection tests:
1.	Put the MacBench CD-ROM in the computer’s CD-ROM drive.
2.	From the Tests menu, select CD-ROM. 
3.	From the CD-ROM hierarchical menu, select one of the classes of disk tests: Sequential Read or Random Read.
4.	From the appropriate class’s hierarchical menu, select one of the following sizes: 512 bytes, 1K, 32K, 64K, 128K, or 1024K. 
	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
5.	MacBench displays a dialog box showing you the test’s progress.
	The dialog box tells you the:
•	Test’s name
•	Name of the test volume
•	An estimate of the time remaining in the test
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. The dialog box also has a Cancel button you can use to stop the test.
6.	As MacBench runs the test, the second hand of the stopwatch shows the elapsed time. When the second hand finishes one revolution of the stopwatch, the test ends and the dialog box disappears.
	MacBench displays the test’s result in the Results window. If you’ve hidden the tests, MacBench redisplays them so you can see the result.
Running a custom CD-ROM test
To run a custom CD-ROM test:
1.	Put the MacBench CD-ROM in the computer’s CD-ROM drive.
2.	From the Tests menu, select CD-ROM. 
3.	From the CD-ROM hierarchical menu, select one of the classes of disk tests: Sequential Read or Random Read.
4.	From the class’s hierarchical menu, select Custom. MacBench uses the Custom settings specified in the Test Settings dialog box. 
5.	If you have warnings turned on in Preferences, MacBench displays a dialog box warning you that the test may take some time. Click OK to proceed with the test. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information on how to enable and disable this message.
6.	MacBench displays a dialog box showing you the test’s progress.
	The dialog box tells you the:
•	Test name
•	Test volume name
•	An estimate of the time remaining in the test
	MacBench runs the rest of the test without further input from you. The dialog box also has a Cancel button you can use to stop the test.
7.	As MacBench runs the test, the second hand of the stopwatch shows the elapsed time. When the second hand finishes one revolution of the stopwatch, the test ends and the dialog box disappears.
	MacBench displays the test’s result in the Results window. If you’ve hidden the disk tests, MacBench redisplays them so you can see the result.
Running the video tests
You can’t cancel a video test while it’s running. 	This section explains how to run MacBench’s video tests. You can use these instructions to run:
•	video inspection tests
•	custom movies
This section also describes how to use the Test Settings dialog box to select a movie and control how MacBench plays a movie. For more information, see “Changing test settings“ on page 49.	
Running video inspection tests
To run a video inspection test:
1.	Put the MacBench CD-ROM in the computer’s CD-ROM drive. If you’re playing a custom movie, make sure the disk or CD-ROM containing the movie is accessible to the test system.
2.	From the Tests menu, select Video. 
3.	From the Video hierarchical menu, select the test you want to run: Frames Played or Maximum Frame Rate.
4.	From the test’s hierarchical menu, select a movie. If you’re running a custom movie, select Custom. (See the next section for information on selecting a custom movie.) 
Note	To run a MacBench-provided video test, the CD-ROM drive that contains MacBench must be in the drive. The video tests require a particular set of movies located on the CD-ROM.
5.	MacBench displays a window in the center of the screen containing the running movie and the following information:
•	Test name
•	A running count of the frame numbers per second (for MacBench-provided movies only)
	MacBench displays the test’s result in the Results window. If you’ve hidden the tests, MacBench redisplays them so you can see the result.
Selecting and running a custom movie
When you select a custom movie, MacBench includes the movie in its All Tests and Video Tests suites. (MacBench includes the movie in the suites if you’ve previously selected the Preferences option for custom tests. For more information, see “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65.)
Here’s how to select a custom movie for MacBench’s video tests:
1.	Press Command-T or click the Test Settings button to display the Test Settings dialog box.
For more information on the video settings in this dialog box, see “Video test settings“ on page 96.	2.	Click the Select Custom MovieÖ button. MacBench displays the Select a Movie dialog box.	

Select a Movie dialog box, with a previewed movie
	Here’s some information on this dialog box:
•	MacBench gathers information (frame rate, dimensions, and data rate) about the selected movie via QuickTime, and displays the information if you’ve selected Show Preview box.
Aliases to custom movies also show the preview information. 	•	As part of the preview, QuickTime displays the first frame of the movie if you’ve told QuickTime to create it. To create a Preview frame, click the Create button. For this option to work, the movie must be on a writeable hard disk. (QuickTime creates the Preview frame on the hard disk.)	
3.	Select the movie you want and click Open to load it. MacBench returns you to the Current System Test Settings dialog. MacBench displays the movie’s filename under the Select Custom MovieÖ button.
Note	Clicking on the movie name in this dialog box displays the movie’s full pathname.
4.	You can also specify other settings in the Custom Video Tests section of the dialog box:
•	You can choose to align the movie (Align Data), which provides the best performance based on the test monitor’s bit depth. This setting defaults to on.
•	You can also choose to load the movie into RAM (Load into RAM) and run the movie from there. Of course, your Mac OS system must have the RAM needed to run the movie. If you want to play a 50MB clip, for example, then you’ll need 50MB of free RAM.) 
•	You can also choose the size of the playback window:
•	Half Size, which plays the movie back at half its normal size
•	Normal Size, which plays the movie back at its normal size (this is the default setting)
•	Double Size, which plays the movie back at twice its normal size
•	Fill Screen. which stretches the movie to fill the test screen but keeps the original aspect ratio
5.	Click OK to save the test settings. 
6.	From the Tests menu, select Video. 
7.	From the Video hierarchical menu, select Custom.
8.	MacBench displays a window in the center of the screen containing the running movie. 
	MacBench displays the test’s result in the Results window. If you’ve hidden the tests, MacBench redisplays them so you can see the result.
Running MacBench in demo mode
Running MacBench in demonstration mode shows you what MacBench looks like as it runs its main tests. You may find demo mode useful if you want to show MacBench to groups of people (for example, at a trade show or office gathering) or if you just want to see what the benchmark can do. When demo mode stops, you can view the most recent results of the tests in the Results window.
In demo mode, MacBench runs the following tests: Processor, Floating Point, Disk, Graphics, CD-ROM, and Frames Played - CinePak 1. If the MacBench CD-ROM isn’t in the drive, or if the movie isn’t available, MacBench will alert you before it runs the tests. Click on Continue in this warning dialog to run the remaining tests in the suite. 
To run MacBench in demo mode, select Demo Mode from the Tests menu. MacBench continues to run the tests repeatedly until you press Command-. (period) or click the Cancel button when it’s available. 
Quitting a MacBench session
You can quit MacBench in one of two ways:
•	Select Quit from the File menu.
•	Press the Command‑Q keyboard equivalent.
Quitting when you haven’t saved your results
If you ran any tests during the MacBench session and did not save the Current System’s results to a file, and you try to quit MacBench, MacBench displays a dialog box with the following choices:
•	Don’t Save. MacBench quits without saving the Current System results.
•	Cancel. Cancels the Quit operation; MacBench continues to run with the unsaved results.
•	Save. MacBench continues to run and opens a Save dialog box so you can specify a location and file name for the results. After MacBench saves the file, it quits and returns you to the Finder.
End of Chapter

Chapter 7: Standard Testing Procedures
Keep these guidelines in mind
MacBench 4.0, like any other software, requires a Mac OS system to meet certain conditions. If the system doesn’t meet these conditions, the test may not finish successfully. 
Before you run any of MacBench 4.0’s tests, read the following list of caveats.
1.	You can interrupt any running test or suite of tests by pressing Command‑period or clicking a Cancel button in a dialog box. If MacBench is running a disk, graphics, or CD-ROM test, MacBench will terminate the test in a short period of time. If you’re running a test suite, MacBench finishes the currently executing test. MacBench will not run any other tests in the suite.
	You cannot cancel MacBench’s Processor and Floating Point tests after they’ve started. (The Processor test runs about 30 seconds and the Floating Point test runs for about 50 seconds.)
2.	When MacBench is running, you should not move the mouse, click the mouse button, or press any keys on the keyboard. Clicking a mouse button or pressing keys on the keyboard can interfere with MacBench’s tests and hurt your system’s results.
3.	Before running a series of tests, always reboot the Mac OS system. Keep the memory as clean and open as possible by reducing the number of extensions, fonts, and control panels you don’t need. 
4.	MacBench 4.0 doesn’t accept results, export or test suite files from earlier versions of MacBench. MacBench 4.0 displays an error message if you try to load files from any earlier version of MacBench.
5.	MacBench’s Preferred memory size is 9,000 kilobytes. If you have trouble running MacBench, try increasing the Preferred memory size in MacBench’s Get Info box.
6.	On a computer whose hardware and software configuration remains constant, MacBench’s scores shouldn’t vary by more than 3% from test run to test run. If you’re seeing more than a 3% variance, double-check that you’re following the above guidelines. If the abnormal variance persists, contact MacBench Technical Support. For information on technical support, turn to “Chapter 24: Contacting ZDBOp Technical Support“ on page 161.
Do this in extreme cases
If you follow the above guidelines and still get widely varying scores, you may want to try the following procedure. You should use this procedure only in extreme cases
1.	Reformat or defragment your system’s hard disk.
2.	Install the system files from the original system diskettes.
3.	Install MacBench.
4.	Restart your computer.
5.	Start MacBench immediately.
Tests and test settings
For more information on the Test Settings dialog box, refer to “Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings“ on page 49.	Any test or suite you run in MacBench uses the current test settings. If you’re going to run MacBench’s floating point, disk, graphics, or CD-ROM tests, then you can select the floating point type (hardware or software), disk device, graphics card, or CD-ROM drive in the Test Settings dialog box before you run the tests. 	
The test settings you select remain in place for all of MacBench’s tests until you exit the program. The next time you start MacBench, it uses the default test settings.
Save Current System results before changing test settings
Always save the Current System’s unsaved results before changing MacBench’s test settings. MacBench considers results valid only when they’re associated with their correct test settings. When you change MacBench’s test settings, you’re telling MacBench you want to run a new series of tests with the new settings.
MacBench displays a dialog box to alert you if you try to change test settings without first saving current unsaved results. From this dialog box, you can select:
•	Don’t Save, which lets you change MacBench’s test settings in the Test Settings dialog box but also clears all Current System scores from the Results window.
•	Cancel, which returns you to the Results window as if nothing had happened.
•	Save, which saves the Current System results, lets you change your settings in the Test Settings dialog box, and clears all Current System scores in the Results window. When you select Save, the results file’s name appears in the Results window below the Current System.
End of Chapter

Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings
Introduction
MacBench’s Test Settings dialog box allows you to control such items as identifying the CD-ROM drive to controlling the size of the video playback window. You can also specify the buffer sizes for the custom disk and CD-ROM tests. 
Any test or suite you run in MacBench uses MacBench’s current test settings. For example, if you want to test different hard disks or graphics cards, then you need to select the disk or graphics card in the Test Settings dialog box before running the test or suite.
MacBench always returns to its default test settings on startup.
Opening the Test Settings dialog box
You can use any of the following methods to open the dialog box:
•	Choose Test Settings from the Tests menu.
•	Click the Test Settings toolbar button.
•	Press the Command‑T keyboard equivalent.
Changing test settings
The MacBench 4.0 Test Settings dialog box offers control over how MacBench runs its tests. After making your selections, click OK. MacBench will use these settings for the rest of the MacBench session (or until you change the settings)..

Current System Test Settings dialog box
The Floating Point Tests section lets you select either a hardware or software FPU.
For more information on custom disk and CD-ROM tests, see “Chapter 16: Creating Custom Disk and CD-ROM Tests“ on page 105.	In the Disk Tests section, you can select the hard drive MacBench uses for its disk tests and where it can create temporary files. In the Custom Disk Tests section, you can specify buffer sizes for the tests you create. The buffer size can be as small as 1 byte or as large as 32MB (assuming your Mac OS system has the RAM and disk space to support such a large size).	
In the Graphics Tests section, you can select the display adapter you want to test.
	In the CD-ROM Tests section, you can select the CD-ROM drive you want to test. For the Custom CD-ROM Tests, you can specify buffer sizes for the tests you create. The custom disk tests’ size restrictions apply here as well.	
The Video Tests setting is for the MacBench-provided movies only, not for any custom movie you might want to play.	For the Video Tests provided by MacBench, you can select whether to play the MacBench-provided movies from the MacBench CD-ROM or from the selected hard disk. If you choose to run the movies from the hard disk, MacBench will copy the movies to the disk prior to running the test.	
Note	Running the provided movies from the hard disk increases the total video test time (because MacBench must copy the movie from the CD-ROM to the hard drive).
For complete details on selecting and running a custom movie, see “Selecting and running a custom movie“ on page 42.	You can customize several settings for the Custom Video Tests. 
•	Click the Select Custom Movie button to select the movie you want to run. For more information, see the section “Selecting and running a custom “ on page 42.
•	You can choose to align the movie (Align Data), which provides the best performance based on the test monitor’s bit depth.	
•	You can also choose to load the movie into RAM (Load into RAM) and run the movie from there. Of course, your Mac OS system must have the RAM needed to run the movie. If you want to play a 50MB clip, for example, then you’ll need 50MB of free RAM.) 
Note	If your system doesn’t have enough RAM to load a movie, MacBench will load as much of the movie as it can into RAM and return an error message. During the test, MacBench will run whatever was successfully placed in RAM, and then go back to the CD-ROM or hard drive for the final segment. This affects scores. A test that tried and failed to run from RAM will not necessarily have the same score as one that ran from a CD-ROM.
•	You can also choose the size of the playback window:
•	Half Size, which plays the movie back at half its normal size
•	Normal Size, which plays the movie back at its normal size
•	Double Size, which plays the movie back at twice its normal size
•	Fill Screen. which stretches the movie to fill the test screen but keeps the original aspect ratio
Save your current results before changing any test settings
Always save the Current System’s results (which are unsaved results) before you change MacBench’s test settings. MacBench considers results valid only when they’re associated with their correct test settings. When you change the test settings, you’re telling MacBench you want to run a new series of tests with the new settings.
MacBench displays a warning dialog box alerting you if you try to change test settings before you’ve saved the Current System results. From this dialog box, you can select:
•	Don’t Save. If you select this option, MacBench clears all Current System scores from the Results window.
•	Cancel. If you select Cancel, MacBench returns you to the Results window. Your Current System scores and current test settings remain unchanged.
•	Save. If you select Save, MacBench displays a directory dialog box where you can save the Current System’s results. After you save the results, you can change MacBench’s test settings in the Test Settings dialog box.
End of Chapter

Chapter 9: System Information
80/20 on MacBench’s System Information window
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from the System Information window:
•	After you start MacBench and before you see the Results window, MacBench gathers, calculates, and stores numerous bits of configuration data about the Mac OS system you’re testing. You can use this information to discover clues to a Mac OS system’s performance.
•	MacBench collects system and configuration information under the following categories: General Info, Storage Devices, Display Devices, System Files, and Test Settings. 
•	You can view system information three ways: from the System Information window, by clicking on a system name in the Results window, and by viewing the results file in any text editing, word processing, or spreadsheet program. 
•	MacBench’s information-gathering capabilities means you can view, edit, and print your test system’s hardware and software configuration information.
•	You can use the system information MacBench collects to help troubleshoot any problems your system might have running the benchmark tests.
•	If you want to publish your benchmark results, you must include the system information specified by the benchmark license agreement. To see what each benchmark requires, refer to the license agreement.
•	MacBench collects system and configuration information on the system’s CPU and memory, disk, graphics, video, and system software items.
Working with system information
When you start MacBench, MacBench automatically records the Mac OS system’s current hardware and software configuration. When you save the Current System results to a file, MacBench saves the recorded system information with those results. When you export results, MacBench also exports the corresponding system information.
Why should you care about the system information MacBench collects?
•	If you publish results, you’ll need to include information in the Disclosure with the results you publish. (For information on what you must include when you publish results, see MacBench’s license agreement.)
•	If your system is having trouble running a MacBench test, you can review the system information to aid in troubleshooting.
•	If you’re comparing results for the same test among several different systems, MacBench’s system information can help you determine the differences in each system’s configuration and setup. Uncovering these differences can perhaps explain variations in scores. 
How does MacBench gather system information?
MacBench collects the information it needs by using:
•	The Gestalt function in the Mac OS.
•	Calculations using data the Gestalt function gathered.
•	Custom code, either written by the MacBench developers or provided by outside sources.
Of these, the Gestalt function is what MacBench uses most often for its fact-finding. The Gestalt function, along with a specific “selector,” provides all sorts of information about the Mac OS system’s hardware and software environment. For example, MacBench issues a gestaltSystemVersion call to retrieve the System Version number.
In some cases, the Gestalt can’t give MacBench the information it needs, so MacBench must perform calculations using other bits of data it can collect via the Gestalt. (For an example of this, see the section “Virtual memory “ later in this chapter.) In other cases, the MacBench developers take advantage of Apple Tech Notes for information-gathering techniques and tools. 
The last section of this chapter, “System Information reference tables,” details which System Information fields MacBench calculates and how it calculates the values.
Viewing system information
If you have multiple results files open, MacBench offers you a number of ways to view the system information MacBench recorded for each results file. Accessing this information lets you easily see what differences (if any) existed in the systems’ configurations for different runs of MacBench. 
You can view system information in one of three ways:
•	Using the System Information window, which can display complete system information for each system loaded in the Results window 
•	Clicking on a system name in the Results window, which displays a pop-up box showing limited information for the system
•	Opening the system’s results or export file in a text editing, word processing, or spreadsheet program
Using the System Information window
The System Information window displays all the information MacBench collects about a computer. This dialog box lets you compare any two sets of results files loaded in the Results window; the files can be from different Mac OS systems or from different runs on the same computer. You can compare each system based on the following categories of information: 
General Info
Storage Devices
Display Devices
System Files
Test Settings
Note	For more information on these categories and their fields, refer to “System Information reference tables“ later in this chapter.
To look at system information using the System Information window: 
1.	Open the System Information window by either:
•	Pressing the Command‑I keyboard equivalent,
•	Clicking the System Info toolbar button, or
•	Choosing System Info from the File menu.
	Using any of the three methods displays the System Information window:

System Information window
	The System Information window appears with the following defaults: General Info for the category in the left column, Current System in the middle column, and the next listed results file (if available) in the right column.
2.	Select the category of information you want to view by moving the mouse to the leftmost pop‑up menu. Press and hold the mouse button to display the categories.
	MacBench puts a check mark by the currently selected category. MacBench displays the system information recorded in that category for each results file.
3.	Select the results files whose system information you want to view.
	Click and hold on the middle or right pop‑up menus to display the names of all results files loaded in the Results window. A check mark appears by the currently selected results file. MacBench prevents you from loading the same results file in both columns.
4.	Use the scroll bars to view system information that extends beyond the System Information window.
5.	Press OK when you’ve finished looking at the system information.
Extra notes on the System Info window
•	You can drag the System Info window anywhere you want on the screen. MacBench will remember its location the next time you open it. 
•	MacBench remembers the systems you last viewed and the categories you last displayed in the System Info window. 
Clicking on a system name in the Results window
To quickly see an overview of subsystem information, move the pointer over a system name in the Results window’s leftmost column. You’ll see the cursor change to display a small i (for information). 
Press and hold the mouse button. MacBench displays a pop‑up box showing the name of the results file, the kind of test you’re viewing information about (Processor, Floating Point, Disk, Video, Graphics, CD-ROM, or Video), and a list of information relevant to that type of test.
The pop-up box provides a quick overview of system information relevant to a specific subsystem test, including any comments you have recorded for the system. However, you can’t see all of the information MacBench has recorded for the computer. And, this method only works for one results file at a time.
Note	For more complete information, you should use the System Information window or the system information recorded in the results file. 
The following table briefly describes the subsystem pop‑up boxes.
Selecting…	Displays the…	Telling you…	
Processor test	Processor subsystem pop-up box	•	System Vendor name
•	Mac OS system model name
•	CPU type and speed
•	Bus speed
•	L2 cache size
•	Interleaved memory
•	Memory size (in kilobytes)
•	Virtual memory size (if used)
•	System software version number	
Floating Point test	Floating Point subsystem pop-up box	•	System Vendor name
•	Mac OS system model name
•	CPU type and speed
•	FPU type (such as hardware or software)
•	FPU type specified in Test Settings dialog
•	Memory size (in kilobytes)
•	Virtual memory size (if used)
•	System software version number	
Any disk test	Disk subsystem pop-up box	•	Hard disk specified in the Test Settings dialog box
•	Device type
•	Disk vendor name and product model number
•	Physical capacity of the disk (in megabytes)
•	Disk cache size (in KB
•	Driver/formatter name and version number	
Any graphics test	Graphics subsystem pop-up box	•	Graphics card specified in the Test Settings dialog box
•	Card slot
•	Graphics memory size (in KB)
•	Screen size (in pixels)
•	Current bit depth
•	Graphics card driver name and version number	
Any CD-ROM test	CD-ROM subsystem pop-up box	•	CD-ROM drive specified in the Test Settings dialog box
•	Device type
•	Vendor name
•	Product model number
•	Device/formatter name and version number	
Any video test	Video subsystem 
pop-up box	•	Name of movie associated with that test
•	Original frame rate (frames/second)
•	Original duration (seconds)
•	Average data rate (KB/second)
•	Original size (pixels)
•	Pixel depth (bits/pixel)
•	Codec type
•	Number of sound channels
•	Sound data format, sample size (bits), and sample rate (kHz)
•	Hard disk specified in the Test Settings dialog box
•	CD-ROM drive specified in the Test Settings dialog box	
Using the results and export files
To see the system information in a MacBench results file or export file, open the file in a text editor, word processor, or spreadsheet program. The results and export files are text files.
These files include all the information MacBench records for a system or systems.
Note	For more information on results and export files, refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129. To see what a results file looks like, refer to “Appendix A: Base Machine Specifications“ on page 169.
Editing system information
If MacBench can’t acquire specific bits of configuration data, it will record either its “best guess,” or “n/a” or “unknown” for that system information field. For fields which MacBench can’t get information, MacBench lets you edit the field directly within the System Information window. MacBench underlines editable fields in the System Information window.
You can only edit system information for the Current System, which means you must perform all editing before you save the Current System’s results.
To edit a specific system information field:
1.	Open the System Information window.
2.	Select Current System as one of the two displayed systems. 
3.	Select a System Information category.
4.	Click on an underlined field.
	MacBench displays a dialog box titled with the name of the field. The current field value is highlighted in a text box.
5.	Enter a new field value.
6.	Press one of the following buttons:
•	Default. Keep the field’s default value. 
•	Cancel. Close the dialog box and leave the field value unchanged.
•	OK. Accept the changed value.
Adding comments about the Current System
You can enter up to 254 text characters containing any extra information you want to record about the Current System. You can only add or edit comments for the Current System before you save the results. MacBench includes any entered comments in results and export files and displays comments in the subsystem pop-up boxes. 
You can view Current System comments by clicking the Comments field in the System Information window. (You cannot view comments for other systems loaded in the Results window.)
To add comments to the Current System:
1.	Open the System Information window.
2.	Display the General Info category.
3.	Locate the Comments item. 
4.	Click the underlined text.
	MacBench opens a dialog box where you can enter up to 254 text characters.
5.	After entering your comments, press OK.
Printing system information
If you save results to a file or export results to a file, then you can print the system information MacBench collected. You can’t print a results file or export file from within MacBench; you must use a text editing, word‑processing, or spreadsheet application instead.
To print the system information that MacBench records, follow these steps:
1.	Save the Current System results to a results file or export results in the Results window to an export file.
2.	Start a word‑processing or spreadsheet application.
3.	Open the results file or export file from within that application.
4.	Print the System Information from within the program.
Refer to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129 for details on export files. MacBench puts the system information at the end of the export file.
Publishing results
The MacBench license agreement requires that you list information about your system configuration if you publish your MacBench results. For specific information on what you must disclose when you report your MacBench results, see the license agreement at the beginning of this manual.
System Information reference tables
The following sections list each piece of information MacBench records for a Mac OS system and whether the field is editable in the System Information window. For some fields, we also describe how MacBench acquires or calculates the field value.
You should not consider any values in the editable fields as meaningful. Those fields only acquire meaning when you enter appropriate values.
If MacBench can’t detect a value for an item, MacBench records the item as “n/a” (not available) or “unknown.”
General Info
The General Info category provides basic information about your computer, including Macintosh model name, CPU type and speed, RAM size, and System and Finder version numbers. The following list also tells you which fields you can edit in the System Information window.
Field	Editable?	Description	
System Vendor	X	Name of the vendor who manufactures the system	
Model	X	Macintosh model name	
Processor Type		Processor type (such as Motorola 68040)	
Processor Speed (MHz)	X	Processor speed	
Bus Speed (MHz)	X	System bus speed	
ROM Size (KB)		System’s ROM Size (such as 1024KB)	
Addressing Mode		Whether 32‑bit addressing mode is enabled	
Interleaved Memory	X	Yes or no 	
Memory Size (KB)		Physical RAM size, in kilobytes	
Virtual Memory (KB)		If enabled, virtual memory size in kilobytes. Also indicates if RAM Doublerô is installed.	
L1 Cache Size		Amount of L1 cache size, as noted by MacBench	
L2 Cache Size (KB)	X	Amount of L2 cache size, in kilobytes	
Disk Cache Size (KB)		If enabled, disk cache size in kilobytes	
FPU Type		Floating Point unit type (such as 68040 Built-in FPU)	
MMU Type		Memory Management Unit type, used for virtual memory management (such as 68040 Built-in MMU)	
System Version		System version number (such as 7.5)	
Finder Version		Finder version number (such as 7.5)	
AppleTalk State		AppleTalk® on or off 	
File Sharing		On or off	
Modern Memory Manager		In Power Macintosh computers, whether it’s turned on or off; in all other Macintosh computers, not available (n/a)	
RAM Disk (KB)		RAM disk size, if enabled, in kilobytes	
Async I/O Capable		Does the Current System have asynchronous input/output? Yes or no	
Comments	X	Extra information you enter about the Current System, up to 254 characters	
Model
Apple doesn’t provide a way for MacBench to retrieve a Mac OS system’s model name. However, MacBench can retrieve a Mac OS system’s model number using a Gestalt call. 
MacBench matches that model number to an internal list of unique model numbers linked to model names. MacBench then substitutes the model name for the number and puts the name in the System Information window.
If MacBench can’t find a model name to match a model number, it enters a default name of “Mac OS system.”
Virtual memory (KB)
MacBench may report a virtual memory size that seems at odds with the size reported in your system’s Memory control panel. Actually, both numbers are correct.
MacBench also reports whether RAM Doubler is present. 	MacBench first detects whether virtual memory is on or off. If it’s off, MacBench reports that. If it’s on, MacBench retrieves the physical and logical memory sizes reported by the Mac OS system. (Physical RAM is the chips in your computer, logical RAM is the chips plus any virtual memory.) MacBench subtracts them to get the virtual memory size. 	
The virtual memory amount MacBench calculates is the actual amount of virtual memory the Mac OS makes available to you. However, this figure may not equal the truncated megabyte figure you’d see in the Memory control panel’s virtual memory section. The numbers are actually the same, except that the Memory control panel reports the amount in megabytes, while MacBench reports the amount in kilobytes.
For example: Say a Mac OS system has 32MB of physical RAM. If we set virtual memory to a minimum (33MB), we get the following figures: logical RAM = 34724KB, physical RAM = 32768KB. So, virtual memory = 34724 - 32768 = 1956KB. 
This calculation assumes integer math instead of floating point math.	If you add the physical and virtual memory RAM and divide by 1KB you get: 
(32768 + 1956) / 1024 = 33MB, which is the figure you’d see in the Memory control panel.	
Storage Devices
The Storage Devices category provides basic information on all mounted storage devices, including non‑SCSI devices such as IDE drives. The information you can view here includes the device’s vendor name, product model number, the numbers of cylinders and heads, interleave factor, capacity, driver/formatter, and driver/formatter version. The following list also tells you which fields you can edit in the System Information window.
Field	Editable?	Description	
Volume Name	X	Name of the test volume and its ID number 	
Device Type 	X	Shows whether the Current System has read/write access and direct/indirect access to the device 	
Vendor 	X	Disk vendor name (such as SEAGATE) 	
Product Model Number 	X	Disk’s product model number (such as ST1480) 	
Revision Number 	X	Disk’s revision number (such as 7750) 	
Driver/Formatter	X	Name of device driver/formatter	
Driver/Formatter Version	X	Version number of driver/formatter	
Capacity (MB)	X	Disk size in megabytes 	
Number of Cylinders 	X	Number of cylinders 	
Number of Heads 	X	Number of heads 	
Sectors per Track 	X	Number of sectors per track 	
Bytes per Sector 	X	Number of bytes per sector 	
Interleave 	X	Interleave factor (such as 1) 	
Boot Volume 		Is this the hard disk the Current System boots from? Yes or No	
Display Devices
The Display Devices category provides basic graphics subsystem information, including the graphics card name, driver name and version, amount of graphics memory, screen size, resolution, and bit depth. The following list also tells you which fields you can edit in the System Information window.
Field	Editable?	Description	
Graphics Card Name 	X	Graphics card name, as it appears in the Test Settings dialog box 	
Graphics Card Driver 	X	Driver name	
Graphics Card Driver Version	X	Driver version	
Card Slot	X	Graphics card’s slot location 	
Graphics Memory (KB)	X	Graphics memory size	
Resolution (pixels) 		Screen resolution in pixels (such as 1152 x 870)	
Dot pitch (mm) 		Screen’s dot pitch in millimeters	
Current Bit Depth 		Number of bits per pixel recorded for the Current System’s results	
Movies
The Movies category provides basic information about the movies played during the MacBench video tests. Information includes such items as the movie’s name, the frames per second rate, data rate, CODEC information, and sound information. 
Although the System Information window doesn’t include movie information, MacBench records movie information in the results file and displays the information in the pop-up window when you click on a system name in the Results window. 
Field	Description	
Movie Name	The movie’s filename	
Original frame rate (fps)	The movie’s original frames per second rate	
Original Duration (seconds)	The movie’s original duration time	
Average Data Rate (KB/s)	The movie’s data rate.	
Original Size (pixels)	The movie’s original pixel size	
Pixel Depth (bits/pixel)	The movie’s pixel depth	
Codec	The Codec name and version information, if available 	
Sound Channels	Number of soundtracks in movie file	
Sound Data Format	How the sound is encoded on the movie (“Raw” means the sound isn’t encoded)	
Sound Sample Size (bits)	The larger the size, the better the sound and the higher the data rate	
Sound Sample Rate (kHz)	The number of times per millisecond the movie reads in an amount of sound data equivalent to the Sound Sample Size; result is in kHz	
System Files
This part of MacBench’s System Information facility lists all control panels, extensions, and background‑only applications running at the time MacBench saved the results. 
On startup, MacBench searches the following folders: System, Control Panels. and Extensions. MacBench then breaks down the files it finds into the following categories: Control Panels, Extensions, Scripting extensions, and Background‑only applications. 
Within each category, MacBench sorts these files twice: first alphabetically, and then by version number. This makes for an easier side‑by‑side comparison of two machines’ system files in the System Information window. You can tell, for example, that one computer had version 3.2 of a control panel while the other computer had version 4 of the same file.
Test Settings
The Test Settings category provides all the Test Settings information MacBench recorded for this Mac OS system. This is the same information you’d see if you opened the Test Settings dialog box. Because the tester enters this information from within MacBench and the information doesn’t come from inspecting the Mac OS system’s environment, MacBench doesn’t allow you to edit them.
Field	Description	
Selected FPU 	Hardware FPU or Software FPU	
Selected Hard Disk 	Selected hard disk, with SCSI ID	
Selected Graphics Card 	Selected graphics card name	
Selected CD-ROM 	Selected CD-ROM drive	
Standard Movies Source	Are the movies played from CD-ROM or disk?	
Custom Movie Aligned	Will the custom movie run aligned?	
Custom Movie in RAM	Will the custom movie run in RAM?	
Custom Movie Playback Size	Size of the playback window (such as half size, double size, etc.)	
End of Chapter

Chapter 10: Setting Preferences
80/20 on setting preferences
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from setting MacBench preferences:
•	MacBench’s Preferences dialog box lets you tailor some of MacBench’s functions to your work style. 
•	You can customize some aspects of MacBench so that they behave the same way from session to session. 
•	You can change Preferences settings at any time, even during a MacBench session.
Opening and using the Preferences dialog box
From the File menu, choose Preferences to display the Preferences dialog box. Click in a box to select or de‑select an option. Selecting an option puts an “X” in the box and activates the option. The following figure shows MacBench’s default Preferences settings.

Preferences dialog box
After you make your selections, press OK. MacBench remembers the options you selected and makes them active the next time you start MacBench. 
Where MacBench stores the preferences you select
After you press OK in the Preferences dialog box, MacBench stores the Preferences you select in the MacBench Preferences file. You can find this file in the System folder’s Preferences folder. 
If you delete the MacBench Preferences file or if the file is damaged, all of your preferences are lost.
Preferences options
Results Window
Save window size between sessions (default on). Checking this option tells MacBench to open the Results window to the size you left it at the end of your last MacBench session. You might turn this on if you find yourself continually resizing the Results window to show more results. Clear this option to tell MacBench to open the Results window to its default width and height.
For more information on showing and hiding lists of tests, turn to “Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129.	Show all tests at startup (default off). Checking this option tells MacBench to display all of its disk, graphics, CD-ROM, and video tests in the Results window. Clearing this option tells MacBench to display only the main tests. 
This setting only controls what tests you want to see at startup. You can still click on the triangles to show or hide additional tests. You can also select the “Display Tests Run” option in the Results window to show only those tests that have results. 	
For more information about viewing results in the Results window, refer to “Chapter” on page 129.	Start with “Fit to Window” active (default off). Checking this option tells MacBench to display the Results window with the Fit to Window option turned on. (You can find the Fit to Window item on the Graph menu in the Scale sub‑menu.) The Fit to Window option resizes all results bars so that they stay within the Results window borders.	
You might check this option if you often drag‑and‑drop a batch of results from the Finder to the Results window and want the results bars to stay within the Results window. Clearing this option tells MacBench to use the Results window’s default display scale of 2:1. 
Custom Tests
For more information on custom tests and how to manage custom test conflicts, refer to “Chapter 16: Creating Custom Disk and CD-ROM Tests“ on page 105.	Warn when Custom Disk/CD-ROM tests don’t match (default on). You can have up to six different custom tests (four disk and two CD-ROM) per results file. However, MacBench can display in the Results window only one set of parameters for each category of custom disk or CD-ROM test. 
Checking this option warns you, when you open a results file containing custom tests, if the settings for any one of those six tests differs from already loaded settings. Clearing this option tells MacBench to ignore the custom tests in the file you want to load.	
	Run Custom tests included in test suites (default off). You can create up to eight different custom tests (six disk/CD-ROM tests and two video tests) per results file. Checking this option tells MacBench to include all the custom disk, CD-ROM, and video tests in any test suite you run, including any custom suites you’ve created. Clearing this option tells MacBench to exclude the custom tests from these suites.	
Warnings
Ask before running a test or suite (default on). Checking this option tells MacBench to display a dialog box telling you the test or suite may take a while to run. The dialog box appears after you select a test. Clear this option if you want MacBench to run a test or suite immediately after you select it.
If you have selected this option yet you want to bypass the warning dialog box, press the Option key as you select any test or suite.
Beep when a test or suite is done (default off). Checking this option tells MacBench to beep after it finishes running a test or suite. Clear this option if you want MacBench to be quiet.
End of Chapter

Part 4: The Tests 

Chapter 11: Processor and Floating Point Tests
80/20 on the Processor and FPU tests
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from the Processor and Floating Point tests:
•	The Processor and FPU tests are synthetic; that is, they emulate the processor and FPU activities of actual applications. 
•	For both tests, the base machine — a Power Macintosh 6100/60 — reports a score of 100. With these scores, bigger numbers mean better performance.
•	Both the Processor and Floating Point tests produce relative scores: Their results are normalized, unitless numbers meaningful only when you compare them to other MacBench 4.0 processor and floating point results. They are good indicators of the relative power of your Mac OS system’s processor subsystem.
•	You cannot cancel MacBench’s Processor and Floating Point tests after they’ve started. (The Processor test runs about 30 seconds and the Floating Point test runs for about 50 seconds.)
About the Processor test
Processor subsystem components include the CPU, FPU, RAM, the bus architecture, and any CPU accelerator card, among other factors.	MacBench’s processor tests measure a Mac OS system’s processor subsystem performance by running instruction playbacks that carefully emulate the processor activity of real-world applications. 
The Processor test focuses solely on a Mac OS system’s processor subsystem. The test performs no I/O operations or other functions that might involve a system’s graphics or disk subsystems.	
The workload for the Processor test is a carefully weighted combination of many different modules. Each module does one or more types of real work, such as:
•	Compressing data
•	Calculating dates
•	Analyzing words
•	Formatting text
The combined overall workload simulates the processor behavior of leading Mac OS applications.
How we created the Processor test
To ensure the accuracy of the Processor test’s simulated workload, we profiled a variety of leading Mac OS applications. The application profiles contained a large set of statistics about how those applications interacted with the processor. Those statistics include such important facts as the types of instructions the applications execute, the frequency of each instruction type, and how often the processor was able to find the data it needed in its RAM cache.
The Processor test reflects the results of the profiling process for Mac OS applications. During the development process, we fine-tuned the test’s behavior to correlate highly with the profiled applications’ behavior.
About the Floating Point test
The Floating Point test measures how fast your Mac OS system’s floating-point unit (FPU) handles floating point calculations. MacBench’s Floating Point test, based on our observations and experience, reflects the kinds of tasks the Mac OS’s FPU typically performs. This test:
•	Calculates areas enclosed by polygons that have varying sizes, shapes, and number of sides.
•	Calculates a Poisson Distribution.
•	Performs a Fourier Transform.
•	Solves several linear equations.
Hardware and software FPUs
MacBench contains both a software and hardware version of the Floating Point Test. MacBench automatically uses the software version if your Mac OS system does not have a floating point unit and the hardware version if your Mac OS system has an FPU. (You can change these defaults in the Test Settings dialog box.)
If your system has a floating point unit and you run the hardware version, your system will have a much faster score on the Floating Point Test than if you ran the software version of the test. 
About the Processor and FPU scores
For both tests, MacBench records how many operations the test system performs for the duration of the test. Then, MacBench compares this result to how many operations the base machine performed in the same amount of time.
For both tests, the base machine — a Power Macintosh 6100/60 — reports a score of 100. With these scores, bigger numbers mean better performance.
Both the Processor and Floating Point tests produce relative scores: Their results are normalized, unitless numbers meaningful only when you compare them to other MacBench 4.0 processor and floating point results. They are good indicators of the relative power of your Mac OS system’s processor subsystem.
Calculating the Processor and FPU scores
MacBench uses the same procedure to calculate the Processor and Floating Point test scores.
After running a test, MacBench computes an unweighted, absolute score for the test. Then, MacBench scales that number to make its meaning more intuitive. Thus, scores for the Processor and Floating Point tests are unitless, relative numbers—they are meaningful only when you compare them to other MacBench 4.0 processor scores.
End of Chapter

Chapter 12: Disk Tests
80/20 on disk tests
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from the disk tests:
•	MacBench’s main disk playback tests — the Disk and Publishing Disk — measure the overall performance of your Mac OS system’s disk subsystem. 
•	MacBench’s playback tests replay the disk activity we recorded for MacBench’s profiled applications. For a list of the profiled applications, see “Chapter 2: What’s New in this Release“ on page 9.
•	The Disk and Publishing Disk tests return a score of 100 for the base machine and normalize your system’s score accordingly. For both the Disk and Publishing Disk tests, MacBench produces scores that are unitless, relative numbers—they are meaningful only when you compare them to other MacBench 4.0 disk scores. With this result, bigger numbers mean better performance.
•	MacBench’s disk inspection tests run specific File Manager commands and record how many kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second the test system reads or writes during the test. For all disk inspection tests, bigger results mean better performance. 
•	You can also create your own custom disk test that specifies the size of the read/write buffer.
Disk playback tests
The disk subsystem includes the hard disk, disk controller, disk device drivers, any disk caches (hardware or software) you have installed, and the bus used to carry information from the disk controller to and from the processor subsystem.	The disk playback tests provide an overall comparative measure of the disk subsystem’s performance as compared to the base machine’s. 
MacBench’s Disk and Publishing Disk tests execute the same series of disk operations the profiled applications performed. The disk playback tests employ many different files, folders, and file operations in a blend based on a recording of the disk usage by the profiled applications. 
For all disk playback results, bigger numbers are better.	
What the disk playback tests do
Here’s what happens when you run a disk playback test:
1.	When you select a disk playback test, you may see a warning that the test will take some time to run. (You can turn off this warning in the Preferences dialog box.)
2.	MacBench creates several megabytes worth of test files. This setup process causes all disk tests to take longer on Mac OS systems with slower processors or under‑powered hard drives.
	The Disk test requires 115MB of free disk space and the Publishing Disk test requires  126MB.
Note	The data the disk playback tests use is about as compressible as the data the profiled applications used, so you can get meaningful results from this test even when you’re using disk compression products on your Mac OS system.
3.	Each disk playback test is a single large test that performs the following operations on the test files:
•	Performs read, write, append, file lookup, creation, and deletion operations, and varies the parameters for each operation. The profiled commands include any synchronous and asynchronous File Manager calls we saw in the profiling.
•	Intersperses the operations to measure how your system’s disk subsystem handles complex interactions.
4.	MacBench times how long the test system runs the disk playback test and compares that time to the base machine’s. From this timing, MacBench computes the kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second rate at which the test system read or wrote to the test files. MacBench then uses a weighted harmonic mean to calculate the final playback test score, which shows how your Mac OS system performed in relation to the base machine, a Power Macintosh 6100/60. 
How we created the disk playback tests
See “Chapter 2: What’s New in this Release“ on page 9 for a list of the applications we profiled.	We gathered information on what types of disk operations Mac OS-based applications perform by profiling 11 top‑selling Mac OS-applications for the Disk test. 
For the Publishing Disk test, we profiled the disk activity of only two applications: QuarkXPress and Photoshop. The Publishing Disk is based on our profiling of power users employing these applications on high‑end publishing tasks, such as copying and moving large image files.	
Each disk playback test is a nearly exact replay of the profiled applications’ disk activity.
To ensure the accuracy of our profiling, we used commercially available and in‑house tools to record application I/O operations, but without interfering with or modifying the original application. Using these tools, we recorded the File Manager commands for each application and combined those recorded logs into the Disk and Publishing Disk tests.
Disk playback scores
The Disk and Publishing Disk tests return a score of 100 for the base machine and normalize your system’s score accordingly. For both the Disk and Publishing Disk tests, MacBench produces scores that are unitless, relative numbers—they are meaningful only when you compare them to other MacBench 4.0 disk scores. With this result, bigger numbers mean better performance.
Because the tests mimic the kind of work applications do, you can use the results as a guide to the kind of throughput you can expect to see when working with the profiled applications.
How MacBench computes the disk playback scores
During a disk playback test, MacBench plays back the logs we recorded for each of the 11 profiled applications. The benchmark times how long the test machine plays back each application log. MacBench calculates the transfer rate for each application. 
MacBench then uses a weighted harmonic mean of the transfer rates (using the application’s market-share weights) to produce the disk playback result. MacBench then normalizes the test system’s score to the base machine’s score. 
Disk inspection tests
Be aware that it’s very easy to take an inspection test’s result out of context. The playback tests provide a more rounded and accurate view of a subsystem’s performance than a single component test. 	Each MacBench disk inspection test creates a 32MB file. MacBench then accesses the file using fixed‑length records in either a sequential or random fashion. For each test, MacBench reads or writes data to or from the hard disk and records the time it takes the disk subsystem to perform the operation.
You can use the inspection tests to help determine different Mac OS systems’ Disk scores. For example, if you run the All Disk Tests suite on several Mac OS systems, you can see which operations execute faster on each of those systems.	
Sequential tests
For a sequential disk test, MacBench measures how quickly your Mac OS system can read or write blocks of data that lie next to each other. When you want to a run a sequential read test using eight‑kilobyte blocks, you’re telling MacBench to read eight kilobytes of information at a time before moving on to the next eight kilobytes.
The large‑block sequential tests should produce the highest transfer rates.	You can use the sequential tests to determine the maximum throughput rates for the various block sizes. MacBench’s disk inspection tests measure throughput in kilobytes per second. You can use a sequential test to see, for example, whether your system is fast at reading small blocks of data but slow when reading larger blocks of data. 	
Random tests
When MacBench runs a random disk test, it tells the drive head to hop here and there throughout the test file. This “hopping” activity measures how quickly your hard drive can find a specific block and move to that block. MacBench is simulating situations such as reading a database file and reading multiple files.
The random tests can shed light on such factors as the drive’s seek time and the effectiveness of its disk cache.	Unlike the sequential tests, which read one block after another, the random tests require a specified number of iterations, or repetitions. All of MacBench’s standard random tests perform 512 iterations. If you’ve selected a 1KB random read test, MacBench creates a 32MB test file and within that test file reads in data 1KB at a time. After reading in 1KB, the drive head moves to a random location within the test file and reads another 1KB chunk. MacBench performs this procedure 512 times (unless, of course, you cancel the test.) 	
How do block sizes affect the tests?
Block sizes affect how quickly MacBench runs a test. You might expect that, with a larger block size, MacBench will take longer to run a test. But another factor in this equation is whether the test is sequential or random.
The following table illustrates how block sizes can make tests run relatively fast or slow:
Block sizes	Random test	Sequential test	
Small	Runs fast 	Runs slow	
Large	Runs slow	Runs fast	
For small block sizes, the sequential test contends with the physical overhead of moving from one block to the next, while the random test can read in data more quickly. Larger block sizes, however, add overhead to the random test because the physical effort has shifted from jumping around the disk to reading data. Larger block sizes favor the sequential tests because of the minimal physical effort of moving from one sequential block to the next.
Disk inspection test results
After you select a test and MacBench creates its test file, MacBench sends commands to the hard drive and doesn’t stop till the end of the test. MacBench records how much time your Mac OS system took to finish the test and how many File Manager operations your Mac OS system performed in that time. 
The results MacBench returns tell you how many kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second the Mac OS system read or wrote to the disk during the tests. For all disk inspection tests, bigger results mean better performance. You can compare the results to those of the base machine.
List of disk inspection tests
In a disk inspection test name, the number of bytes or kilobytes indicates the size of the block of data the test uses. For example, the Sequential Read 512 test reads data sequentially in 512-byte chunks.
MacBench contains the following disk inspection tests:
Sequential Read 512
Sequential Read 1K
Sequential Read 32K
Sequential Read 64K
Sequential Read 128K
Sequential Read 1024K
Custom Seq Rd
Random Read 512
Random Read 1K
Random Read 32K
Random Read 64K
Random Read 128K
Random Read 1024K
Custom Ran Rd
Sequential Write 512
Sequential Write 1K
Sequential Write 32K
Sequential Write 64K
Sequential Write 128K
Sequential Write 1024K
Custom Seq Wr
Random Write 512
Random Write 1K
Random Write 32K
Random Write 64K
Random Write 128K
Random Write 1024K
Custom Ran Wr
Custom disk tests
For more information on custom tests, see “Chapter 16: Creating Custom Disk and CD-ROM Tests“ on page 105	MacBench lets you create four custom disk tests, one for each category of disk test: sequential read, random read, sequential write, and random write. For a custom disk test, you can customize the block size. The default size is 1,024 bytes.
Use MacBench 4.0’s Test Settings dialog to adjust the Custom Disk Test options. You can use the Test Settings dialog to specify a custom disk test buffer as small as 1 byte, reflecting the Mac OS system’s use of small buffer reads and writes.	
See “Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings“ on page 49 for more information on MacBench’s Test Settings dialog box. 	The maximum size you can specify is 32MB. Remember that you need to increase MacBench’s heap size if you’re creating a custom disk test of this size. If you type in a number that exceeds the available RAM needed for the specified buffer size, MacBench will display an error message telling you how large the buffer size can be, given the system’s available resources.	
A custom disk test doesn’t stress the hard disk any differently from the other disk tests. A custom disk test simply lets you create your own MacBench disk test.
As with the disk inspection tests, the custom disk test results tell you how many kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second the Mac OS system read or wrote to the disk during the tests. 
Note	MacBench doesn’t include custom tests in its suites unless you tell it to do so via the Preferences dialog box. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information.
Create a custom disk test suite
On startup, MacBench’s custom disk, CD-ROM, and video test settings revert to their default settings. In the case of the Custom Disk Tests settings, this means the settings revert to 1,024 bytes.
If you want MacBench to remember the custom disk test settings, then specify the test settings and include the custom disk tests in a custom test suite. A custom suite saves the tests along with the current test settings, so you can run the suite without having to re-select the custom disk settings. 
For information on creating a custom suite, see “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.
End of Chapter

Chapter 13: Graphics Tests
80/20 on the graphics tests`
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from the graphics tests:
•	The graphics playback tests return a score of 100 for the base machine and normalize your system’s score accordingly. With this result, bigger numbers mean better performance.
•	MacBench’s graphics playback tests — Graphics and Publishing Graphics — measure the overall performance of your Mac OS system’s graphics subsystem as it executes QuickDraw commands.
•	When you see one of MacBench’s graphics playback tests, it appears as if the application itself is running, except at a very high speed. What’s happening is MacBench is replaying the log of graphics subsystem calls we recorded during our application profiling. 
•	MacBench features both low- and high-resolution versions of the Publishing Graphics test. The kinds of QuickDraw calls the profiled applications use differ based on the resolution of your monitor, and so the tests reflect those differences.
•	MacBench’s graphics inspection tests run specific QuickDraw commands and record how many kilopixels (that’s 1,000 pixels, not 1,024) the test system drew during the test. For all graphics inspection tests, bigger numbers mean better performance.
•	QuickDraw commands control many different types of drawing tasks, such as displaying text, moving pixels from memory to screen and screen to memory, and drawing geometric objects (for example, lines, circles, arcs, and so on).
Graphics playback tests
Your Mac OS system’s graphics subsystem includes the monitor, video card, any QuickDraw‑ or graphics‑accelerator cards, video driver, and the bus used to carry information to and from the processor subsystem	MacBench 4.0’s Graphics tests use an exciting new playback technology that allows us to capture nearly every graphics operation a Mac OS application performs and then replay those operations. While we’ve always been able to record the disk calls applications made, we’re now able to extend that technology to the graphics side.
So, when a Graphics or Publishing Graphics test is running, it appears as if the application itself is running, except extremely quickly. You may see slight pauses every few seconds while the test reads and decompresses data from the log files into RAM. MacBench’s playback tests reflect the graphics subsystem performance as the subsystem carries out actual, real-world graphics activity.	
What the graphics playback tests do
To cancel a playback test, press Command-period.	The graphics playback tests provide an overall comparative measure of the graphics subsystem’s performance as compared to the base machine’s. Here’s what happens when you run a graphics playback test:	
1.	When you select a graphics playback test, you may see a warning that the test will take some time to run. (You can turn off this warning in the Preferences dialog box.) 
2.	Each graphics playback test is a single large test that reproduces the QuickDraw and Mac OS graphics API commands issued by our profiled applications. MacBench reads log files containing the recorded graphics calls made by each application and reproduces those calls.
3.	MacBench displays a progress bar as it decompresses the graphics playback logs and loads them into RAM. On fast machines, you may not see the progress bar.
4.	As MacBench reads and reproduces the graphics calls, you’ll see each application’s interface, menus, dialog boxes, and so on, flashing onto the screen, appearing as they did during out profiling. 
5.	At the end of the test, MacBench calculates the number of thousands (that’s 1,000, not 1,024) of pixels per second the test system drew during the test. MacBench normalizes the final number to produce the graphics playback score.
How we created the graphics playback tests
To create the Graphics and Publishing Graphics tests, we designed a tool that captures the graphics calls each Mac OS application made when we ran the application’s script. We then created a graphics replay engine to replay the log files containing the recorded graphics operations. 
See “Chapter 2: What’s New in this Release“ on page 9 for a list of the profiled applications.	We gathered information on what types of QuickDraw operations Mac OS-based applications perform by profiling 11 top‑selling Mac OS-apps. The Graphics reflects the proportional use of the QuickDraw commands our profiled applications used.
The Publishing Graphics test reflects the profiling of two applications: Photoshop and QuarkXPress. The script we used to profiled these applications was different and more representative of high-end users’ work than the applications’ Graphics script.	
To ensure the accuracy of our profiling, we used commercially available and in‑house tools to record application I/O operations. These tools did not interfere with or modify the original application. Using these tools, we recorded the QuickDraw commands for each of the 11 applications and used the profile logs to create the Graphics. 
Working around other applications’ limitations
You’ll notice that the playback isn’t 100% perfect—there are erroneous colors in some areas of the display, artifacts of dialog boxes and toolbars remain onscreen for a time, and so on. Don’t worry—your graphics card and monitor are OK, the benchmark is working correctly, and the results the tests return are perfectly fine. 
To explain what’s happening, we need to go back to when we profiled the applications. When we profiled the applications’ graphics activity, we saw that some applications bypassed the standard Mac OS graphics API and QuickDraw commands — the very commands our profiling tools needed to capture. 
To work around this, we were able to capture the “state” of the graphics environment before profiling and compare it to the graphics environment’s state after profiling. By studying these comparisons we reconstructed the graphics work these applications performed during profiling. Although we believe our reconstruction is as accurate and realistic as possible, the playback tests do show some display anomalies. Again, these anomalies do not affect your system’s score.
Publishing Graphics tests and display resolution issues
We recorded the Publishing Graphics tests at two resolutions: 640x480x8 (low-resolution) and 1152x870x8 (high-resolution). MacBench allows you to select from the Tests menu the resolution you want to test. 
You cannot run a high-resolution script in a low-resolution environment. If the display is not at the proper resolution, MacBench aborts the high-resolution test with an error message.	The reason for the different resolutions is that the applications display differently at higher resolutions. For example, at lower resolutions, applications may display rows of gray bars instead of text characters. But at higher resolutions, the applications may display the text characters, thereby using different QuickDraw commands and placing extra demands on the graphics subsystem. Because the applications send different graphics commands to the OS based on different display resolutions, MacBench’s graphics tests reflect that.	
Graphics playback scores
The graphics playback tests return a score of 100 for the base machine and normalizes your system’s score accordingly. With this result, bigger numbers mean better performance.
You can use the Graphics result to determine how to optimize the Mac OS system’s graphics subsystem to best suit your needs. For example, the Graphics results can help you determine how effectively QuickDraw accelerator cards operate in your working environment.
How MacBench computes the graphics playback scores
The time MacBench uses to read in the graphics playback logs isn’t included in the timed portion of the test.	During a graphics playback test, MacBench plays back the logs we recorded for each profiled application. The benchmark times how long the test machine plays back each application log. MacBench divides that rate by the amount of time it took the MacBench base machine to complete the same test. In this way, MacBench computes a relative speed for each application in the playback test.	
MacBench then uses a weighted harmonic mean to combine the applications’ relative speeds to produce a relative speed for an entire category. 
Finally, MacBench combines the scores for all the categories using a weighted harmonic mean to produce a single, unitless score for the selected graphics playback test. 
General notes on what you’ll see
This section describes what you may see onscreen during MacBench’s Graphics and Publishing Graphics tests. The following list alerts you to some unusual or unexpected sights that are part of a normal graphics playback test run, but which may confuse you the first time you run the tests.
•	The playback is not 100% perfect. Desktop icon titles visible in the playback window have an oversize Chicago font, menu titles come and go, and various buttons, controls, and windows appear blank.
•	Some of the test files used in the Graphics test were originally used in WinstoneÆ. As a result, you’ll see references to Winstone and to some PC-related items.
•	When MacBench plays the Graphics or Lo-Res Publishing Graphics test, it displays a gray screen filled with ZD logos. The screen hides the Apple menu and menu bar. In the center of the screen, MacBench opens a display window, where the playback test appears.
•	MacBench displays a progress bar as it decompresses the graphics playback logs and loads them into RAM. On fast machines, you may not see the progress bar.
•	In between scripts, the display window goes blank. The pointer, however, should change to the “system busy” watch pointer.
Graphics inspection tests
Be aware that it’s very easy to take an inspection test’s result out of context. The playback tests provide a more rounded and accurate view of a subsystem’s performance than a single component test. 	The graphics inspection tests execute QuickDraw commands regardless of the commands’ presence in the Graphics tests. You can use these tests to compare results and evaluate the speed of specific QuickDraw commands. 
All the commands for a specific type of graphics test (such as FillArc or EraseRoundRect) use the same distribution of parameters each time you run the test. These tests don’t reflect how the profiled applications used these commands, but their results can provide a reasonable basis for comparing the results of different individual commands.	
You can use the graphics inspection tests to help determine why different Mac OS systems have different Graphics scores. For example, if you run the All Graphics Tests suite on several Mac OS systems, you can see which operations execute faster on each of those systems.
What happens during an inspection test 
After you select a graphics inspection test, MacBench begins drawing every shape, every pattern, and every fill it will use in the test. 
MacBench draws a varying number of figures (from hundreds to thousands) for each shape. So, if you pick a rounded rectangle test, MacBench prepares up to 2,000 rectangles, all with different shapes, fills, patterns, and colors. (This setup process is why the test may take longer on Mac OS systems with slower processors or under‑powered graphics cards.)
After all the shapes are in place, MacBench simultaneously starts a timer and begins drawing those shapes to the test system’s screen. MacBench turns off the timer after approximately 15 seconds and calculates how many kilopixels (1,000 pixels) per second the test displayed. 
About the inspection test results
MacBench calculates the kilopixels (1,000 pixels) per second the system displayed during the test. You can compare the results to those of the base machine For all tests, bigger results mean better performance. 
QuickDraw modes
QuickDraw offers five ways to manipulate or draw a shape and MacBench’s inspection tests reflect these parameters. You’ll note the QuickDraw mode reflected in some test names. The parameters are:
Fill. Fill a shape with a specific pattern, like so:

Paint. Fill a shape with a solid color.
Frame. Draw an outline of the shape.
Erase. Define a shape and then erase the shape.
Invert. Change black characters to white and vice versa. For color pictures, we take the inverse of the color.
List of tests
The graphics inspection tests represent both categories of QuickDraw commands and individual QuickDraw commands. The following list presents the tests in each of these categories as they appear in the Tests menu.
•	Arcs. These tests erase, fill, frame, invert, and paint arcs. The Arcs test runs all of the MacBench arcs tests. 
	EraseArc
FillArc
FrameArc
InvertArc
PaintArc
•	CopyBits. CopyBits is a basic QuickDraw command used by Mac OS applications to show images and any kind of on‑screen movement, including animation. These tests copy graphic images directly from memory into a variety of places on the selected output device. If your system supports Color QuickDraw, then some tests may use Color QuickDraw routines. Otherwise, the test uses Classic QuickDraw routines.
	Following are brief descriptions of some of the CopyBits operations present in the MacBench graphics inspection tests:
	Copy. Copies images from off‑screen memory to the screen.
	DrawPicture. Uses QuickDraw’s DrawPicture command to measure your Mac OS system’s speed at drawing regular and scaled PICT resources at random locations on your monitor. The Scaled test frames a picture in a size different from the original. The scaled picture can be fatter or thinner, larger or smaller, than the original.
	Playback‑mode. Adds a variety of transfer mode parameters to the CopyBits command. The transfer mode controls how text or graphics are overwritten on the screen. (For example, when you place a folder over some text, the folder window overwrites the text.) Some transfer modes include overwriting the background entirely, inverting a character or bitmap, forcing a black character or bitmap to white, and so on. 
	Scaled. Changes the dimensions of the original picture, by flattening or stretching the picture, or making the picture larger or smaller.
	ScrollRect. This CopyBits test measures how quickly text and graphics scroll on your system both vertically and horizontally. Because many popular applications scroll text, a scroll test is valuable for showing how smoothly your system can scroll objects through an onscreen window. 
Here’s a list of all the CopyBits tests:
	srcCopy
srcOr
srcBic
srcXor
notSrcCopy
notSrcOr
notSrcBic
notSrcXor
addOver
addPin
subOver
subPin
adMax
adMin
blend
transparent
hilite
CopyMask
CopyDeepMask
DrawPicture
DrawPicture-Scaled
ScrollRect
•	Lines. The Lines tests draw horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines of various colors and lengths on your screen. (The Diagonal test also places the lines at all sorts of angles.) 
	LineTo - Horizontal
LineTo - Vertical
LineTo - Diagonal
•	Ovals. These tests erase, fill, frame, invert, and paint ovals. 
	EraseOval
FillOval
FrameOval
InvertOval
PaintOval
•	Polygons. These tests erase, fill, frame, invert, and paint polygons. 
	ErasePoly
FillPoly
FramePoly
InvertPoly
PaintPoly
•	Rectangles. These tests erase, fill, frame, invert, and paint rectangles. 
	EraseRect
FillRect
FrameRect
InvertRect
PaintRect
•	Regions. These tests erase, fill, frame, invert, and paint regions. 
	EraseRgn
FillRgn
FrameRgn
InvertRgn
PaintRgn
•	Round Rectangles. These tests erase, fill, frame, invert, and paint round rectangles. 
	EraseRoundRect
FillRoundRect
FrameRoundRect
InvertRoundRect
PaintRoundRect
•	Text. The Text tests display chunks of randomly generated text in various sizes, typefaces, modes, styles, and locations all over your screen. These tests measure the speed with which your Mac OS system can print formatted text to the screen.

C and Pascal store text and strings in different ways. Although the Toolbox is in Pascal, most programmers use C, and so the Mac OS offers two different ways to display text. MacBench’s tests show how many pixels the system draws for each command.

DrawChar — Draws one character
DrawString — Draws text in a C string
DrawText — Draws text in a Pascal string

If you run inspection tests in black and white
You may think your monitor has frozen if you’re running the inspection tests:
•	On a black‑and‑white monitor, or
•	On a color monitor set to two colors.
You may notice this seeming inactivity particularly when you run the shape tests (arc, oval, line, and so on). 
What happens during the shape tests is that MacBench draws new lines on top of old lines, new ovals on top of old ovals, and so on, with many shapes basically staying in the same place on the screen. On a color screen, you’d see MacBench draw each new shape with a new color; you wouldn’t notice that the shapes remain stationary.
But on a black‑and‑white screen the only line color is black. So even though MacBench continues drawing new lines and shapes, MacBench draws these shapes as black‑on‑black. The black‑on‑black redrawing operation makes your monitor appear frozen.
Note	Even if your monitor displays only black‑and‑white (and even if your monitor is turned off), your system’s graphics card is still carrying out MacBench’s color QuickDraw commands. The scores your Mac OS system receives on these tests are still accurate.
End of Chapter

Chapter 14: CD-ROM Tests
80/20 on the CD-ROM tests
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from the CD-ROM tests:
•	The CD-ROM returns a score of 100 for the base machine and normalizes your system’s score accordingly. With this result, bigger numbers mean better performance.
•	MacBench’s CD-ROM test measures the overall performance of your Mac OS system’s CD-ROM subsystem as it performs standard File Manager operations. 
•	MacBench’s CD-ROM inspection tests read data from the MacBench CD-ROM and record how many kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second the Mac OS system’s CD-ROM subsystem read during the test. 
•	We profiled the following CD-ROM applications for the CD-ROM test:
•	Macintosh® System 7.5 Golden Master
•	Corel™ Professional Photos CD-ROM: World’s Best Photos
•	Disney’s Animated Storybook, Toy Story
•	Intuit® Quicken® Deluxe CD-ROM Version 6
•	Jellyvision, Inc.’s You Don’t Know Jackô
Note	When you run any CD-ROM test, the CD-ROM that includes MacBench must be in the CD-ROM drive so MacBench can find the files it needs to run the test.
CD-ROM test
The CD-ROM subsystem includes a CD-ROM drive, an adapter to which the drive is connected, software drivers, any disk caches, and the bus, which carries information from the controller to and from the processor subsystem	The CD-ROM test provides an overall comparative measure of the CD-ROM subsystem’s performance as compared to the base machine’s. 
The CD-ROM test replays the CD-ROM subsystem activity we recorded for the profiled CD-ROM applications. 
When you run the CD-ROM, the CD-ROM that includes MacBench must be in the CD-ROM drive so MacBench can find the files it needs to run the test.	
What the CD-ROM test does
Here’s what happens when you run the CD-ROM test:
1.	When you select the CD-ROM test, you may see a warning that the test will take some time to run. (You can turn off this warning in the Preferences dialog box.)
2.	MacBench checks the system’s SCSI chain to find an attached CD-ROM drive. If a drive is available, MacBench then checks to make sure you have the MacBench CD-ROM in the drive. 
3.	If MacBench’s checks are satisfied, MacBench locates its test files on the CD-ROM. MacBench uses 330MB of test files, constituting a directory tree full of folders and files.
4.	The CD-ROM is a single large test that performs the following operations on the test files:
•	Read and file lookup operations, with the parameters varying for each operation. The profiled commands include any synchronous and asynchronous File Manager calls we saw in the profiling.
•	Intersperses the operations to measure how your system’s CD-ROM subsystem handles complex interactions.
5.	MacBench times how long the test system runs the CD-ROM and compares that time to the base machine’s. From this timing, MacBench computes the kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second rate at which the test system read the test files. MacBench then uses a weighted harmonic mean to calculate the final CD-ROM score, which shows how your Mac OS system performed in relation to the base machine, a Power Macintosh 6100/60.
How we created the test
We gathered information on what types of CD-ROM operations Mac OS-based applications perform by profiling five top‑selling CD-ROM applications. The CD-ROM is an almost exact playback of these operations.
To ensure the accuracy of our profiling, we used commercially available and in‑house tools to record application I/O operations, but without interfering with or modifying the original application. Using these tools, we recorded the File Manager commands for each of the five applications and combined them into one CD-ROM. 
CD-ROM test scores
The CD-ROM returns a score of 100 for the base machine and normalizes your system’s score accordingly. With this result, bigger numbers mean better performance.
Because the test mimics the kind of work top‑selling CD-ROM‑based applications do, you can use the results as a guide to the kind of throughput you can expect to see when working with the Mac OS system’s CD-ROM subsystem.
How MacBench computes the CD-ROM score
When you run the CD-ROM, MacBench runs a single, large test that replays the profile logs we recorded for our five profiled CD-ROM applications. During the test, MacBench times the test system’s CD-ROM subsystem operations.
When the CD-ROM completes, MacBench takes the number of kilobytes per second the test system read and uses a weighted harmonic mean to calculate the CD-ROM score. (MacBench bases the weights on each application’s total market share.) MacBench then normalizes the test system’s score to the base machine’s score.
For the CD-ROM, MacBench produces a score that is a unitless, relative number—the number is meaningful only when you compare it to other MacBench 4.0 CD‑ROM scores.
CD-ROM inspection tests
Be aware that it’s very easy to take an inspection test’s result out of context. The playback tests provide a more rounded and accurate view of a subsystem’s performance than a single component test. 	In a CD-ROM test name, the number of bytes indicates the size of the block of data the test uses. For example, the CD-ROM Sequential Read 128K test sequentially reads 128 kilobytes of data within the test file
You can use the CD-ROM inspection tests to help determine why different Mac OS systems have different CD-ROM scores. For example, if you run the All CD-ROM Tests suite on several Mac OS systems, you can see which operations execute faster on each of those systems.	
About the CD-ROM inspection test results
After you select a CD-ROM test, MacBench starts reading a single large test file on the CD-ROM. MacBench times how many kilobytes (1,024 bytes) of data the drive reads per second. For random tests, the recorded time includes the seek time. For all results, bigger numbers mean better performance.
The results MacBench returns tell you how many kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second the Mac OS system read during the tests. You can compare the results to those of the base machine.
About the Sequential Read test results
The CD-ROM Sequential Read tests perform sequential reads from the CD-ROM. MacBench reports the transfer rate for each test in kilobytes per second. When you run MacBench’s CD-ROM Sequential Read tests, the larger block size tests should produce the highest transfer rates.
The sequential read transfer rate will be substantially smaller than the random read rate because the sequential read operations don’t have the overhead of having to seek large distances on the CD-ROM.
List of CD-ROM inspection tests
CD Sequential Read 512
CD Sequential Read 1K
CD Sequential Read 32K
CD Sequential Read 64K
CD Sequential Read 128K
CD Sequential Read 1024K
Custom CD Seq Rd
CD Random Read 512
CD Random Read 1K
CD Random Read 32K
CD Random Read 64K
CD Random Read 128K
CD Random Read 1024K
Custom CD Ran Rd
Custom CD-ROM tests
MacBench lets you create two custom CD-ROM tests, one for each category of CD-ROM test: sequential read and random read. For a custom CD-ROM test, you can customize the block size MacBench reads in during the test. The default setting for both tests is 1,024 bytes.
See “Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings“ on page 49 for more information on MacBench’s Test Settings dialog box. 	Use MacBench 4.0’s Test Settings dialog to adjust the Custom CD-ROM Test options. You can use the Test Settings dialog to specify a custom disk test buffer as small as 1 byte, reflecting the Mac OS system’s use of small buffer reads and writes.
The maximum size you can specify is 32MB. Remember that you need to increase MacBench’s heap size if you’re creating a custom disk test of this size. If you type in a number that exceeds the available RAM needed for the specified buffer size, MacBench will display an error message telling you how large the buffer size can be, given the system’s available resources.	
A custom CD-ROM test doesn’t stress the CD-ROM subsystem any differently from the other inspection tests. A custom CD-ROM test simply lets you create your own MacBench CD-ROM test.
As with the CD-ROM inspection tests, the custom CD-ROM test results MacBench returns tell you how many kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second the Mac OS system read from the CD-ROM during the tests. 
Note	MacBench doesn’t include custom tests in test suites unless you tell it to do so via the Preferences dialog box. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 for more information.
Create a custom CD-ROM test suite
On startup, MacBench’s custom disk, CD-ROM, and video test settings revert to their default settings. In the case of the Custom CD-ROM Tests settings, this means the settings revert to 1,024 bytes.
If you want MacBench to remember the custom CD-ROM test settings, then specify the test settings and include the custom CD-ROM tests in a custom test suite. A custom suite saves the test along with the current test settings, so you can run the suite without having to re-select the custom CD-ROM settings. 
For information on creating a custom suite, see “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.
End of Chapter

Chapter 15: Video tests
80/20 on the video tests
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from MacBench’s video tests:
•	MacBench offers two video tests — Frames Played and Maximum Frame Rate. For each test, bigger results mean better performance. 
•	MacBench runs a movie of a carousel in motion, at different rates and with different codecs (compression/decompression formats). You can also run a movie of your choice by using the Test Settings dialog box.
•	MacBench’s video tests are mainly inspection tests, measuring the ability of a Mac OS system’s video subsystem to play selected movies. There is no video playback test comparable to the Disk, Publishing Disk, Graphics, Publishing Graphics, or CD-ROM tests. 
•	You can run a movie from the CD-ROM (make sure the CD-ROM containing MacBench is in the CD-ROM drive), hard drive, or from RAM (assuming the Mac OS system has sufficient RAM). You can select these options from the Test Settings dialog box. 
•	In the Results window, MacBench displays five slots for each video test. The first four slots are for the MacBench-provided movies; the fifth slot is for a user-provided movie.
Note:	The test files MacBench uses for the CD-ROM and full‑motion video tests are very large. To save space, all versions of MacBench not on a CD-ROM will not contain these tests. In addition, some CD-ROMs that contain MacBench may not include these tests.

You can use the “Benchmark Request Form“ on page 166 to request a full version of MacBench which includes the CD-ROM and full‑motion video tests.
About the video tests
MacBench’s video tests provide concrete measures of a Mac OS system’s ability to play full-motion video. Video playback functions stress multiple areas of the system, including the system’s processor and graphics subsystems, as well as the CD-ROM or disk subsystems, depending on the location of the movies you’re playing. 
MacBench provides four movies (footage which WinBenchÆ 97’s video tests also use) of a carousel . The movies play back the video at various speeds and data rates. MacBench also lets you play a movie of your choice and control how it’s played. Use MacBench 4.0’s Test Settings dialog box to adjust these controls. 
MacBench is designed to test single-video, single-audio movies. If you run a custom video test using a movie that includes multiple video (say, two movies in the same frame), MacBench will return results but the results will have very little meaning. 
Names of the MacBench-provided movies
The MacBench-provided movies are named for the Codec that decompresses the movie when MacBench plays it. The movie names are:
CinePak 1
CinePak 2
Motion JPEG-A
Uncompressed
Note	Both the CinePak 1 and CinePak 2 movies use the CinePak 1.1 Codec. The only difference between them is that they have different display sizes. (See “Video clip attributes“ on page 101 for more information.) MacBench distinguishes the movies in the Video menu by naming them 1 and 2.
Video test settings
MacBench’s Test Settings dialog box controls how MacBench plays both the provided movies and any custom movies you select. The settings remain in effect for all video tests until either you change them or you quit MacBench. The next time MacBench starts, the tests settings dialog contains the default values. 
Note	If you ran a custom movie in your last MacBench session, you need to re-select the movie in the Current System Test Settings dialog box if you want to run it again. However, see the section “Create a custom video suite” in the section “Video test tips and troubleshooting“ on page 98 for a workaround.

Video Tests and Custom Video Tests settings, with a custom movie selected
MacBench doesn’t include the time needed to copy the movie as part of the test. 	For the Video Tests provided by MacBench, you can select whether to play the movies from the MacBench CD-ROM or from the selected hard disk. If you choose to run the movies from the hard disk, MacBench will copy the movies to the disk prior to running the test.	
Note	Running the provided movies from the hard disk increases the total video test time (because MacBench must copy the movie from the CD-ROM to the hard drive).
For complete details on selecting and running a custom movie, see “Selecting and running a custom movie“ on page 42.	You can customize several settings for the Custom Video Tests. 
•	Click the Select Custom Movie button to select the movie you want to run. For more information, see the section “Selecting and running a custom “ on page 42.
•	You can choose to align the movie (Align Data), which provides the best performance based on the test monitor’s bit depth.	
•	You can also choose to load the movie into RAM (Load into RAM) and run the movie from there. Of course, your Mac OS system must have the RAM needed to run the movie. If you want to play a 50MB clip, for example, then you’ll need 50MB of free RAM.) 
Note	If your system doesn’t have enough RAM to load a movie, MacBench will load as much of the movie as it can into RAM and return an error message. During the test, MacBench will run whatever was successfully placed in RAM, and then go back to the CD-ROM or hard drive for the final segment. This affects scores. A test that tried and failed to run from RAM will not necessarily have the same score as one that ran from a CD-ROM.
•	You can also choose the size of the playback window:
•	Half Size, which plays the movie back at half its normal size
•	Normal Size, which plays the movie back at its normal size
•	Double Size, which plays the movie back at twice its normal size
•	Fill Screen. which stretches the movie to fill the test screen but keeps the original aspect ratio
About the video test results
Power Macô systems return better performance results if virtual memory is turned off. 	MacBench offers two video tests: Frames Played and Maximum Frame Rate. For each test, you can play the four MacBench-provided movies plus one user-defined clip. 	
•	The Frames Played test plays the movie at its correct speed (with sound, if sound is included) and reports the percentage of frames the system displayed.
•	The Maximum Frame Rate test plays the movie as fast as possible with the sound off. The result the test returns is the average frame rate for that movie, reported as the number of frames per second.
Video test tips and troubleshooting
Should you play the video clips from the CD-ROM or hard disk?
In most cases, you should play all clips directly from the CD-ROM when measuring system performance.
If you want to measure graphics adapter performance in a graphics card roundup (leaving the rest of the system constant), you should select the Load into RAM option in the Test Settings dialog box; this eliminates any bottlenecks introduced by the hard drive or CD-ROM drive.
Create a custom video test suite
On startup, MacBench’s custom disk, CD-ROM, and video test settings revert to their default settings. In the case of the Custom Video Tests settings, this means no test is selected.
If you want MacBench to remember the name of the custom movie you run the most, then specify the test settings and include the Custom Frames Played and/or Custom Maximum Frame Rate in a custom test suite. A custom suite saves the test along with the current test settings, so you can run the suite without having to re-select the custom movie settings. 
For information on creating a custom suite, see “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.
Miscellaneous information 
•	MacBench reports the number of sound channels, or soundtracks, that accompany the MacBench-provided movies and custom movies. . However, MacBench reports information on only the first channel. 
•	MacBench doesn’t test audio-only movies.
•	MacBench assumes that the movie fits within the test monitor’s screen. If the movie’s display size is larger than the monitor’s screen size or if part of the movie is played back offscreen, then you should disregard MacBench’s results. MacBench also adds a note to the results file if this event occurs.
•	For all-text movies, the text track must be frame-based. QuickTime scales the text if the text is TrueTypeÆ. The data rate for all-text movies is low and such movies aren’t good tests of a video subsystem’s performance.
•	If you’re playing the provided movies, you can play them from either the MacBench CD-ROM or a local or networked hard disk. However, the custom movie can be on any hard drive or CD-ROM drive accessible to MacBench. 
•	Power Macô systems return better performance results if virtual memory is turned off. 
•	For custom video tests, if your system doesn’t have enough RAM to load a movie, MacBench will load as much of the movie as it can into RAM and return an error message. During the test, MacBench will run whatever was successfully placed in RAM, and then go back to the CD-ROM or hard drive for the final segment. This affects scores. A test that tried and failed to run from RAM will not necessarily have the same score as one that ran from a CD-ROM.
Data on the MacBench-included movies
This section includes the following diverse bits of information on the video clips:
•	What you should see at certain frame numbers during the action video clip
•	A table listing the attributes (such as type of clip, compression, resolution, and so on) for each MacBench-provided movie
Frame-by-frame breakdowns
We include lots of detail in this section because when you first run a MacBench video test, it may be difficult to distinguish between actual display problems and the editing of the video. 
The uncompressed movie is 15 seconds long and the other three provided movies are 30 seconds long. The movies show different scenes of a moving carousel and include background music. The following tables list the different scenes in the movies.
Note:	The following tables present numbers identifying the frame number per second using the following format: minutes:seconds:frame number. Frame numbers run from 0-29, or 30 frames per second. (30 fps is the industry-standard frames per second rate.) For example, the number 14:29 indicates the 29th (last) frame at the 14-second mark of the video clip.
Table 1: 15-second movie

In these frame numbers:	You’ll see:	
00:00:00—00:04:29	The carousel accelerating.	
00:05:00—00:06:11	Screen splits to reveal shot of carousel horse’s head.	
00:06:12—00:07:14	Still shot of the carousel horse’s head.	
00:07:15—00:08:22	Iris-out cut to reveal the running carousel.	
00:08:23—00:12:13	Carousel runs.	
00:12:14—00:13:28	8-sectioned wipe to a carousel horse’s head.	
00:13:29—00:14:29	Still shot of the carousel horse’s head.	

Table 2: 30-second movie

In these frame numbers:	You’ll see:	
00:00:00—00:04:29	The carousel accelerating.	
00:05:00—00:06:11	Screen splits to reveal shot of carousel horse’s head.	
00:06:12—00:07:14	Still shot of the carousel horse’s head.	
00:07:15—00:08:22	Iris-out cut to reveal the running carousel.	
00:08:23—00:12:13	Carousel runs.	
00:12:14—00:13:28	8-sectioned wipe to a carousel horse’s head.	
00:13:29—00:14:29	Still shot of the carousel horse’s head.	
00:15:00—00:16:14	Clock-sweep wipe to reveal the running carousel.	
00:16:15—00:19:29	Carousel runs.	
00:20:00—00:21:13	Jagged-edge wipe from upper-left corner to reveal carousel horse’s head.	
00:21:14—00:22:14	Still shot of the carousel horse’s head.	
00:22:15—00:22:22	Fade to the running carousel.	
00:22:23—00:25:00	Carousel horse passes through the frame.	
00:25:01—00:25:09	Fade to a brown carousel horse.	
00:25:10—00:29:02	Carousel horse passes through the frame.	
00:29:03—00:29:10	Fade to carousel rabbits.	
00:29:11—00:29:28	Carousel rabbits pass through the frame.	

Video clip attributes
The following large table lists the video attributes for each MacBench-provided movie. 
The table’s rows are:
Item	Description	
Movie Name	The movie’s filename	
Original Frame Rate	The movie’s original number of frames per second	
Original Duration	The movie’s original running time, before compression	
Average Data rate	The movie’s data rate in kilobytes per second	
Original Size	The movie’s original width and height, in pixels	
Pixel Depth	The movie’s bit depth, in bits per pixel	
Codec	The type of compression used on the clip	
Sound Channels	The number of soundtracks on the movie	
Sound Data Format	How the sound is encoded on the movie (“Raw” means the sound isn’t encoded)	
Sound Sample Size	The larger the size, the better the sound and the higher the data rate	
Sound Sample Rate	The number of times per millisecond the movie reads in an amount of sound data equivalent to the Sound Sample Size; result is in kHz	

Movie Name	CinePak 1	CinePak 2	Motion JPEG-A	Uncompressed	
Original Frame Rate(fps)	15.00	15.00	30.00	30.00	
Original Duration (seconds)	30.00	30.00	30.00	15.00	
Average Data Rate (KB/S)	117.11	357.92	1014.08	3969.14	
Original Size (pixels)	160x120	320x240	240x180	240x180	
Pixel Depth (bits/pixel)	24	24	24	24	
Codec	Cinepak (1.1)	Cinepak (1.1)	Motion JPEG-A	None	
Sound Channels	1	1	1	2	
Sound Data Format	Raw	Raw	Raw	Twos Complement	
Sound Sample Size (bits)	8	8	8	16	
Sound Sample Rate (kHz)	22.05	22.05	22.05	44.1	
End of Chapter

Part 5: More Advanced Tasks

Chapter 16: Creating Custom Disk and CD-ROM Tests
About custom tests
MacBench’s standard disk tests reflect the profiling we performed on top‑selling Mac OS applications. However, your testing of storage devices such as hard disks or CD-ROM drives may require tests that differ from the standard block sizes most applications use. In those cases, you might want to create your own disk or CD-ROM tests.
Here are some points to ponder about MacBench’s custom disk and CD-ROM tests:
•	MacBench lets you create custom disk and CD-ROM tests, for which you can specify a block size the test will use when it reads from or writes to the device. You can’t customize the Disk, Publishing Disk, or CD-ROM playback tests. 
For information on what the sequential read and write, and random read and write tests measure and do, refer to “Disk inspection tests“ on page 77.	•	You can specify up to four custom disk tests — one each for sequential read, random read, sequential write, and random write — and up to two CD-ROM custom tests — sequential read and random read.
•	For any custom test, you can specify a block size of up to 32MB. The default size MacBench uses in its disk inspection tests is 1024 bytes. However, your Mac OS system must have enough free memory heap space so MacBench can run the test.	
•	On startup, MacBench returns all custom tests to their default settings. For the disk and CD-ROM tests, the default settings are 1,024 bytes. However, you can create a custom suite that includes these custom tests and retains their settings.
•	MacBench measures a custom disk test’s throughput in kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second.
•	For all random tests, including custom tests, MacBench runs the test for 512 iterations. 
•	In the Results window, MacBench places each type of custom test as the last disk or CD-ROM test in its category.

MacBench’s default custom tests
The following table lists MacBench’s default custom tests. They’re the final tests listed in the Results window for their respective categories:
Test name	Description of test	
Custom Seq Rd	Custom sequential read disk test	
Custom Ran Rd	Custom random read disk test	
Custom Seq Wr	Custom sequential write disk test	
Custom Ran Wr	Custom random write disk test	
Custom CD Seq Rd	Custom sequential read CD-ROM test	
Custom CD Ran Rd	Custom random read CD-ROM test	
You can change the characteristics of each of these tests and save the custom test you create with the Current System results. Refer to the following section, “Creating custom tests,” for more information.
Creating custom tests
After creating a custom test, you can run it from the Tests menu. For details on running tests, see “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.	The following procedure describes how to create a custom disk or CD-ROM tests:
1.	Click the Test Settings button.
	In the Current Systems Test Settings dialog box, you’ll see sections dedicated to Custom Disk Tests and Custom CD-ROM Tests. MacBench’s default block size for the custom tests is 1024 bytes.
2.	Enter a block size in bytes (a whole number between 1 and 32,767).
	For large block sizes, your Mac OS system must have enough free memory heap space so MacBench can run the test. You can change the amount of free memory heap space in MacBench’s Get Info box.	
3.	Choose one of the following buttons:
•	OK. Save the current test settings.
•	Cancel. Retain the previous settings.
What if you don’t create a custom test?
MacBench still holds a space for the custom tests in the Results window and in the results file. If you have set your Preferences this way, MacBench may include the custom test when you run the All Tests, All Disk Tests, or All CD-ROM Tests suites, or any suite that includes custom disk or CD-ROM tests. For more information, refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65.
How does MacBench name the custom tests?
You do not name the custom test you create. Instead, MacBench bases the custom test’s name on the settings in the custom test dialog box. For example, if you created a random read disk test that reads 500KB‑size blocks, MacBench would name the test “Custom Ran Rd 500000.”
Create a custom suite of custom tests
On startup, MacBench’s custom disk, CD-ROM, and video test settings revert to their default settings. In the case of the Custom Disk and CD-ROM Tests settings, this means the settings revert to 1,024 bytes.
If you want MacBench to remember the custom disk and CD-ROM test settings, then specify the test settings and include the custom tests in a custom test suite. A custom suite saves the tests along with the current test settings, so you can run the suite without having to re-select the custom CD-ROM settings. 
For information on creating a custom suite, see “Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109.
Handling custom test conflicts
This section describes how MacBench handles custom disk and CD-ROM test conflicts.
Although MacBench prohibits loading conflicting custom disk and CD-ROM tests, MacBench does let you load mismatched custom video tests.	MacBench can display in the Results window only one set of parameters for each category of custom disk or CD-ROM test. MacBench cannot, for example, display both a 128KB Custom Random Read test and a 1024KB Custom Random Read test; it can only display either one or the other. (However, MacBench can display both a 128KB Custom Random Read test and a 1024KB Custom Sequential Read test because they are different tests.)	
When you load a results file, MacBench checks the settings for each of the incoming file’s custom tests. If a custom test in any category conflicts with a similar custom test already loaded, MacBench by default displays the following warning dialog box:

Custom test warning dialog box
MacBench displays this dialog box for each custom test that conflicts with an already loaded test. You have the following options at this dialog box:
Replace this test. For the test named in the dialog box, MacBench replaces the current custom disk or CD-ROM test settings with those from the incoming file.
Skip ALL custom tests. MacBench doesn’t load any of the incoming file’s custom disk or CD-ROM test settings, but MacBench does load all the results for the standard tests. The currently loaded custom settings remain unchanged. A consequence of this decision is that the file you load shows no custom test results.
Skip this test. For the test named in the dialog box, MacBench doesn’t load the incoming file’s custom disk and CD-ROM test settings.
If you accept the incoming file’s custom disk and CD-ROM test settings, those settings become the current custom test settings. If you load another results file that has conflicting custom settings, you’ll see this dialog box again.
Custom tests and the Preferences dialog box
You can control whether MacBench displays the custom test warning dialog box through the Preferences dialog box. By default, MacBench displays the warning dialog box when it detects conflicting custom disk and CD-ROM test settings. You can tell MacBench not to display the dialog box; if you do this, MacBench ignores the incoming file’s custom disk and CD-ROM test settings if they don’t match the currently loaded test settings. 
Note	For more information on the Preferences dialog box, refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65. 
Custom test restrictions
Only one unique set of custom tests at a time
MacBench can display in the Results window only one set of parameters for each category of custom disk or CD-ROM test. For more information on this restriction and on how MacBench resolves it, refer to “Handling custom test conflicts” on page 107.
Custom tests not included in test suites
By default, MacBench doesn’t include custom tests with its suites (including custom suites), All Tests, All Disk Tests, and All CD-ROM Tests. You can use MacBench’s Preferences dialog box to include your custom tests when MacBench runs a suite. Turning off this option tells MacBench to include only its standard disk and/or CD-ROM tests in a suite.
For more information on the Preferences dialog box, refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65 
Custom tests and custom test suites
If you want to run a custom test as part of a custom test suite, you must set up the custom test before you run the suite. If you don’t, MacBench will use the default custom test settings when it runs the suite. (Also, make sure you’ve turned on the Preferences option to include custom tests in suites.)
Custom CD-ROM tests
For custom CD-ROM tests, you must have the MacBench CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. Otherwise, MacBench will not run the test.
End of Chapter

Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites
80/20 on custom test suites
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from MacBench’s custom suites:
•	A custom suite is a list of tests you select that MacBench runs. You can use custom suites to run only the tests you want to run.
•	MacBench saves a custom suite as a file. You can then copy that file and run the suite on other systems equipped with MacBench. This can help speed up the process of running the same tests on large numbers of computers. 
•	You can use the Suite Editor dialog box to create and edit custom suites.
•	You can include in a suite any MacBench test, including any playback or inspection test. However, you can’t include other test suites in a custom suite.
•	You can choose how many times MacBench should run a custom suite and whether MacBench should reboot between each run of a custom suite.
•	You can double-click on a custom suite file icon in the Finder to automatically start MacBench. MacBench displays the suite as the currently selected suite. 
•	You can’t edit any of MacBench’s built-in test suites, but you can use them as starting points to creating your own suites.
Introducing suites
MacBench’s main tests reflect how most users work on their Mac OS systems, but they may not reflect how you work on your system. You may use more graphics-related programs than you do disk-intensive programs. Therefore, you may be more interested in running a certain set of graphics tests than in running disk tests.
That’s why MacBench gives you the option to package a collection of individual MacBench tests into a custom suite.
You can include in a suite any MacBench test, including any playback or inspection test. However, you can’t include other test suites. 	A suite is basically a list of one or more individual tests that MacBench executes one after the other. A suite doesn’t offer a unified score or unified results like the inspection tests or the main tests. Rather, each test in a suite returns its own score or result, just as if you’d run the test on its own.
A custom suite contains individual MacBench tests you want to run. Suites offer you a way to package different MacBench tests and then to copy and run that package on any other Mac where you’ve installed MacBench. You can use custom suites to tailor MacBench to the way you use your Mac OS system.	
Built-in suites
A built-in suite is one that comes with MacBench, such as All Tests and All Graphics Tests. Because these suites are built into MacBench, you can’t edit or delete them. (But you can use them as a starting point for your own custom suites; see “Using a built-in suite to create a custom suite“ on page 116 for more information.)
MacBench lists built-in suites in two places:
•	The pop‑up menu next to the Run Test Suite button
•	The Run Test Suite submenu of the Test Suites menu
MacBench’s built-in suites are:
•	Main Tests
•	Publishing Tests
•	All Tests
•	All Disk Tests
•	All Graphics Tests
•	All CD-ROM Tests
•	All Video Tests
For more information on running MacBench’s built-in suites, refer to “Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31.
Custom suites
A custom suite is a package of tests you’ve created or copied from another Mac OS system. A custom suite contains any of MacBench’s tests, including custom tests; however, a custom suite can’t include another suite.
When you create a custom suite, you save the suite as a file. You can then add that suite’s file name to the list of available suites during any MacBench session.
When would you want to create a custom suite? You might, for example, only want to run the random disk tests, and no others, on several Mac OS systems. By creating a custom suite file, you can carry that package of tests from one computer to another without having to specify the random tests separately on each computer.
Suites and test settings
All suites use the current MacBench test settings and the current custom disk and custom CD-ROM settings. For information on the Test Settings dialog box, refer to “Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings“ on page 49.
Creating a custom suite
You can include any MacBench test, including custom tests, in your custom suite. However, you can’t include other suites. To create a custom suite:
1.	Select New Suite from the Test Suites menu.
	The Suite Editor dialog box appears.

Suite Editor dialog box 
2.	Click on the name of each test you want in your suite.
	Each time you click on a test name, MacBench highlights that test name. The following table describes ways to select tests and groups of tests.
If you want to…	Do this…	
Select consecutive tests	Press the Shift key and drag the cursor through the names. The list of tests scrolls as you move the cursor.	
Select non‑consecutive tests or de‑select a test	Press the Command key and click on a test.	
Select all the tests in the list	Click the Select All button.	
De-select all the highlighted tests	Click the Clear All button.	
3.	You can select how many times to run the suite by entering a whole number from 1 to 999 in the Iterations text box. 
Note	You must select a test to enter an iteration number.
4.	If you like, you can also check the Reboot before each suite option. This will reboot the test system before running the suite. For more information, see “Running a suite multiple times — automatically“ on page 113
5.	After you have selected the tests you want, choose one of the following:
•	Cancel to erase the new suite.
•	OK to add the untitled suite to the Test Suites menu’s Run Test Suites submenu and the Run Test Suite button’s pop‑up menu. The suite remains in the menu for the current MacBench session.
•	Save As to save the suite as a file. Selecting Save As also adds the suite to the Run Test Suite menu.
Note	If you selected the reboot option, then you must save the suite to a file. 
6.	From the directory dialog box that appears, go to the folder where you want to save your suite and enter the name of the new custom suite.
	As a convenience to you, the MacBench folder contains a folder called Test Suites where you can store your suites. You can, however, store your suite files anywhere you like.
7.	After clicking OK or Save As, MacBench displays the new suite’s file name in two places: 
•	On the Run Test Suite button’s pop-up menu
•	In the Run Test Suite submenu of the Test Suites menu

Test suite file icon
Run order of the tests in a custom suite
When MacBench runs the tests in a suite, it executes the tests based on their order in the Suite Editor dialog box. While you can control which tests to run, you can’t control the order in which the tests run.
Running a suite multiple times — automatically
MacBench allows you, when you create or select a custom suite, to specify how many times to run the suite. You can also control whether MacBench reboots the system before running each iteration of the suite. 
The benefit to you is that, after you set the suite up and start it running, you can leave MacBench alone to automatically run the tests and save the results.
Say, for example, you tell MacBench to run “Joe’s Suite” three times and to save the results to a file named “Joe’s Results.” At the end of testing you have three files — Joe’s Results-Run 1, Joe’s Results-Run 2, and Joe’s Results-Run 3 — each containing the results for that test suite run.
Note	For illustration purposes, this procedure assumes the suite already exists; however, you can just as easily perform this procedure as you’re creating a custom suite.
Here’s how to specify multiple runs for a custom suite:
1.	Select a custom suite. (See the procedure in the next section, “Adding a custom suite to the menus,” for information on how to do this.) The suite name should be visible in the Run Test Suite button’s pop-up menu.
2.	Press Command-E to edit the selected suite.
3.	In the Iterations text box, enter a whole number from 1 to 999.
We strongly recommend rebooting the system before each test suite run. Rebooting puts the system into a known state at the beginning of each test suite run and makes troubleshooting the results easier. 	4.	If you’re running a suite more than one time, check the Reboot before each suite option. 
	With this option checked, MacBench will reboot the test system before running each iteration of the suite. 
5.	Click the Save AsÖ button.
	MacBench displays the standard Save File dialog box. 	
6.	Enter a filename for the test suite and click Save.
	If the filename you enter already exists, MacBench will prompt you to enter a new filename or let you replace the older file with the file you’re editing.
7.	Click the Run Test Suite button or press Command-R to run the suite.
8.	MacBench displays the Save File dialog box. Specify the location and base name of the results files MacBench will create as part of the test.
	In the dialog, MacBench suggests a results name and appends a hyphen to it. With each iteration of the suite, MacBench appends a “Run n” to the end of the results file name. 
9.	Click Save. 
	MacBench closes all open applications prior to rebooting. You’ll be prompted to save any unsaved work in the open applications. 
	MacBench reboots the system and runs the first iteration of the test suite. In the lower right corner of the Results window, you’ll see the status of the currently running test as “Suite Iteration 1 of n,” where n is the number of iterations you specified.
At the end of the test suite runs, MacBench saves the last iteration’s results and clears the Results window. In the folder where you told MacBench to save the results, you’ll see results files for each iteration of the test suite.
Note	To cancel a run, press Command-period while any test in the suite is running. MacBench doesn’t return scores for that iteration.
Adding a custom suite to the menus
If you want to run a suite you created during a previous MacBench session, you need to open the suite. Opening a suite automatically adds the suite to:
•	The Run Test Suite button’s pop‑up menu
•	The Run Test Suite submenu of the Test Suites menu
The suite you open remains in the menu of available suites until you quit MacBench.
The following procedure describes how to add a custom suite to MacBench’s menus.
1.	You can open a custom suite file by selecting any of the following:
•	Open Suite from the Test Suites menu
•	Other from the pop‑up menu next to the Run Test Suite button
•	Other from the Test Suites menu’s Run Test Suite submenu
	MacBench displays the following dialog box. 

Open Suite dialog box
2.	Go to the folder where you saved the suite.
3.	Click on the name of the suite you want to open.
4.	Click on Open. 
	MacBench adds the name of the custom suite you selected to:
•	The pop‑up menu next to the Run Test Suite button and makes that suite the selected test.
•	The Run Test Suite submenu of the Test Suites menu.
Once opened, the suite remains as one of the options on the pop‑up menu until you quit MacBench. If you want to use that suite the next time you run MacBench, you need to locate and open the suite again, or start MacBench by double-clicking on the suite file icon in the Finder.
Adding a custom suite from the Finder
You can also use the Finder to add a custom suite to the list of suites. You can:
•	Double-click the suite file icon in the Finder to start MacBench and load the suite into the Run Test Suite submenu. 
•	With MacBench open, drag and drop the suite file icon onto the Results window. 
Editing the current custom suite
If you need to add more tests or take some tests away from a suite, select Edit Current Suite from the Test Suites menu. The suite you want to edit must be present on the Run Test Suite button’s pop‑up menu.
Use the following procedure to edit a custom suite.
1.	If the suite you want to edit isn’t on the menu, you need to add the suite to the menu by selecting Open Suite from the Test Suites menu
	Refer to the previous section, “Adding a custom suite to the menus,” for the procedure on opening a suite and adding it to the list of available suites. Opening a suite makes it the currently selected suite.
2.	Select the Edit Current Suite item from the Test Suites menu or press Command‑E.
	MacBench displays the Suite Editor dialog box and highlights all the tests selected for the current suite. You may need to use the scroll bar to see all the tests.
	When you first select Edit Current Suite, MacBench scrolls the list of tests to the first highlighted test in the suite. This is particularly convenient if, for example, you’re creating different suites of CD-ROM tests. You don’t have to scroll through all the disk and graphics tests to get to the CD-ROM tests; instead, MacBench starts you out at the first selected CD-ROM test.
3.	Hold down the Command key as you click on the tests you want to add to or remove from the suite. This ensures that the other highlighted tests remain highlighted. MacBench includes only highlighted tests in the custom suite.
	For other ways to select tests, refer to the table on page 111 of this chapter.
4.	After you’ve selected or de‑selected all the tests you want, choose one of the following:
•	Cancel to leave the current suite unchanged.
•	OK to add the untitled suite to the Test Suites menu and the Run Test Suite button’s pop‑up menu. You must save the suite if you want to use it again later. The suite remains in the menu for the current MacBench session.
•	Save As to keep the original suite and save the edited suite under a new name. Selecting Save As also adds the suite to the Run Test Suite menu.
Using a built-in suite to create a custom suite
You might want to use the built-in suites as a starting point for your own custom suites. The idea might strike you that, good as MacBench’s Main Tests suite is, the suite would be even more helpful to you if you added a few more tests. Although you can’t edit MacBench’s built-in suites, you can use the suites as templates to create new custom suites.
Use the following procedure to create a custom suite from a built-in suite:
1.	Select the built-in suite you want from the Run Test Suite button’s pop-up menu.
	The suites you can select are: Main Tests, Publishing Tests, All Tests, All Disk Tests, All Graphics Tests, All CD-ROM Tests, and All Video Tests.
2.	Select the option Edit Current Suite from the Test Suites menu or press Command‑E.
	MacBench displays a warning dialog box. The following figure shows you the dialog box you’d see if you try to edit the Main Tests suite.

Edit Current Suite information dialog box
3.	Choose one of the following:
•	Cancel, if you don’t want to create a new suite.
•	New Suite, if you want to use the built-in suite as the basis for your own suite. MacBench displays the Suite Editor dialog box and highlights all tests included in the suite. 
	MacBench automatically scrolls to the first highlighted test. In the following figure, MacBench highlights the tests that make up the Main Tests suite.

Suite Editor dialog box, with main tests highlighted
4.	Hold down the Command key as you click on the tests you want to add to or remove from the suite. This ensures that the other highlighted tests remain highlighted. MacBench includes only highlighted tests in the custom suite.
	For other ways to select tests, refer to the table on page 111 of this chapter.
5.	After you’ve selected or de‑selected all the tests you want, choose one of the following:
•	Cancel to erase the new suite.
•	OK to add the untitled suite to the Run Test Suite submenu and the Run Test Suite button’s pop‑up menu. You must save the suite if you want to use it again later. The suite remains in the menu for the current MacBench session.
•	Save As to give the edited suite a new name, save it to a file, and load it.
End of Chapter

Chapter 18: Hands-free Testing with AppleScript
80/20 on MacBench and AppleScript
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most from using AppleScript with MacBench:
•	MacBench’s AppleScript commands allow you to run tests — and many other MacBench operations, such as exporting or saving results — automatically, by simply clicking on the AppleScript file you create.
•	MacBench includes many of the standard AppleScript commands as well as several commands specific to the benchmark’s operation.
•	If your MacBench 4.0 AppleScript files aren’t working and you have an older version of MacBench on your system, try rebuilding the desktop. 
•	MacBench includes sample AppleScript files and text versions of these files in the Sample Scripts folder. You can use the corresponding text file versions of the scripts to easily read and print out a script and see how it’s constructed. 
Note	This chapter serves only as a reference for MacBench‑specific AppleScript commands and is intended for those already fluent with AppleScript. This chapter doesn’t explain how to use or program in AppleScript. For information on AppleScript, refer to Apple’s AppleScript Developer’s Kit and manuals.
About AppleScript
You don’t have to sit at your Mac OS system and click the buttons to run MacBench’s tests. To make best use of your time, you may decide to run MacBench using AppleScript, an application that lets you record mouse and keyboard actions. MacBench includes a complete dictionary of AppleScript commands you can use to automate your work in MacBench. 
When you run MacBench with AppleScript, a script does everything for you. You can:
•	Run tests and suites automatically.
•	Start MacBench, load a suite, load results files, run the test, save the Current System results to a file, and quit MacBench.
•	Record actions (such as opening, closing, saving, and so on) you can play back later.
•	Run MacBench scripts over a network.
Requirements for AppleScript
You can use MacBench’s AppleScript capability if you have the following installed: 
•	System 7.5 or greater
•	AppleScript extension version 1.1
•	Apple Event Manager extension 3.0
To write, edit, or record scripts, you also need a script editor, such as the AppleScript Script Editor. You should use one of these editors to see the MacBench‑specific AppleScript keywords. You can use these keywords in your scripts.
Using AppleScript with MacBench 4.0
If your MacBench 4.0 AppleScript files aren’t working and you have an older version of MacBench on your system, remove the old version of MacBench and try rebuilding the desktop. To rebuild your desktop, hold down the Option and Command keys as you restart MacBench. Keep holding the keys till you see the dialog box asking if you want to rebuild the Desktop file. Click OK. 
MacBench’s AppleScript files
MacBench includes sample AppleScript files and text versions of these files in the Sample Scripts folder. You can use the corresponding text file versions of the scripts to easily read and print out a script and see how it’s constructed. 
You should look at these scripts as examples only and as starting points for your own scripts. We’ve included these scripts mainly to show you what you can do with MacBench’s AppleScript commands. Beyond that, they may not be of day‑to‑day use to you.
To run a MacBench AppleScript file, double‑click on the script file. MacBench’s included script files are:
•	Example Queries. Demonstrates how to grab various MacBench parameters, such as the number of tests and the number of suites.
•	Export to Excel. Runs a suite, opens Excel, and imports and formats the results in Excel.
•	Get Max Score. Gets the maximum score of any test for the third system listed in the Results window. 
•	Open All Results. Opens a set of results files.
•	Open All Suites. Opens a set of suites.
•	Run Demo. Runs MacBench in demo mode.
•	Run Main Tests. Runs the Main Tests suite.
•	Run, Save, Export. Runs the Processor test, saves the results, and exports the results to a file.
MacBench’s AppleScript commands
MacBench contains a dictionary of AppleScript terms you can use to control and run MacBench. The following is a list of MacBench‑specific AppleScript terms you can use in your scripts. It’s the same information you would see if you opened MacBench’s dictionary using a script editor.
For each command, we tell you the following:
•	The command’s name.
•	Its function.
•	Any parameters the command uses.
•	Information on each parameter.
The “r/o” tag stands for “read‑only.”
We also class these terms by suite, which is AppleScript’s term for a group of related AppleScript commands:
•	A required suite is the most basic set of AppleScript terms.
•	A standard suite has terms every scriptable application supports.
•	The MacBench suite features MacBench-specific AppleScript terms.
Required Suite
The following are AppleScript terms that every application should support.
open Open the specified object(s)
open alias ‑‑ list of objects to open
print Print the specified object(s)
print alias ‑‑ list of objects to print
quit Quit application
quit
run Sent to an application when it is double‑clicked
run
Standard Suite
The following are AppleScript terms common to most applications.
close Close a system
close system ‑‑ the system to close
count Return the number of elements of a particular class within an object
count reference ‑‑ the object whose elements are to be counted
each type class ‑‑ the class of the elements to be counted. Keyword each is optional in AppleScript
Result: integer ‑‑ the number of elements
exists Verify if an object exists
exists reference ‑‑ the object in question
Result: Boolean ‑‑ true if it exists, false if not
get Get the data for an object
get reference ‑‑ the object whose data is to be returned
Result: anything ‑‑ The data from the object
open Open the specified object(s)
open reference ‑‑ list of objects to open
print Print the specified object(s)
print reference ‑‑ list of objects to print
quit Quit an application program
quit
[saving yes/no/ask] ‑‑ Specifies whether or not to save currently open documents
save Save an object
save reference ‑‑ the object to save
[in alias] ‑‑ the file in which to save the object
MacBench Suite
The following are AppleScript terms specific to running MacBench.
runSuite Run the tests in a test suite
runSuite testSuite ‑‑ the test suite to run
runTest Run a test
runTest test ‑‑ the test to run
runDemo Run a demo
runDemo
export Export to Excel file
export
[in alias] ‑‑ the file in which to export results
Class test A benchmark test
Plural form:
tests
Properties:
name string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the test
Class testSuite A suite of benchmarking tests
Plural form:
testSuites
Properties:
name string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the test suite
Class testResult A test result
Plural form:
testResults
Properties:
name string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the test
hasRun boolean [r/o] ‑‑ has this test been run?
score integer [r/o] ‑‑ the value of the test result
Class extension A system software extension
Plural form:
extensions
Properties:
name string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the extension
fileType string [r/o] ‑‑ the file type of the extension
version string [r/o] ‑‑ the version number of the extension
Class graphicsCard A graphics card
Plural form:
graphicsCards
Properties:
name string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the graphics card
graphicsDriver string [r/o] ‑‑ the graphics card driver
graphicsDriverVers string [r/o] ‑‑ the graphics card driver version number
name string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the graphics card
cardSlot string [r/o] ‑‑ the slot in which the graphics card is installed
ramSize string [r/o] ‑‑ the size of the graphics RAM in kilobytes
resolution string [r/o] ‑‑ the resolution of the graphics screen supported
dotPitch string [r/o] ‑‑ the dot pitch of the graphics screen supported
bitDepth string [r/o] ‑‑ the bit depth of the graphics screen supported
Class storageDevice A storage device
Plural form:
SCSIdevices
Properties:
ID string [r/o] ‑‑ the storage device ID number
type string [r/o] ‑‑ the type of device
vendor string [r/o] ‑‑ the vendor of the device
modelNum string [r/o] ‑‑ the model number
revision string [r/o] ‑‑ the revision number
driverFormatter string [r/o] ‑‑ the storage device driver/formatter
driverFormatterVers string [r/o] ‑‑ the storage device driver/formatter revision number
deviceSize string [r/o] ‑‑ the size in bytes
cylinders string [r/o] ‑‑ the number of cylinders
heads string [r/o] ‑‑ the number of heads
sectors string [r/o] ‑‑ the number of sectors per track
sectorSize string [r/o] ‑‑ the number of bytes per sector
interleave string [r/o] ‑‑ the interleave factor
bootVolume string [r/o] ‑‑ is this device a boot volume?
Class video A QuickTime device
Plural form:
videos
Properties:
name string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the movie
originalFrameRate string [r/o] ‑‑ the original frame rate in frames per second
originalDuration string [r/o] ‑‑ the original duration in seconds
averageDateRate string [r/o] ‑‑ the average data rate in kilobytes per second
originalSize string [r/o] ‑‑ the original size in pixels
pixelDepth string [r/o] ‑‑ the bit depth of the movie in bits per pixel
codec string [r/o] ‑‑ the codec of the movie
soundChannels string [r/o] ‑‑ the number of audio channels in the movie
soundDataFormat string [r/o] ‑‑ the sound data format
soundSampleSize string [r/o] ‑‑ the sound sample size in bits
soundSampleRate string [r/o] ‑‑ the sound sample rate in kilohertz
Class system A system
Plural form:
systems
Elements:
extension by numeric index
graphicsCard by numeric index
storageDevice by numeric index
testResult by numeric index, by name
Properties:
systemVendor string [r/o] ‑‑ the vendor of the system
name string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the system
model string [r/o] ‑‑ the model number of the computer
processorType string [r/o] ‑‑ the CPU type
CPUSpeed string [r/o] ‑‑ the CPU speed in megahertz
busSpeed string [r/o] ‑‑ the bus speed in megahertz
romSize string [r/o] ‑‑ the size of the system ROM in kilobytes
addressingMode string [r/o] ‑‑ the addressing mode of the system
interleavedMem string [r/o] ‑‑ the memory access method of the system
memorySize string [r/o] ‑‑ the size of the installed RAM in kilobytes
virtualMemory string [r/o] ‑‑ has virtual memory?
L1Cache string [r/o] ‑‑ the size of the L1 cache in kilobytes
L2Cache string [r/o] ‑‑ the size of the installed L2 cache in kilobytes
diskCache string [r/o] ‑‑ the size of the disk cache in kilobytes
FPUtype string [r/o] ‑‑ the type of FPU in the system
MMUtype string [r/o] ‑‑ the type of MMU in the system
version string [r/o] ‑‑ the version of the system software
finder string [r/o] ‑‑ the version of the finder software
AppleTalk string [r/o] ‑‑ the AppleTalk state
FileSharing string [r/o] ‑‑ the FileSharing state
ModernMemoryManager string [r/o] ‑‑ has the Modern Memory Manager?
ramDiskSize string [r/o] ‑‑ size of the RAM disk in kilobytes
asyncCapable string [r/o] ‑‑ describes the asynchronous I/O capabilities of the system
comments string [r/o] ‑‑ general comments assocated with the tested system
selFPU string [r/o] ‑‑ the type of FPU used in testing
selDisk string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the disk volume used in testing
selGraphicsCard string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the graphics card used
selCDROM string [r/o] ‑‑ the name of the CD-ROM used in testing
stdMovieSource string [r/o] ‑‑ is the movie played from the selected CD-ROM or the hard disk?
custMovieAligned string [r/o] ‑‑ is the custom movie pixel aligned?
custMovieinRAM string [r/o] ‑‑ is the custom movie loaded into RAM before testing?
custMoviePlaybackSize string [r/o] ‑‑ what is the custom movie playback size?
End of Chapter

Part 6: Viewing, Analyzing, and Publishing Results

Chapter 19: Using the Results Window
Viewing results
80/20 on viewing results
Here’s the least you need to know to get the most out of viewing results:
•	After you run a test, MacBench automatically displays the result for that test in the Results window. The Results window shows the name of the test, the system name, and that system’s result for the test in a horizontal bar graph. 
•	When you first look at the Results window, the numbers may seem a little overwhelming. The most important thing to remember, however, is that with all results, bigger numbers mean better performance.
•	The Results window displays scores using either absolute or normalized numbers, bar graphs, and a 100% system. The Results window lets you judge, quickly and visually, how the systems compare to each other. 
•	By default, the MacBench base machine is set to 100% and all other loaded scores are displayed relative to 100%. You can easily change the 100% system to another system.
•	The main tests — which include the Processor and FPU tests, and the playback tests — return normalized scores. That is, the scores are unitless and are relative to the base machine’s score.
•	The inspection tests return absolute numbers. That is, the results are in units, such as kilobytes or kilopixels per second and are not reported relative to the base machine’s score.
•	You can display up to 30 results at one time (that’s 29 results you can add to the window, plus the Current System). You can also change the order of the displayed results. 
•	You can import results by using the File Open menu item or dragging and dropping. Then, with all your results loaded, you can print or export the entire Results window’s contents.
•	Whenever you add or remove results, MacBench automatically updates the Results window. 
Understanding the Results window
The Results window tells you how your Mac OS system performed MacBench’s tests compared to other systems or to different configurations of the same system. Longer bars and higher numbers in the Results window signify better, faster scores. Shorter bars and smaller numbers mean poorer, slower scores.

Results window terms and gadgets
Your first glance at the Results window may be overwhelming, what with all the lines and colors and text. But at its heart, the Results window is pretty simple. From left to right, the Results window tells you:
•	The name of each MacBench test in bold type (in the first column).
•	The system name (or results file name), indented under the test name (in the first column).
•	The result’s numerical score for that test (second column). If you have more than one system loaded in the Results window, MacBench displays each system’s score.
•	The numerical score translated as a bar graph (third column). The bar graph provides visual feedback on that result’s standing among the other results for that test. The longer the bar, the better the score.
•	A percentage indicating how each set of results compares to the 100% system’s results (third column). The higher the percentage, the better the score. By default, the 100% system is the base machine, but you can select a different 100% system.
Test names
By default, the Results window displays the following tests:
Processor
Floating Point
Disk 
Publishing Disk 
Graphics 
Lo-Res Publishing Graphics 
Hi-Res Publishing Graphics
CD-ROM
Frames Played - CinePak 1
Click on the right-pointing triangles next to the Disk, Graphics, CD-ROM, and Video test names to display all of the inspection tests under each heading.
Note	See “Hiding and showing test names“ on page 134 for information on quickly hiding and showing all test names.
In its standard display, MacBench shows all test names, even if you have only one result. However, checking the Display Tests Run option (or pressing the Tab key) makes MacBench show only those tests with results. 
You can set MacBench to show all of the tests every time you start MacBench. Refer to “Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65.
System names
Each row of the Results window contains one test name and then, below the test name, the system name(s). (The system names are the names of the results files you’ve loaded into MacBench.) When you first open MacBench you’ll only see two systems: the Current System and the Power Macintosh 6100/60; the 6100/60 is MacBench’s base machine and the default 100% system. For more information on the 100% system, see “100% system“ on page 132.
When you add a system to the Results window, MacBench adds the system name and its results as a new row.
MacBench always displays the Current System, leaving room for you to add 29 results to the Results window. 	MacBench can display a maximum of 30 systems at a time. MacBench orders the systems based on the order you loaded them into MacBench. (You can change the order of systems in the Results window if you like; see the section “Changing the order of displayed results“ on page 133.) 	
Current System
Current System refers to the computer currently running MacBench that may have unsaved results. MacBench lists the Current System first in the Results window. MacBench always displays the Current System label, even if there’s no score or result for the Current System.
Whenever you save results to a file, you’re saving the Current System’s results. After you save the results, MacBench clears all results for the Current System. Your saved results appear with the name you gave the results file.
As long as MacBench displays results for the Current System, you can re‑run the same test, or group of tests, again and again. Each time you re‑run a test, MacBench replaces the old result with the new result. After you save the Current System results, however, those results belong to the results file and no longer appear as the Current System results.
Bar graphs and grid lines
Each results bar has its own color to provide quick visual feedback. So if the 6100/60’s result is green for one test, each test in the Results window shows a green bar for the 6100/60’s result. 
Behind the bars are grid lines. The grid lines are there only to help you quickly judge the lengths of the bars. The lines expand or contract like an accordion based on the size of the Results window. Grid lines are a permanent part of the MacBench background and you can’t change them or select them.
Normalized scores
Even if you remove the 6100/60’s results from the Results window, MacBench normalizes the scores of the main tests against the 6100/60 scores.	The scores you see for MacBench’s main tests (the Processor and Floating Point tests and all the playback tests) are relative to the Power Macintosh 6100/60. Because benchmarks need a reference point for evaluating scores, we’ve made the 6100/60 scores the “norm” for all tests. We call the process of scaling the results to a specific reference point “normalizing.”	
The 6100/60’s scores for the main tests equal 100. So, if your Mac OS system returns a score of 20 on the Disk test, then its disk subsystem is twice as fast that of the base machine’s.
MacBench doesn’t normalize the results for the disk, graphics, and CD-ROM inspection tests; instead, MacBench reports the results in absolute numbers. MacBench returns the disk and CD-ROM test results as kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second and the graphics tests as kilopixels (1,000 pixels) per second.
100% system
By default MacBench uses the 6100/60 as the initial 100% system, the system against whose results MacBench compares all other systems’ results.
For example, if you load a result that is 200% to the 6100/60’s 100%, then you know that system is twice as fast as the 6100/60’s on that test. If you load a result whose score reads 50%, then you know that system scored only half as well as the 6100/60 did on the same test.
You can select a different 100% system, which changes the scale and percentage labels of the results bars. The numerical scores, however, remain unchanged and remain normalized to the 6100/60. See “Selecting a 100% system“ later in this chapter for instructions.
Adding results to the Results window
The Current System results, plus 29 results you can add, make up the 30-result limit.	You can have a maximum of 30 results files open at the same time; attempting to load more than 30 results generates an error message. These files can contain results from tests you ran previously on your Mac OS system or tests you ran on different systems.	
Use any one of the following procedures to add results to the Results window. 
From the Finder:
•	You can drag one or more results files to the MacBench icon. This method starts MacBench and loads the results files in the Results window. 
•	Double‑click on a results file to start MacBench. MacBench opens with that results file loaded in the Results window.
•	Double‑click on a results file to load the file while MacBench is running.
•	Drag one or more results files onto the MacBench icon while MacBench is running.
From the Results window:
Drag one or more results files to the Results window while MacBench is running. To load results from the Finder to the open Results window, you need to have the Drag and Drop extension installed and enabled. 
From the File menu:
1.	Select Open from the File menu or press Command-O.
2.	At the standard directory dialog box, select the results file you want to load, and click Open.
	You can select only one file at a time. The directory dialog box will not display the names of files you’ve already loaded.
3.	If you want to add more results, repeat steps 1‑2. 
	MacBench adds the scores from the results file(s) you select to the Results window. 
Changing the order of displayed results
You can easily change the position of results within the Results window. You might want to arrange the results for a test in ascending order, for example, to see the progression of scores for a specific test. Changing the order of displayed results for one test changes the order for all tests.
The Results window always keeps the Current System first in the list. 
To change the order of displayed results in the Results window: 
1.	Position the pointer over a results bar associated with the system you want to move. The pointer changes to a hand when you move it over the Results window. 
2.	Press the Option key; the cursor changes to include a symbol of a double-headed arrow. Click and hold on the results bar. 
3.	Drag that bar to another position in that test row.
	As you move the bar, an outline of the bar travels with the pointer and highlights each results bar it passes over.
4.	Position the outline so it highlights a results bar. Release the mouse button to place the results bar you’re moving above the highlighted results bar. 
	When you reposition a results bar, MacBench also changes the order of the results bars for all other tests in the Results window. The bar’s color doesn’t change. 
To put a results bar below the last results bar in the list:
1.	Drag the results bar to place it above the last results bar.
2.	Move the last results bar higher up in the list. 
Fit to window
Fit to Window dynamically scales the results bars so they stay within the limits of the Results window. If you’re loading lots of results at once, or even one at a time, Fit to Window automatically sizes the results bars so you can see their full length within the Results window.
After you select Fit to Window, look at the Scale box in the lower‑left corner of the Results window. MacBench shows the scale value in parenthesis. The parenthesis indicate that Fit to Window is active.
You can also use the File Preferences dialog box to make Fit to Window your default viewing option.
From the Results window: 
1.	Click on the Scale box in the lower‑left corner of the Results window to show the list of available viewing ratios.
2.	Select Fit to Window. 
	MacBench resizes the bars to fit within the Results window’s boundaries.
From the Graph menu:
1.	Select Scale from the Graph menu to display the submenu.
2.	From the submenu, select Fit to Window. 
	MacBench resizes the bars to fit within the Results window’s boundaries.
Hiding and showing test names
If you want, you can hide or display the names of all disk, graphics, CD-ROM, and video tests in the Results window. The following table describes how to perform these tasks.
If you want to	Do this	
Display a list of tests	Click the right‑pointing triangles located beside the Disk, Graphics, CD-ROM, and video test names.
When MacBench displays inspection tests, the triangle beside the test name points down.	
Quickly show all tests	Press the Option key and click on any right‑pointing triangle.	
Hide a list of tests	Click on a down‑pointing triangle. 
The list disappears and the triangle points to the right.	
Quickly hide all tests	Press the Command key and click on any down‑pointing triangle.
MacBench displays only the main tests.	
You can use the Preferences dialog box to tell MacBench to always display all the test names on startup or only the main tests.
Removing results from the Results window
If your Results window has become cluttered with results, you can wipe the slate clean by removing all results from the Results window at once or you can remove specific results one at a time.
Unloading results from the Results window isn’t the same as deleting the files from your machine’s hard disk. Removing results only clears the Results window of any results you don’t want to see. The results files remain on the hard disk.
From the Results window:
If you have the Drag and Drop and Clipping extensions installed and enabled, you can quickly remove all results files from the Results window.
1.	Place the pointer anywhere in the graphs area of the Results window that displays the grid lines and results bars. The pointer now looks like a hand.
	You don’t have to target your pointer over a results bar or a grid line. Anywhere in that part of the Results window will do.
2.	While pressing the mouse button, drag the pointer to the Trash. 
	An outline of a Results file travels with your pointer to the Trash can.
3.	Release the mouse button.
	The Trash can bulges and the Results window’s contents vanish from the Results window. MacBench wipes from the window all results bars, all scores, and all results file names. Emptying the trash deletes the text‑clipping file but doesn’t delete the results files from your Mac’s hard disk.
From the Graph menu:
•	To remove individual results files one at a time:
1.	Select the item Remove From Graph from the Graph menu. A submenu appears listing all the results files in the Results window.
2.	Select the results file you want to remove. MacBench removes the selected results file and updates the Results window.
•	To remove all results from the Results window, select Clear Graph from the Graph menu. MacBench removes all results files and updates the Results window. 
Selecting a 100% system
Even if you change 100% systems, MacBench always normalizes the scores of the main tests to the base machine’s scores.	You can have a maximum of 30 results files open at the same time; attempting to load more than 30 results generates an error message. These files can contain results from tests you ran previously on your Mac OS system or tests you ran on different systems. When you select a 100% system, MacBench sets that system’s results to 100% in the Results window and displays all other results as a percentage of the 100% system’s results. The numerical scores the systems received remain unchanged.
For example, when you’ve set the 100% system, the bar graph for a set of results that is faster (or better) than the 100% system’s will be greater than 100%, while the bar graph for a set of results that is slower (or worse) than the 100% system’s will be less than 100%.	
You should also note the following tidbits about 100% systems:
•	MacBench underlines the system name and score for the 100% System. 
•	If the 100% system has no score for a test, MacBench uses the next system’s score for that test. 
•	If a test has no scores, MacBench uses the Current System as the 100% system.
To specify or change the 100% system:
From the Graph menu:
1.	Select 100% System.
	MacBench displays a submenu listing the results files you have open, including the current results.
2.	Select the results file you want to use as the comparison system and release the mouse button.
From the Results window:
In the Score column (the second column from the left in the Results window), move the cursor over a score. The cursor changes to display a % sign (for 100% system). Hold down the Option key and click on the score to make that system the 100% system.
Sizing the Results window
You can have a maximum of 30 results files open at the same time; attempting to load more than 30 results generates an error message. These files can contain results from tests you ran previously on your Mac OS system or tests you ran on different systems.You can expand the Results window to fill the screen by clicking on the window’s zoom box. You can also resize the window using the size box. 
You can use the Preferences dialog box to tell MacBench to open the Results window to the size you left the window at the end of your last MacBench session.
View by Scale
Use the Graph menu’s Scale submenu to specifically adjust the size of the results bars within the Results window. Increasing the scale ratio (say, going from 2:1 to 10:1) decreases the size of the results bars in the window. The bar lengths remain proportional to the 100% system; only the degree of magnification changes.
This function works exactly the same as the Zoom In and Zoom Out boxes located at the bottom of the Results window. Only here, you’re selecting a specific viewing ratio rather than creeping up or down a step at a time.
From the Results window:
1.	Click and press the Scale box (located in the lower left corner of the Results window) to display the Scale pop-up menu. The default scale is 2:1.
2.	Select a ratio and release the mouse button.
From the Graph menu:
1.	Select Scale from the Graph menu to display the submenu.
2.	Select a ratio and release the mouse button.
What does the “1” in “2:1” mean?
In ratios like 2:1 and 5:1, what does the “1” stand for? The 1 represents the length in the Results window of the 100% system’s results bar plus the bar’s 100% label. At a scale of 1:1, a results bar with its 100% label nearly fills the width of the Results window. At 2:1, a 200% bar with its label now fills the Results window while the 100% bar is half the length of the 200% bar.
Zoom in, zoom out
Zooming in enlarges the results bars. By displaying a smaller amount of the graph in the same sized display, the graph becomes easier to read if two sets of results have very close scores. 
To use the Zoom In feature, do one of the following:
•	Select Zoom In from the Graph menu
•	Press Command‑]
•	Press the Zoom In button on the Results window
Zooming out shrinks the results bars. When you use the Zoom Out feature, MacBench shows you more of the graph in the same amount of space. To use the Zoom Out feature, do one of the following:
•	Select Zoom Out from the Graph menu
•	Press Command‑[
•	Press the Zoom Out button on the Results window
Viewing system information
For more detailed information, you should use the System Information windows or the system information recorded in the results files. For more information, refer to “Chapter 9: System Information“ on page 53.	You can view subsystem information for any Mac OS system that has results in the Results window.
In the Tests column (the first column on the left in the Results window), click and hold on a system name to display a pop‑up box. The pop‑up box displays the following information:
•	The system name (which is also the results file name).
•	Type of subsystem test you’re viewing information about (Processor, Floating Point, Disk, Graphics, CD-ROM, or Video).
•	System information relevant to that subsystem.	
Working with results
80/20 on working with results
•	MacBench stores both saved and exported results in a text file that any word processor or spreadsheet can read.
•	The results files are most useful when you want to compare the results collected from different machines or different configurations of the same machine. MacBench ships with several sample results files we collected from systems in our Research Center. Look in the Results folder where you installed MacBench. 
•	If you have several results files, you can drag and drop or import them into the Results window, and then export the entire Results window’s contents to a single file. 
Saving results
After MacBench finishes running a test or suite, it automatically displays the result(s) in the Results window. This means you can now save the results to a file. Remember: Whenever you save a file, you’re saving the Current System results. The Current System contains only unsaved results.
Saving results creates a text file containing the Current System results and the Current System’s hardware and software configuration, as reported in the System Information window. 
To save results to a results file:
1.	Choose Save from the File menu or press Command‑S. 
2.	When the directory dialog box appears, go to the folder where you want to save the results and enter a name for the results file.
	You can, if you like, save the results to MacBench’s Results folder, which holds many sample results files.
MacBench results file icon
	3.	Click on Save.
	MacBench clears the Current System of its results and places the saved results below the Current System. If you look in the Results folder, or wherever you saved the results, you’ll see a standard MacBench results file icon with the name you gave the results file.	
If you quit MacBench without saving results, MacBench displays a dialog box and asks if you want to save the unsaved results. You can click on a button or enter keyboard commands. Your choices are:
•	Don’t Save (D or Command-D): MacBench quits without saving the results. 
•	Cancel (Command‑. or Escape key): MacBench continues to run without saving results.
•	Save (Return or Enter): MacBench displays the Save dialog box so you can save the results.
Results file contents
A MacBench results file is a text file that spreadsheet programs or word processors can read and print out. To see an example of a results file, turn to “Appendix A: Base Machine Specifications“ on page 169.
A results file contain the following kinds of information:
•	The results file name.
•	MacBench version number.
•	The name and organization of the tester (you entered this information when you licensed and registered MacBench).
•	The date of the test.
•	All results for all tests.
•	System information, broken down by the same categories you’d see in the System Information window: General Info, Storage Devices, Display Devices, System Files, and Test Settings. The file also contains information on any movie clips MacBench played.
Note	For details on the system information recorded in the results files and export files, refer to “Chapter 9: System Information“ on page 53.
File‑naming suggestions
Giving your files a descriptive name is a good idea anyway, but it’s especially useful if you’re testing specific aspects of your system. For example, if you’re testing the effects of displaying a number of colors, then you’d want to save your results files as “Monitor‑2 colors,” “Monitor‑16 colors,” and “Monitor‑256 colors.”
Or, if you’re changing disk cache settings, you could name your files “Disk‑32KB cache,” “Disk‑64KB cache,” and “Disk‑128KB cache.”
Exporting results
You can easily export the entire contents of the Results window — including any hidden tests — to a text file that any spreadsheet or word processor can read and print out. The export file also contains the system information for all Mac OS systems in the Results window. (If you only want to examine one system’s result, then open that system’s results file in a spreadsheet or a word processor.)
The export file places each set of results side‑by‑side so the spreadsheet can sort the sets easily into rows and columns.
From the File menu:
To export results to a text file:
1.	Select Export from the File menu.
2.	At the dialog box, enter a name and destination for the export file and press OK.
	An icon for the text file appears. The text file now contains all results loaded into the Results window. The results bars and results remain in the Results window. 
From the Results window:
	Using this method, you can export the entire Results window contents by using drag and drop. 
1.	Place the cursor anywhere in the Results window. The cursor takes the shape of a hand.
2.	Drag the cursor to the Desktop or a folder. MacBench creates the export file.	
The Current System and exported results
You should note the following:
•	If the Results window contains only the Current System, then the export file contains only the Current System’s results and its system information. 
•	If the Results window contains two or more sets of results but the Current System has no results, then MacBench doesn’t include the Current System in the export file.
Differences between results files and export files
Export files are basically the same as results files. Both kinds of files contain exactly the same kinds of information and in the same order. The only differences between them are:
•	A results file stores and records only one set of results.
•	An export file can store up to 30 individual sets of results. These include 29 sets of results plus the Current System results.
•	MacBench can import results files but it cannot import export files.
Printing the Results window graph
You can print the Results window graph directly from MacBench if your Mac OS system has access to a printer. 
MacBench prints exactly what you see onscreen in the Results window. If the Results window is in standard display mode, then MacBench prints all displayed test names, whether results exist or not. If you’ve enabled the Display Tests Run option, then MacBench prints only those tests that have results. 
To print the contents of the Results window:
1.	Select Print Graph from the File menu or press Command‑P.
	The File menu also contains an option called Page Setup. If you need to change anything about your printer setup, select this option. Then select the Print Graph option.
2.	When the standard Print dialog box appears, select the options you want and click OK.
	How many pages MacBench prints depends on the size and complexity of the Results window. MacBench adjusts the printed Results window width to the paper width specified in the Page Setup dialog box. MacBench starts printing at the top of the Results window and works its way down.
End of Chapter

Chapter 20: What Do All These Numbers Mean?
80/20 on what the numbers mean
Use the following pointers as a starting place for interpreting your results.
1.	IMPORTANT: Bigger numbers and longer results bars mean better performance than smaller numbers and shorter results bars.
2.	MacBench’s Main Tests suite — consisting of the Processor, Floating Point, Disk, Graphics, and CD-ROM tests (if you have a CD-ROM drive) — gives you the overall numbers that tell you about the performance of your computer’s subsystems as compared to the MacBench base machine’s.
3.	The scores returned by the Main Tests suite are relative; they’re only meaningful when you compare them to the scores for the Power Macintosh 6100/60, MacBench’s base machine. Inspection tests, however, use specific units, such as kilobytes (1,024 bytes) per second for the disk tests or kilopixels (1,000 pixels) per second for the graphics tests.
4.	Don’t expect MacBench to diagnose what’s right or wrong about your Mac OS system’s performance. You have to judge MacBench’s scores in light of your setup and how you use your system every day.
5.	Think subsystems and not components. Getting a hard drive 10 times faster than your old one won’t increase your Disk score 10 times. This is because other disk subsystem components—such as the disk cache (and even other subsystems) — may still slow throughput. Nothing exists in a vacuum; the performance of every component and subsystem in a computer depends on the performance of other components and subsystems.
6.	If you have two Mac OS systems with unequal scores, and you feel the scores should be similar, use MacBench’s System Information window or each system’s results files to compare every aspect of their configuration and setup. Minimize the differences between the two machines as much as you can. Conduct tests that focus on changing only one component at a time. 
7.	Don’t compare MacBench 4.0 scores with those from previous versions of MacBench. MacBench 4.0 is a new product built using new technologies and its scores supersede all previous versions.
8.	Know what you’re looking for. What aspect of your Mac OS system’s performance matters most to you? How you use your Mac OS system every day should influence your MacBench testing. 
9.	If you’re still having problems, refer to “Chapter 24: Contacting ZDBOp Technical Support“ on page 161 for information on how to contact us. We might be able to suggest some strategies or offer some explanations that may help you.
10.	To make it easier to understand a Mac OS system’s results, you can choose a 100% system. When you select a 100% system, MacBench sets that machine’s results to 100% in the Results window and displays all other results as a percentage of the 100% system’s results.
11.	Remember, a Mac OS system’s configuration will affect its MacBench results. Comparing results for two machines with different configurations is at best a potentially confusing experience. For more information on how to make the most accurate comparison possible, see the section “Comparing results“ on page 144.
The units MacBench uses
MacBench has six different types of tests: processor, floating point, disk, graphics, CD-ROM, and video.
This type of test:	Produces results using this unit of measurement:	
Disk and CD-ROM inspection test (NOT the Disk or Publishing Disk tests)	Kilobytes/Sec (1,024 bytes per second)	
Graphics inspection test (NOT the Graphics or Publishing Graphics tests)	Kilopixels/Sec (1,000 pixels per second)	
Video test — Frames Played	Percentage	
Video test — Maximum Frame Rate	Frames/second	
The Processor, Floating Point, Disk, Publishing Disk, Graphics, Publishing Graphics and CD-ROM tests produce relative scores—the numbers are normalized, unitless numbers meaningful only when you compare them to the scores assigned to our base machine, a Power Macintosh 6100/60. We created the tests so the 6100/60 always scored a perfect 10 for each test. As you load results, you can see how your Mac OS system compares to the 6100/60.
Comparing results
When you compare benchmark results, you can make two main types of meaningful comparisons:
•	You can compare two similar machines to see which is faster.
•	You can change a component or setting within a Mac OS system to see how changing that component affects the system’s performance.
The following sections explain key issues you should consider in both these cases to make sure your comparison is valid.
Comparing two or more machines
You can use results for comparison in a couple of ways:
•	You can compare systems that have the same configurations to see which has the best performance.
•	You can compare systems that have different configurations to see how the differences affect performance.
When you’re comparing two similar Mac OS systems, you need to be aware of the hardware and software installed on each. Even seemingly minor differences in setup and configuration can really skew your interpretation of benchmark results.
To make sure the two systems whose results you want to compare have the same basic configurations, you should examine their results files. The results files contain the hardware and software configurations for each system.
When you’re comparing results for similar Mac OS systems, you should also make sure you’ve tested the systems in the same way. The easiest way to get the most accurate and repeatable results is to use a standard testing procedure (see “Chapter 7: Standard Testing Procedures“ on page 47). If you follow this procedure every time for each Mac OS system you test, you’ll be able to compare their results meaningfully.
Changing components or settings
If you want to compare benchmark results for a Mac OS system whose components you’ve changed, keep the following in mind:
•	Make sure the only change to the system is the component you’re trying to change.
•	Be sure to run the same test in the same way before and after you make the component change. For example, if you run the first test with no background applications loaded, be sure to run the second test the same way.
•	Verify that nothing in the system’s configuration changed other than the component you intentionally changed. (You can view the system’s configuration information using the System Information window or the results file.)
Why results differ
If you run the same MacBench test on your system repeatedly, you’ll get the same score almost all the time. The margin of error in the MacBench processor and graphics scores is about 3 percent. The margin of error is slightly higher for the disk tests, but remains under 5 percent. If you modify any of your Mac OS system’s subsystems, you probably will see a difference in results. 
Finding comparison results
After you run MacBench and have results, you have several options for places to find comparison results. This section explains where to find MacBench results to use for comparison.
Checking Ziff-Davis publications
A good way to determine how a Mac OS system compares to other Mac OS systems is to check published MacBench results in Ziff-Davis publications. Many ZD publications provide reviews that include MacBench performance results.
You can find published results in articles, comparative reviews, and other stories in such Ziff‑Davis publications as:
United States
MacUser®
MacWEEK®
Computer Lifeô
Computer Gaming Worldô
Computer ShopperÆ
Family PCô
Inter@ctive Weekô
PC WeekÆ
ZD Internet Lifeô
You can also find articles about Ziff-Davis benchmarks on Computer Library’s Computer SelectÆ CD-ROM, a database of computer-related product information.
Using on-line services
If you have a modem and some sort of communications software, you can access Ziff‑Davis’ on-line services:
•	ZD Net™/CompuServe® Edition (GO ZDNET) and the ZD Benchmark Forum (GO ZDBENCH)
•	ZD Net/World Wide Web Edition (http://www.zdnet.com)
Using the ZD Net forum, you can discuss benchmark results with other testers and with ZD’s benchmark developers.
End of Chapter

Chapter 21: What Can Affect Results
Your mileage may vary
Although some of the information in this chapter is tried‑and‑true, you’ll have to evaluate every piece in light of your own needs. Keep in mind the following questions as you read through the chapter: How hard do you really stress your Mac OS system? What applications do you use regularly? How do you use those applications? As you work with these applications daily, what subsystem do they stress the most?
Mac OS system “performance” is a highly subjective issue that can vary from one user to the next and from one system to the next. No book or manual can tell you what your computing needs are and whether your system’s current setup meets those needs. You need to decide that for yourself.
Measuring subsystems, not components
MacBench 4.0 measures the performance of subsystems, not the performance of individual components. For example, the hard disk is part of the disk subsystem and does not affect the results for graphics tests. So, instead of talking about individual components, it makes more sense to talk about a Mac OS system’s subsystems and what composes those subsystems.
Although MacBench’s tests attempt to measure the performance of individual subsystems, all these tests must run on the processor. Thus, the processor subsystem necessarily affects results for every test. In our testing, we’ve also noted that the disk subsystem tends to be the bottleneck for most business systems.
As we see it, a Mac OS system has the following basic subsystems: processor (including the floating point unit), disk, graphics, and CD-ROM. The next sections discuss each individual subsystem, enumerating the components in each subsystem, and describes factors that may affect test results.
The processor subsystem
We consider the components of the processor subsystem to include:
•	CPU
•	FPU
•	RAM
•	Any L1 or L2 cache
•	Bus architecture
•	Any CPU accelerator card
Factors about the processor subsystem that can affect MacBench’s results include:
•	The CPU model and clock speed. As a rule of thumb, the faster the CPU, the better.
•	Bus speed.
•	How memory is interleaved.
•	Does the CPU process data in 16‑, 32‑bit, or 64-bit chunks and do its peripherals talk to the CPU in 16‑, 32‑bit, or 64-bit chunks. The more information the processor can send, the faster the whole computer will seem to run.
Within a processor family, processor test scores won’t be too different from each other. For example, all 68040 processors running at the same speed will score about the same on the Processor Test. 
Of course, faster processors outperform slower ones, and more powerful processors score better than lower‑powered processors. FPU scores also tend to be stable across families of Mac OS systems, but a hardware FPU outscores a software FPU every time. 
Go to ZD Net/CompuServe Edition’s Mac OS section and download the Macintosh Catalog to view the clock speed and bus width recorded for many different models of Macintosh computers. For information on ZD Net, refer to “Chapter 24: Contacting ZDBOp Technical Support“ on page 161.
Note	For the purpose of MacBench’s tests, the disk, graphics, and CD-ROM subsystems also include the processor subsystem (CPU, memory, cache, and bus) because the processor subsystem executes the tests and, thus, affects results.
The disk subsystem
The disk subsystem includes your Mac OS system’s:
•	Hard disk type
•	SCSI interface
•	SCSI software
•	Disk cache software
•	Disk compression software
•	Bus used to carry information to and from the processor subsystem
Whether you have enough room on the hard disk and whether the hard disk is fragmented are also important factors in your system’s disk performance.
Factors about the disk subsystem that can affect a Mac OS system’s performance include:
•	Presence of a hardware disk cache and its size.
•	Presence of a software disk cache and its size.
•	Amount of available free disk space.
•	Whether the software disk cache is caching writes.
	Disk subsystem performance generally improves when caching writes.
•	Disk compression, which may slow performance.
•	Operating system software.
•	The amount of free disk space on the hard disk.
•	Whether the hard disk is fragmented.
	We recommend you defragment a Mac OS system’s hard disk each time you run any MacBench disk test. You can use any software defragmenting utility to defragment your system’s hard disk. A defragmenting utility gathers all the separate parts of a fragmented file and sequentially orders them.
The graphics and video subsystem
Your Mac OS system’s graphics and video subsystem includes:
•	Monitor
•	Graphics card
•	Any QuickDraw‑ or graphics‑accelerator cards
•	Display driver
•	Bus used to carry information to and from the processor subsystem
You should remember two important facts about your Mac OS system’s graphics subsystem.
•	CPU performance directly affects graphics subsystem performance, because the CPU handles many QuickDraw instructions.
•	The bus, which shuttles graphics information between the graphics adapter and the CPU, can directly affect graphics subsystem performance. 
Factors about the graphics subsystem that can affect MacBench results include:
•	Graphics card
•	Amount of graphics RAM (video RAM)
•	Display driver software
•	Number of colors the monitor’s displaying
•	Monitor’s resolution; we usually test monitors set at a 640‑by‑480 resolution
•	Presence of any QuickDraw or other graphics accelerator cards
The CD-ROM subsystem
Your Mac OS system’s CD-ROM subsystem includes:
•	CD-ROM drive
•	Adapter to which the drive is connected
•	Software drivers it requires to operate
•	Any disk caches
•	Bus used to carry information from the controller to and from the processor subsystem
Factors about the CD-ROM subsystem that can affect MacBench results include:
•	Presence of a hardware CD-ROM cache and its size.
•	Presence of a software CD-ROM cache and its size.
•	Operating system software.
•	Clean the CD-ROM.
Testing tips
The following sections summarize a number of general performance enhancements that may improve your MacBench scores. Keep in mind, however, that many of these tips may conflict with the way you use your Mac OS system day‑to‑day. For example, the tip that recommends using black‑and‑white instead of color is clearly impractical if you need to work in color.
You may first want to test your Mac OS system as it’s currently configured and see the results you get. Then, follow these tips to see the highest possible scores your Mac OS system can achieve and compare the two sets of results. 
It may seem unnatural to set your machine to some of the following settings to get a good score. But a good MacBench score signifies good Mac OS system performance. This exercise tells you whether your system’s performance improved and that’s good knowledge to have, even when you use your everyday setup.
The way to get the best, most accurate, and repeatable results is to follow the same standard testing procedure each time you run MacBench. For more information, refer to “Chapter 7: Standard Testing Procedures“ on page 47.
General performance tips
•	Rebuild the desktop file at least monthly. To do this, press Command‑option as your Mac OS system boots up. 
•	Reboot your Mac OS system each time before you run MacBench.
•	Stop any background tasks, such as screen savers or network applications, before you run MacBench. 
•	If your Mac OS system has a 68040 CPU, enable the processor cache.
•	Close all other open applications before you run MacBench.
•	Avoid moving the mouse or pressing keys while MacBench runs its tests.
Processor subsystem tips
•	Enable processor caches.
•	Remove any control panels, extensions, fonts, sounds, etc. you don’t need. All of these programs drag down your system. Use a font‑management utility to load only the fonts you need when you need them. 
•	Reduce memory overhead by disabling processes such as automatic network connection utilities and application start‑up utilities.
•	If you’re using your Mac OS system for processor‑intensive work, get a CPU accelerator to cope with the heavier processing demands.
Disk subsystem tips
The following paragraphs list tips for your Mac OS system’s disk subsystem.
•	For best performance, the hard disk partition where you run MacBench should contain as much contiguous free disk space as possible. Defragment the hard disk before you begin testing.
•	Increase or decrease the cache size as needed to fine-tune your system’s performance. First, adjust the disk cache setting in the Memory control panel so your system uses less RAM for the cache, giving the system more memory of its own to use. (This can boost MacBench results under some conditions.) Then, increase the amount and see how the results change.
•	Disk compression programs may slow disk subsystem performance.
Graphics subsystem tips
The following paragraphs list tips for your Mac OS system’s graphics subsystem.
•	Reduce the number of colors you use.
•	Be aware that small monitors test faster than larger ones.
•	Use a QuickDraw accelerator card to speed up screen redraws. 
•	Get extra graphics RAM if you have a large monitor and work with lots of colors.
•	Find an optimum monitor resolution. We usually test monitors set at 640‑by‑480.
Video subsystem tips
The following paragraphs list tips for your Mac OS system’s video subsystem.
•	On Power Mac systems, turn virtual memory off.
•	In most cases, you should play all clips directly from the CD-ROM when measuring system performance. If you want to measure graphics adapter performance in a graphics card roundup (leaving the rest of the system constant), you should copy the clips to the test system’s hard disk to eliminate any bottlenecks introduced by the CD-ROM drive.

Network client software
A typical network client spends some CPU time processing network data packets at interrupt level even when applications on the client aren’t using the network. High volumes of such packets (such as network broadcasts) can reduce MacBench’s results by consuming system resources during the test. Turning off AppleTalk can eliminate this drag but isolate you on the network.
If you run MacBench across a network, try to do so in an isolated test network or when the volume of network traffic is low.
End of Chapter

Chapter 22: Publishing Results
What the license agreement requires
The MacBench license agreement requires you to include certain information about your Mac OS system with any MacBench results you publish. So, if you publish your MacBench results, you would need to say something similar to:
Ziff‑Davis’ MacBench® 4.0 produced a Processor score of 39.89 using an Appleâ Macintosh Quadra® 900 with 32KB external RAM cache, WXY Corp. 33‑MHz 68040 XYZ CPU accelerator, 8MB of RAM, and 80MB hard disk. The test MacÆ OS system used an Apple Macintosh® 21‑inch Color Display using on‑board graphics with 1MB of VRAM and running at 1152 by 870 pixels with 256 colors. The test Mac OS system used System 7.5 with 32KB System 7.5 disk cache, and with the disk compression utility ABC version 1 enabled. The test Mac OS system used an AppleCD™ 300 drive, XYZ Corp. CD-ROM controller, with no controller RAM cache and no CD-ROM specific software cache. All products used in this test were shipping versions available to the general public, and the test and its results were not verified by Ziff‑Davis.

MacBench® is a registered trademark of Ziff‑Davis Publishing Co.
You can find most of this information in MacBench’s System Information window. For instructions on how to look at this information, see “Chapter 9: System Information“ on page 53. You can also use the system information recorded in the results files, which are described in “Results file contents“ on page 139.
Re-reading the license agreement
To reread the MacBench license agreement:
·	Look at the front of this manual.
·	Read the Read Me file. There’s a Read Me icon in the MacBench® 4.0 folder.
End of Chapter

Part 7: Troubleshooting and Technical Support

Chapter 23: Troubleshooting a Problem
Introduction
Normally, MacBench 4.0 runs without problems. Occasionally, however, you may encounter a problem when you install or run MacBench. This chapter gives you some basic information about what to do if you encounter problems running MacBench.
Note	If you have a problem and can’t resolve it after reading this chapter, fill out a Problem Report Form and send it to MacBench Technical Support as described in “Chapter 24: Contacting ZDBOp Technical Support“ on page 161. You can find a Problem Report Form at the back of this manual and on ZD Net/CompuServe Edition in the ZD Benchmark forum (GO ZDBENCH).
What MacBench does when it encounters an error
Normally, if MacBench encounters a problem while running a test, MacBench marks that test as “Failed” and continues to the next test. When MacBench displays results in the Results window, MacBench doesn’t display results for tests it didn’t complete.
Tracking persistent errors
If you receive error messages and can’t resolve them using the information in this chapter, please follow these instructions:
1.	Write down the exact message (including error numbers and any file names) that appears on your system’s screen.
2.	Note what MacBench was doing at the time you received the message (if you know).
3.	Note how you were using MacBench. Note also what other applications were running at the time of the error, what your startup files were, and so on. If you have a MacBench results file for your Mac OS system, please send a copy to us.
4.	Fill out the Problem Report Form at the back of this manual and send it to MacBench Technical Support as described in “Chapter 24: Contacting ZDBOp Technical Support“ on page 161.
General troubleshooting tips
The following tips cover most of the errors you might see when running MacBench:
Files are inaccessible or don’t exist
If you receive error messages indicating that files are inaccessible or don’t exist, check the following conditions:
•	Is there enough free hard disk space for MacBench to create its files (such as test files, results files, export files, Preferences file, etc.)?
•	If you’ve enabled disk compression, is the disk compression product overestimating the compression ratio?
•	Is the disk MacBench is writing to write‑protected?
Low memory conditions
In some cases, your Mac OS system may not have enough memory to run the tests. For example, the system may run out of memory after running the CopyBits graphics test on a system with a high bit depth. In this case, increase the Preferred memory size in MacBench’s Get Info box.
Types of MacBench error messages
MacBench’s error messages are full and complete. They tell you what’s gone wrong and what you should do to recover from the error. Because the error messages are so complete, we won’t repeat them here. However, we will explain the classes of errors you may see and how to work around them. If you repeatedly see the same error over and over, refer to the section “Tracking persistent errors“ earlier in this chapter.
Internal errors
Internal errors may mean the MacBench application is damaged. If you see an internal error, restart your Mac OS system and re-install MacBench.
Low memory
To fight low memory errors, you should first quit MacBench and then restart it. If that doesn’t work, bump up MacBench’s Preferred memory size. For more information, refer to “Low memory conditions“ earlier in this chapter.
Insufficient disk space
You might see this error if the hard drive is maxed out and needs more free space. Delete files on the target drive to free up at least 126MB of space for the Disk and Publishing Disk tests or try running the test on a different drive.
File errors
Files errors can occur if MacBench can’t access the file because it doesn’t have read or write access to the file or the folder, or if the file doesn’t exist. You might get this error, for example, if MacBench can’t create a results file because it doesn’t have write access to a drive or folder. 
Compatibility errors
You’ll see these errors if MacBench tries to open a file that isn’t a MacBench results or test suite file. Make sure the file you want to open or access is a MacBench file.
Preferences file
There are a few errors that can occur when the MacBench Preferences file becomes damaged or unreadable. In most cases, you can delete the file or MacBench will delete it on its own; MacBench generates a new one when you start the program again. This means you’ll have to wade through the licensing and registration screens again.
When the Preferences file is deleted, any preferences you set in the Preferences dialog box are lost. When MacBench creates the new Preferences file, the MacBench Preferences are set to the defaults.
End of Chapter

Chapter 24: Contacting ZDBOp Technical Support
I just found a bug. What do I do?
No software is completely bug-free, but we’ve done extensive testing to make the benchmarks as bug-free as possible.
You should first read the benchmark’s documentation to make sure the test system meets the minimum requirements to run the benchmark and you’re running the benchmark correctly. 
If you continue to have trouble, send a Problem Report Form to MacBench 4.0 Technical Support at ZDBOp. You can find a Problem Report Form on ZD Netô/World Wide Web Edition (http://www.zdnet.com/zdbop), in ZD Net/CompuServeÆ Edition (GO ZDBOP), and in the benchmark’s documentation. 
We can answer your questions more quickly if you use e-mail. Fill out the form and send it via e-mail to zdbopwebmaster@zd.com.
Information we’d like from you
When you have a problem, it’s most helpful to us if you provide the following information:
•	Exactly what was the benchmark doing when the problem occurred (if you know)?
•	If there were any dialog boxes or messages on the screen, what were they?
•	When you started the test, did the benchmark display its Warning dialog box? If so, which items in the box were checked?
•	Can you reproduce the problem?
•	Can you send us the test system’s results file? The file contains lots of configuration information about the benchmark and your system. You can fax this information to us or you can include it in a message on ZD Net.
The Problem Report Form provides space for you to answer these questions. If you don’t want to send in a Problem Report Form, please include the above information in any communications you send to us.

Problem Report Form
Information about you:
Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________
Company: _________________________________________________________________
E-mail address: _____________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________ Fax: ________________________________
Benchmark you’re using: _____________________________________________________
A description of the Mac OS system (please include the full results file information if possible):
Example:	Apple® Macintosh® IIci with 32KB external RAM cache, WXY Corp. 33‑MHz 68040 XYZ CPU accelerator, 8MB of RAM, and 80MB hard disk, System 7.5, 32KB System 7.1 disk cache, disk compression utility ABC version 1 enabled

Details of the problem:
What is the problem, and what did the benchmark do just before the problem occurred

What message was in the status bar at the bottom of the benchmark’s main window 

Can you reproduce the problem? ______
Other comments:

Please return this form:		
E-mail to:	zdbopwebmaster@zd.com		

Chapter 25: Getting Copies of the Benchmarks
How can I get a Ziff-Davis benchmark program?
If you have a modem and communications software, you can download ZD’s publicly available benchmarks from the following Ziff-Davis online services:
•	ZD Netô/World Wide Web Edition (http://www.zdnet.com/zdbop)
•	ZD Net/MacÆ (GO ZMAC) or ZDBOp (GO ZDBENCH) forums on ZD Net/CompuServeÆ Edition
You need the MacÆ OS Benchmark CD-ROM to run MacBench’s CD-ROM and video tests.	The online version doesn’t, however, contain the graphics, CD-ROM, or video performance tests for MacBench 4.0; those tests and the files they require are too large for downloading. 
If you’d like a copy of the CD-ROM that contains a complete version of MacBench 4.0, ZDBOp will mail you a copy for a $5 (US), $6 (Canada), or $7 (International) shipping and handling fee. 	
You can order a benchmark in several ways:
•	You can send credit card information and a list of the benchmarks you want via e-mail to zdbop_distribution@zd.com or via fax to 919-380-2879.
•	Or you can send a check or money order, with a copy of the Benchmark Request Form to
	Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation
1001 Aviation Parkway, Suite 400
Morrisville, NC 27560
ATTN: Distribution
Please include with all requests your name, address, phone number, VISA or MasterCard number, and the fact that you want the 1997 PC Benchmarks CD-ROM and are willing to pay the shipping and handling fee. 
Please allow four to six weeks for the CD-ROM to arrive. If you want to receive it sooner and you have a Federal Express account, include your Federal Express account number and shipping instructions. ZDBOp will send the CD-ROM to you via Federal Express and charge the shipping cost to your account.

Benchmark Request Form
The shipping and handling fee for the first CD-ROM is $5 (US), $6 (Canada), or $7 (International). If you order more than one CD-ROM, the charge is $1 for each additional CD-ROM after the initial charge.
Please indicate how many products you want:
___Ziff-Davis PC Benchmarks CD-ROM 
Contains WinstoneÆ 97 and WinBenchÆ 97 for desktop PCs.

___Ziff-Davis Server Benchmarks CD-ROM 
Contains NetBenchÆ for file servers with DOS, 32-bit WindowsÆ, 16-bit Windows, and MacÆ OS system clients, ServerBenchÆ for client/servers for the server platforms NetWareÆ 4.1 and NetWare 4.1 SMP; OS/2Æ Warp Server; SCO OpenServerô Release 5; SCOÆ UnixWareÆ; and Windows NTô Server 3.51 using Digitalô Alphaô, MIPSÆ, PowerPCô, and x86-compatible processors, and WebBenchô for Web servers.

___Ziff-Davis Macintosh Benchmarks CD-ROM 
Contains MacBenchÆ for MacÆ OS and Power MacintoshÆ systems. 

___BatteryMarkô software (two diskettes) 
BatteryMark measures battery life on notebook computers running WindowsÆ 95.

___ZDigitô II hardware 
The ZDigit II is required hardware to run the BatteryMark test. (One ZDigit II costs $300; 2-9 cost $250 each; 10 and over cost $200 each.) 
Pricing chart:
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	
CD-ROM (US)	$5	$6	$7	$8	$9	$10	$11	$12	$13	$14	
CD-ROM (Can.)	$6	$7	$8	$9	$10	$11	$12	$13	$14	$15	
CD-ROM (Int.)	$7	$8	$9	$10	$11	$12	$13	$14	$15	$16	
ZDigit II	$300	$500	$750	$1,000	$1,250	$1,500	$1,750	$2,000	$2,250	$2,000	
Method of payment:
__MasterCard		Card number:___________________________________
__VISA		Expiration date:__________________________________
__American Express		
Your name as it appears on the card:______________________________________________________________
YOUR TOTAL ORDER: $___________
Please send these products to:
Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Company: _________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________
City: ________________________________ State: _________________ Zip: ___________
Country: __________________________________________________________________
Telephone: ______________________________ FAX: _____________________________
We answer requests in the order we receive them. We ship all benchmarks via 3rd‑class U.S Mail. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. For faster shipment, provide your Federal Express or Airborne Express account information below:
Your Federal Express account number: __________________________________________
Your Airborne Express account number: __________________________________________
Check one:	___ priority overnight 	___ standard overnight 	___ economy two-day
Please fax this form to (919) 380-2879, or
mail to:
	Distribution Coordinator
Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation
1001 Aviation Parkway, Suite 400
Morrisville, NC 27560

Appendix A: Base Machine Specifications
About the base machine specs
MacBench uses a base machine against whose scores it compares all other scores. MacBench’s base machine is the Power Macintosh 6100/60. 
By default MacBench uses the 6100/60 as the initial 100% system—the set of results against which it compares all other sets of results. MacBench compares any system you load to the 6100/60 score and then gives the loaded results a score relative to the 6100/60.
This appendix lists the specifications of the 6100/60 MacBench 3.0 uses as the base machine: its MacBench scores and its setup and configuration information. This information is reformatted directly from the 6100/60’s MacBench results file.
Note	We based the MacBench base machine on the configuration of the Power Macintosh 6100/60 as it was shipped at the time we developed MacBench. By the time MacBench 4.0 is produced and released, the Power Macintosh 6100/60 configuration may change.
Test System:   	Power Macintosh 6100/60
MacBench Version:	MacBenchÆ 4.0
Name:      	Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation
Organization:  	Ziff-Davis Publishing
Test Date:    	Wednesday, November 13, 1996 11:08:13 AM

Test Name	Result	Units
Processor Tests:
Processor:	100	score

Floating Point Tests:
Floating Point:	100	score

Disk Tests:
Disk:	100	score
Publishing Disk:	100	score
Sequential Read 512:	Test not run
Sequential Read 1K:	Test not run
Sequential Read 32K:	Test not run
Sequential Read 64K:	Test not run
Sequential Read 128K:	Test not run
Sequential Read 1024K:	Test not run
Custom Seq Rd 1024:	Test not run
Random Read 512:	Test not run
Random Read 1K:	Test not run
Random Read 32K:	Test not run
Random Read 64K:	Test not run
Random Read 128K:	Test not run
Random Read 1024K:	Test not run
Custom Ran Rd 1024:	Test not run
Sequential Write 512:	Test not run
Sequential Write 1K:	Test not run
Sequential Write 32K:	Test not run
Sequential Write 64K:	Test not run
Sequential Write 128K:	Test not run
Sequential Write 1024K:	Test not run
Custom Seq Wr 1024:	Test not run
Random Write 512:	Test not run
Random Write 1K:	Test not run
Random Write 32K:	Test not run
Random Write 64K:	Test not run
Random Write 128K:	Test not run
Random Write 1024K:	Test not run
Custom Ran Wr 1024:	Test not run

Graphics Tests:
Graphics:	100	score
Lo-Res Publishing Graphics:	100	score
Hi-Res Publishing Graphics:	100	score
EraseArc:	Test not run
FillArc:	Test not run
FrameArc:	Test not run
InvertArc:	Test not run
PaintArc:	Test not run
CopyBits - srcCopy:	Test not run
CopyBits - srcOr:	Test not run
CopyBits - srcBic:	Test not run
CopyBits - srcXor:	Test not run
CopyBits - notSrcCopy:	Test not run
CopyBits - notSrcOr:	Test not run
CopyBits - notSrcBic:	Test not run
CopyBits - notSrcXor:	Test not run
CopyBits - addOver:	Test not run
CopyBits - addPin:	Test not run
CopyBits - subOver:	Test not run
CopyBits - subPin:	Test not run
CopyBits - adMax:	Test not run
CopyBits - adMin:	Test not run
CopyBits - blend:	Test not run
CopyBits - transparent:	Test not run
CopyBits - hilite:	Test not run
CopyBits - CopyMask:	Test not run
CopyBits - CopyDeepMask:	Test not run
CB - DrawPicture:	Test not run
CB - DrawPicture (scaled):	Test not run
CB - ScrollRect:	Test not run
LineTo - Horizontal:	Test not run
LineTo - Vertical:	Test not run
LineTo - Diagonal:	Test not run
EraseOval:	Test not run
FillOval:	Test not run
FrameOval:	Test not run
InvertOval:	Test not run
PaintOval:	Test not run
ErasePoly:	Test not run
FillPoly:	Test not run
FramePoly:	Test not run
InvertPoly:	Test not run
PaintPoly:	Test not run
EraseRect:	Test not run
FillRect:	Test not run
FrameRect:	Test not run
InvertRect:	Test not run
PaintRect:	Test not run
EraseRgn:	Test not run
FillRgn:	Test not run
FrameRgn:	Test not run
InvertRgn:	Test not run
PaintRgn:	Test not run
EraseRoundRect:	Test not run
FillRoundRect:	Test not run
FrameRoundRect:	Test not run
InvertRoundRect:	Test not run
PaintRoundRect:	Test not run
DrawChar:	Test not run
DrawString:	Test not run
DrawText:	Test not run

CD-ROM Tests:
CD-ROM:	100	score
CD Sequential Read 512:	Test not run
CD Sequential Read 1K:	Test not run
CD Sequential Read 32K:	Test not run
CD Sequential Read 64K:	Test not run
CD Sequential Read 128K:	Test not run
CD Sequential Read 1024K:	Test not run
Custom CD Seq Rd 1024:	Test not run
CD Random Read 512:	Test not run
CD Random Read 1K:	Test not run
CD Random Read 32K:	Test not run
CD Random Read 64K:	Test not run
CD Random Read 128K:	Test not run
CD Random Read 1024K:	Test not run
Custom CD Ran Rd 1024:	Test not run

Video Tests:
Frames Played - CinePak 1:	Test not run
Frames Played - CinePak 2:	Test not run
Frames Played - Motion JPEG-A:	Test not run
Frames Played - Uncompressed:	Test not run
Custom Frames Played:	Test not run
Max Frame Rate - CinePak 1:	Test not run
Max Frame Rate - CinePak 2:	Test not run
Max Frame Rate - Motion JPEG-A:	Test not run
Max Frame Rate - Uncompressed:	Test not run
Custom Max Frame Rate:	Test not run

General Information:
System Vendor:	Apple Computer
Model:	Power Macintosh 6100/60
Processor Type:	PowerPC 601
Processor Speed (MHz):	60.0
Bus Speed (MHz):	30.00
ROM Size (KB):	4096
Addressing Mode:	32-bit
Interleaved Memory:	unknown
Memory Size (KB):	16384
Virtual Memory (KB):	1272
L1 Cache Size:	32KB unified
L2 Cache Size (KB):	0
Disk Cache Size (KB):	512
FPU Type:	601 Built-in FPU
MMU Type:	601 Built-in MMU
System Version:	7.5.5 (Update 2.0.6)
Finder Version:	7.5.5
AppleTalk State:	Inactive
File Sharing:	Off
Modern Memory Manager:	Active
RAM Disk (KB):	Off
Async I/O Capable:	Yes, in ROM

Storage Devices:
Volume Name:	6100/60 (SCSI ID 0)
Device Type:	Direct-Access
Vendor:	QUANTUM
Product Model Number:	LPS270S
Revision Number:	590A
Driver/Formatter:	unknown
Driver/Formatter Version:	unknown
Capacity (MB):	258
Number of Cylinders:	2740
Number of Heads:	2
Sectors per Track:	125
Bytes per Sector:	512
Interleave:	1
Boot Volume:	Yes

Volume Name:	MacBenchÆ 4.0 CD (SCSI ID 3)
Device Type:	Read-Only Direct-Access
Vendor:	MATSHITA
Product Model Number:	CD-ROM CR-8004
Revision Number:	1.0p
Driver/Formatter:	unknown
Driver/Formatter Version:	unknown
Capacity (MB):	--
Number of Cylinders:	--
Number of Heads:	--
Sectors per Track:	--
Bytes per Sector:	--
Interleave:	--
Boot Volume:	No

Display Devices:
Graphics Card Name:	Built-in AV Video
Graphics Card Driver:	unknown
Graphics Card Driver Version:	unknown
Card Slot:	$E
Graphics Memory (KB):	unknown
Resolution (pixels):	1152 x 870
Dot Pitch (mm):	0.33 x 0.33
Current Bit Depth:	8

Movies:
Movie Name:	160x120 CinePak
Original Frame Rate (fps):	15.00
Original Duration (seconds):	30.00
Average Data Rate (KB/s):	117.11
Original Size (pixels):	160 x 120
Pixel Depth (bits/pixel):	24
Codec:	Cinepak (1.1)
Sound Channels:	1
Sound Data Format:	Raw
Sound Sample Size (bits):	8
Sound Sample Rate (KHz):	22.05

Movie Name:	320x240 CinePak
Original Frame Rate (fps):	15.00
Original Duration (seconds):	30.00
Average Data Rate (KB/s):	357.92
Original Size (pixels):	320 x 240
Pixel Depth (bits/pixel):	24
Codec:	Cinepak (1.1)
Sound Channels:	1
Sound Data Format:	Raw
Sound Sample Size (bits):	8
Sound Sample Rate (KHz):	22.05

Movie Name:	240x180 Motion JPEG-A
Original Frame Rate (fps):	30.00
Original Duration (seconds):	30.00
Average Data Rate (KB/s):	1014.08
Original Size (pixels):	240 x 180
Pixel Depth (bits/pixel):	24
Codec:	Motion JPEG A (1.1)
Sound Channels:	1
Sound Data Format:	Raw
Sound Sample Size (bits):	8
Sound Sample Rate (KHz):	22.05

Movie Name:	240x180 Uncompressed
Original Frame Rate (fps):	30.00
Original Duration (seconds):	15.00
Average Data Rate (KB/s):	3969.14
Original Size (pixels):	240 x 180
Pixel Depth (bits/pixel):	24
Codec:	None
Sound Channels:	2
Sound Data Format:	Twos Complement
Sound Sample Size (bits):	16
Sound Sample Rate (KHz):	44

System Files:
Control Panel:	Apple Menu Options (1.1.2)
Control Panel:	Auto Power On/Off (1.0)
Control Panel:	Color (7.1)
Control Panel:	Date & Time (7.5)
Control Panel:	Extensions Manager (3.0.3)
Control Panel:	File Sharing Monitor (7.1)
Control Panel:	General Controls (7.5.7)
Control Panel:	Keyboard (7.5.1)
Control Panel:	Labels (7.1)
Control Panel:	Launcher (2.8)
Control Panel:	Macintosh Easy Open (1.1.2)
Control Panel:	MacTCP (2.0.6)
Control Panel:	MacTCP DNR
Control Panel:	Map (7.5)
Control Panel:	Memory (7.5.5)
Control Panel:	Monitors (7.5.5)
Control Panel:	Mouse (7.5.4)
Control Panel:	Network (3.0.3)
Control Panel:	Numbers (7.1)
Control Panel:	PC Exchange (2.0.5)
Control Panel:	QuickTimeô Settings (2.5)
Control Panel:	Sharing Setup (7.1)
Control Panel:	Sound (8.0.5)
Control Panel:	Speech (1.4.1)
Control Panel:	Startup Disk (7.5.2)
Control Panel:	Text (7.1)
Control Panel:	Users & Groups (7.1)
Control Panel:	Views (7.1)
Control Panel:	WindowShade (1.3.1)
Extension:	EM Extension (3.0.3)
Extension:	Apple CD-ROM (5.1.7)
Extension:	Apple Guide (2.0.2)
Extension:	AppleScriptô (1.0.1)
Extension:	Color Picker (2.0.1)
Extension:	File Sharing Extension (7.6.2)
Extension:	Find File Extension (1.1.1)
Extension:	Foreign File Access (5.1)
Extension:	PowerPC Monitors Extension (7.5)
Extension:	Printer Share (1.1.3)
Extension:	QuickTimeô (2.5)
Extension:	QuickTimeô Musical Instruments (2.5)
Extension:	QuickTimeô PowerPlug (2.5)
Extension:	Shared Library Manager (2.0)
Extension:	Shared Library Manager PPC (2.0)
Extension:	Sound Manager (3.2.1)
Extension:	Speech Manager (1.4)
Extension:	AppleVision (1.0.4)
Script Extension:	WorldScriptô Power Adapter (7.5.3)

Test Settings:
Selected FPU:	Hardware FPU
Selected Hard Disk:	6100/60 (SCSI ID 0)
Selected Graphics Card:	Built-in AV Video
Selected CD-ROM:	MacBenchÆ 4.0 CD (SCSI ID 3)
Standard Movies Source:	CD-ROM
Custom Movie Aligned:	n/a
Custom Movie In RAM:	n/a
Custom Movie Playback Size:	n/a

Comments:

Notes:
End of Appendix A

Acknowledgments
And great big thank yous to--
Numerous people worked together to create MacBench 4.0. Members of the primary development team are:
Michael E. Brown	Technical Documentation
Scott D. Lane		MacBench Development Leader
Eric V. Curtis		MacBench Developer
Sterling C. Augustine	MacBench Developer
Other people who contributed to the MacBench code are:
Edward Henning
Ben Mickaelian
Dave Morey
Thanks to the following vendors who generously loaned equipment we used during our benchmark testing period:
Apple Computer, Inc.
ATI Technologies, Inc.
CharisMac Engineering, Inc.
DayStar Digital, Inc.
Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc.
FWB, Inc.
Kingston Technology Corp.
Matrox Graphics, Inc.
Motorola, Inc.
Newer Technology, Inc.
Number Nine Visual Technology Corp.
Power Computing Corp.
Radius, Inc
UMAX Technologies, Inc.
Other ZDBOp staff who helped make MacBench 4.0 possible are:
Gary Adams
Elizabeth Barnes
Richard Butner
Israel Ehrisman
Jennie Faries
Laura Higgins
Keith Johnson
David Keim
Libby Keim
David King
Bruce Kurson
Trevor Lamy
Irene Lee
James Lee
Gina Massel-Castater
Lew Shiner
Stephanie Walthall
Many people in different parts of Ziff-Davis contributed to the design, testing, and production of MacBench 4.0, including:
Henry Bortman
Kristina De Nike
Jim Galbraith
Nathan Garcia
Tom Geller
Andrew Gore
Mark Hall
Bob Kane
Rick LePage
Jeffrey Milstead
Chris Moreno
Henry Norr
Rebecca Olsen
Pam Pfiffner
Jeff Pittelkau
Wartin Wong

Glossary of Terms
100% System
When you display results, you can choose which set of results you want to use as a 100%, or comparison, system. With a 100% system, you can quickly compare all the results in the Results window to that one set of results. 
When you select a comparison system, MacBench sets that system’s results to 100% and displays all other results as a percentage of the 100% system’s results. When you use a comparison system, you can quickly determine from the graphs how results for different Mac OS systems compare. 
For example, when you’ve set the 100% system, the bar graph for a faster (or better) system will be more than 100%, while the bar graph for a slower (or worse) system will be less than 100%.
To specify which set of results you want MacBench to use as the 100% system or to change the current 100% system, choose Select 100% System from the Graph menu.
Base machine
You can gauge the overall performance of a Mac OS system by comparing its MacBench scores to the scores of the base machine. For the vital statistics on the base machine, see “Appendix A: Base Machine Specifications“ on page 169.
The base machine’s score for the main tests is 100 MacBench 4.0 units. A faster system will have a higher score on these tests, while a slower will have a lower score. For example, if a Mac OS system receives a MacBench 4.0 score of 200 units on a main test, its performance is twice that of the base machine.
To avoid any confusion with the main test scores, the base machine’s inspection test scores are in units, such as kilobytes per second, kilopixels (1,000 pixels) per second, or frames per second.
CD-ROM test
MacBench’s CD-ROM test provides an overall comparative measure of your Mac OS system’s CD-ROM subsystem. The components of that subsystem are the CD-ROM drive, device driver, and hardware‑ or software‑based disk cache, if any.
The CD-ROM test replays the CD-ROM subsystem calls we recorded during the profiling of five popular Mac OS CD-ROM-based applications. 
When you run the CD-ROM test, the MacBench CD-ROM must be in the CD-ROM drive so MacBench can find the files it needs to run the test.
Current System
The computer on which MacBench is currently running and that may contain any unsaved results. When you save the results and give a name to the results file, MacBench clears the results for the Current System. MacBench always places the Current System above the other sets of results in the Results window. 
Custom test suite
A package of tests you create containing only the tests you want to run. A suite can include any combination of MacBench’s tests, including custom tests. When you create a custom suite, you save the suite as a file. You can load the file and run the suite again later or you can run the file on other systems.
You can add a suite’s name to the list of available suites during any MacBench session. MacBench returns scores and results for each test in the suite; MacBench doesn’t return a score for the suite as a whole.
Disk test
MacBench’s Disk test gives you an overall comparative measure of your Mac OS system’s disk subsystem. The components of that subsystem are the hard disk, the disk controller, any device driver software, and any hardware and software disk caches.
The Disk executes a series of File Manager operations corresponding to the disk operations performed by the 11 profiled Mac OS applications.
Floating Point test
MacBench’s Floating Point test focuses solely on your Mac OS system’s floating-point unit (FPU) subsystem. The Floating Point test is a synthetic test that stresses the FPU subsystem by running a workload that simulates the FPU behavior of leading Macintosh applications.
Graphics test
MacBench’s Graphics test gives you an overall comparative measure of your Mac OS system’s graphics subsystem. The components of that subsystem are the graphics card, its device driver, available graphics RAM, and your system’s monitor.
The Graphics test (and the Publishing Graphics test) replays the graphics subsystem calls performed by the profiled Mac OS applications. 
Normalize
Normalizing refers to MacBench automatically scaling all results in the Results window to the base machine’s results. MacBench’s base machine is the Power Macintosh 6100/60.
Processor test
The Processor test is a synthetic test that stresses the processor subsystem by running a workload simulating the CPU behavior of leading Macintosh applications. The Processor test workload includes such real work as compressing data, adjusting dates, analyzing words, and formatting text.
The processor subsystem includes the main processor chip, RAM, any processor RAM cache, the bus architecture, and a CPU accelerator card, if any.
Results window
The window that appears when you start MacBench. In the Results window, MacBench displays the following:
•	Each test’s name
•	Each system’s name
•	The numerical score each system received for each test
•	A horizontal bar graph corresponding to the numerical score
When you run a test, MacBench automatically displays the result of that test in the Results window. 
You can also add results for other systems to the Results window. If you do this, MacBench displays a numerical score and horizontal bar graph for each system you load. If the system you load didn’t run a test, MacBench doesn’t show a score. MacBench displays each set of results in the order your loaded them; however, the Current System is always first and you can change the order of other displayed results. You can display a maximum of 30 sets of results in the Results window.
End of Chapter

Index
1
100% system 125, 130
defined 126, 171
selecting 129
8
80/20 on
AppleScript 113
CD-ROM tests 85
custom test suites 103
disk tests 71
Floating Point test 67
graphics tests 77
interpreting results 135
MacBench 4.0 3
MacBench preferences 61
Processor test 67
running tests 29
system information 49
video tests 89
viewing results 123
working with results 131
80/20 rule vi
A
Apple menu 26
AppleScript 16, 29
command suites
MacBench 116–19
required 115
standard 115
requirements for running 114
sample scripts included with MacBench 114
using with MacBench 4.0 114
application-based benchmark 6
applications profiled 10
B
base machine 5, 123–25, 135–36
defined 171
specifications 161–67
Benchmark Request Form 158
benchmark tests
application-based 6
inspection tests 7
playback 6
synthetic tests 7
block sizes
disk inspection tests 74
C
CD-ROM inspection tests 87–88
about the results 87
list of tests 87
running 38
Sequential Read test results 87
CD-ROM subsystem 4–5, 53, 141
components 85
factors affecting results 142
CD-ROM test 5, 85–87
about the score 86
applications profiled for 10
defined 171
how MacBench computes the score 86
how we created it 86
running 37
what it does 86
what it measures 85
CD-ROM tests See also CD-ROM test, CD-ROM inspection tests, and custom CD-ROM tests
running 37
test settings 46
comparing results 18
Current System
adding comments in System Information window about 55
defined 172
editing system information for 54
exported results and 133
test settings 44, 47
custom CD-ROM tests See also custom tests
create a custom suite 88
defined 88
MacBench CD-ROM required 102
running 38
test settings 46
custom disk tests 10. See also custom tests
about 75
running 35
test settings 46
custom test suites 10
adding to menus 108
adding to menus from the Finder 108
automatic rebooting option 106
creating 105
custom tests and 102
defined 104, 172
editing 109
run order of tests 106
running 32
selecting tests for 105
using built-in suite as template 109
custom tests
about 99
conflicting settings 101
create a custom suite 101
creating 100
custom suites 75
custom test suites and 102
MacBench defaults 100
naming conventions 100
preferences 63
Preferences settings 102
test suites and 102
custom video tests See also custom tests
create a custom suite 92
loading into RAM 47, 91, 92
running 40–41
test settings 41, 46, 91
D
demo mode 41
disk inspection tests 71, 73–75
how block sizes affect results 74
list of 74
random 73
running 34
sequential 73
what the results mean 74
disk playback tests 71–73
how MacBench computes the scores 73
how we created them 72
what the scores mean 72
what they do 71
disk subsystem 4–5, 53, 135, 140
components 71
factors affecting results 140
performance tips 143
Disk test 5, 71
defined 172
free space needed 15, 72
running 33
disk tests 5. See also Disk test, Publishing Disk test, disk inspection tests, disk playback tests, and custom disk tests
running 33–35
test settings 46
E
Edit menu 24
export files See results files
exporting results 133–34
Current System and 133
F
File menu 23
Fit to Window 128
Preferences option 63
floating point subsystem 4, 53
Floating Point test
computing the score 69
defined 172
hardware and software FPUs 68
running 32
test settings 46
what it measures 68
what its score means 68
G
Graph menu 25
graphics inspection tests 80–84
about the results 81
list of tests 81
QuickDraw modes 81
running 37
running them in black and white 84
what happens during a test 80
graphics playback tests 78–80
about the scores 79
display resolution issues 79
how MacBench computes the scores 79
how we created them 78
playback limitations 79
what you see 80
graphics subsystem 4, 53, 141
components 78
factors affecting results 141
performance tips 143
Graphics test 5, 80
defined 172
running 36
graphics tests See also Graphics test, Publishing Graphics test, graphics inspection tests, and graphics playback tests
playback 9
running 35–37
test settings 46
H
Hi-Res Publishing Graphics test See Publishing Graphics tests
I
inspection tests 7
CD-ROM 87–88
disk 73–75
graphics 80–84
K
keyboard shortcuts 27
L
Lo-Res Publishing Graphics test 80. See Publishing Graphics tests
M
MacBench
applications profiled for 10
deleting older versions 16
demo mode 41
keyboard shortcuts 27
licensing 19
market-centered tests 6
Preferred memory size 31
publishing tests 6
quitting 42
registering 19
requesting copies of 157
running on a network 144
standard testing procedures 43–44
starting 30
system requirements 15–16
testing tips 142
toolbar 26
units for reporting results 136
variance in scores 43
Main Tests suite
estimated running time 17
running 17
tests in the 16
market-centered tests 6
menus
Apple 26
Edit 24
File 23
Graph 25
Test Suites 25
Tests 24
N
normalize 172
P
playback tests 6
CD-ROM 85–87
disk 71–73
graphics 78–80
preferences
and the MacBench Preferences file 62
opening the Preferences dialog box 61
options
custom tests 63
Results window 62
warnings 63
Preferences file
created when registering MacBench 20
Preferred memory size 31
Problem Report Form 155
processor subsystem 4, 53, 67, 68, 71, 78, 139–42, 139
components 67
factors affecting results 140
performance tips 142
Processor test
computing the score 69
defined 172
how we created it 68
running 32
what it measures 67
what its score means 68
Publishing Disk test 3, 5, 6, 71
free space needed 15, 72
running 33
Publishing Graphics tests 3, 5, 6
display resolution issues 79
Hi-Res screen requirements 15
running 36
publishing MacBench results 55, 145
publishing tests 5–6
applications profiled for 10
Q
quitting MacBench 42
R
results See also test names
comparing 18
comparing for system whose components or settings have changed 137
comparing for two Mac OS systems 137
finding comparison results 137
guidelines for analyzing 135–36
publishing 145
saving 132
units 136
variance 43
why they may differ from run to run 137
results files
contents 132
difference between export files and 134
file-naming suggestions 133
Results window
100% system 126, 129
adding results 126
bar graphs 126
changing order of displayed results 127
Current System 125
defined 173
Fit to Window 128
hiding and showing test names 128
maximum nimber of results in 126
normalized scores 126
printing 134
removing results from 129
scale ratio explained 130
selecting a 100% system 129
sizing 130
system names 125
test names 125
understanding 124
View by Scale 130
viewing system information in 131
Zoom In, Zoom Out 131
running tests 29–42. See also individual test names
80/20 on 29
interrupting 30
tips 142
using AppleScript 113–19
S
standard testing procedures 43–44
subsystems See also individual subsystems
CD-ROM 4
disk 4
floating point 4
graphics 4
processor 4
video 4
vs. components 139
synthetic tests 7, 67
system information
adding comments to Current System 55
calculating
model name 57
virtual memory 57
categories
Display Devices 59
General Info 56–57
Movies 59
Storage Devices 57
System Files 60
Test Settings 60
editing 54
how MacBench collects 50
how to use 50, 55
in results files and export files 54
printing 55
reference tables 56–60
System Information window 51–52
viewing 50–54
viewing in Results window 52–54, 131
T
technical support
information we need 153
Problem Report Form 155
test settings 44, 45–47
CD-ROM tests 46
changing 45–47
Current System 44, 47
custom CD-ROM tests 46
custom disk tests 46
custom video tests 46
disk tests 46
Floating Point test 46
graphics tests 46
opening Test Settings dialog 45
test suites 104
video tests 46
test suites
built-in 104
custom test preferences 63
custom tests and 102
defined 103
running 31
Test Settings 104
Test Suites menu 25
tests
differences between market-centered and publishing 5
interrupting 18
setup and execution phases 30
test settings 44
Tests menu 24
tips on testing 142
toolbar 26
troubleshooting 149–51
V
video subsystem 4, 54, 89, 141
factors affecting results 141
performance tips 143
video tests 9. See also custom video tests
about the results 91
about the tests 89
all-text movies 92
audio-only movies 92
custom video test settings 91
Frames Played 10, 91
Maximum Frame Rate 10, 91
movie display size larger than monitor size 92
movie information 59
names of MacBench-provided movies 90
playing movies from CD-ROM/hard disk 91
reference material on included movies 92–95
running 39–41
sound channels 92
test settings 46, 90
virtual memory 92
viewing results See Results window
virtual memory 57
Z
ZD Net
CompuServe Edition 138, 149, 153, 157
World Wide Web Edition 138, 153, 157

“Chapter 2: What’s New in this Release“ on page 9
“Chapter 6: Running MacBench’s Tests“ on page 31
“Chapter 7: Standard Testing Procedures“ on page 47
“Chapter 8: MacBench Test Settings“ on page 49
“Chapter 9: System Information“ on page 53
“Chapter 10: Setting Preferences“ on page 65
“Chapter 12: Disk Tests“ on page 75
“Chapter 13: Graphics Tests“ on page 81
“Chapter 14: CD-ROM Tests“ on page 91
“Chapter 15: Video tests“ on page 95
“Chapter 16: Creating Custom Disk and CD-ROM Tests“ on page 105
“Chapter 17: Creating and Using Custom Suites“ on page 109
“Chapter 18: Hands-free Testing with AppleScript“ on page 119
“Chapter 19: Using the Results Window“ on page 129
“Chapter 20: What Do All These Numbers Mean?“ on page 143
“Chapter 21: What Can Affect Results“ on page 147
“Chapter 23: Troubleshooting a Problem“ on page 157
“Chapter 24: Contacting ZDBOp Technical Support“ on page 161
“Chapter 25: Getting Copies of the Benchmarks“ on page 165
“Appendix A: Base Machine Specifications“ on page 169