Maybe this put a little damper on it this morning, but I am not sure.
Tests show Java runs fastest on Intel processors;
Published findings show the world's most popular
processors are best for Java
Business Wire - April 16, 1997 08:01
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 16, 1997--Intel Corporation today made
publicly available test results that show the Java(a) programming language runs best on Intel
Architecture processors.
In benchmark tests addressing Java performance on various systems, a 100MHz Pentium(r)
processor-based system was 1.5 to 2 times faster than systems with processors from other
vendors. Higher speed Intel Architecture processor-based systems showed even higher
performance. The findings, published in an Intel white paper entitled "Java Performance," derive
from tests Intel conducted using the CaffeineMark(a) benchmark. Created and maintained by
Pendragon Software, the CaffeineMark serves as the computing industry standard for Java
performance measurement.
Benefits for Customers
The findings are expected to be welcome news to customers at two levels. Computer users, who
have made Intel processors the most widely used processors in the world, can continue working
and playing on Intel-based products, confident they're seeing top performance from Java
applications. Application developers, who have embraced Java as a means of adding excitement
to their products, can create innovative new software knowing it can reach the largest cadre of
computing customers.
While conventional wisdom suggests PC gamers may be the first to gain from the speed Intel
processors bring to Java applications, some of the greatest beneficiaries may be in business
computing. During his keynote speech at last week's Innovate '97 conference in Houston, Texas,
Dr. Andrew S. Grove, chief executive officer of Intel, presented a demonstration of the Pentium
processor's Java power in a business environment. An engineering prototype of a Networked PC
(Net PC) with a Pentium II processor performed visibly faster than a Sun Microsystems
JavaStation* with both systems running a standard version of Corel Office for Java(a).
"Because Java is playing a key role in applications for computing, Intel is providing the best
computing environment for Java," said Pat Gelsinger, vice president and general manager of
Intel's Desktop Products Group. "Businesses can accelerate their use of multimedia through
exciting Java applications and, at the same time, be assured they're getting top Java performance
from the solid Intel Architecture their computing systems are already built on."
Great Java Performance Today, Even Greater Tomorrow
The high level of performance demonstrated by Intel Architecture-based computers results from
more than the inherent power of Intel processors. For the last two years, teams of Intel software
engineers have been actively engaged in a number of projects directed at tuning the performance
of the Java language on the Intel Architecture. Intel has made enhancements to the Java virtual
machine, software that interprets Java code into machine code.
"Java system performance, as measured by the CaffeineMark, often depends more on the Java
virtual machine software than on the hardware," said Ivan Phillips, president of Pendragon
Software Corporation. "Due to the intense competition in the Java compiler market for
Windows(a) PCs, today's fastest implementations of Java run on the Intel Architecture."
Such performance tuning can produce a huge effect on application performance. Although it is not
widely known outside the developer community, applications created with the
platform-independent approach of the Java language still rely upon virtual machine code, which
must be adapted to each individual processor type.
Intel has also been active in developing high-performance implementations of audio and video for
use by Java developers seeking to enrich multimedia and Internet applications. The company
exhibited its media for Java at the JavaOne Developers Conference earlier this month.
Because the Intel Architecture is the most popular in the world, Intel's software improvements will
be amplified by engineers around the globe. The new and effective Java software that developers
create to run on Intel Architecture-based computers will take advantage of Intel performance
features while delivering collateral enhancements of their own. As a result, people using Intel
Architecture-based computers can expect to see more -- and more powerful -- Java applications
in the months and years ahead.
Viewing Performance Results
Intel's "Java Performance" white paper is available from the Intel website at:
intel.com . Other test results can be viewed at the Pendragon
Software website at: webfayre.com . These include the "world's fastest
Java" using Asymetrix Corporation's SuperCede(a)-Java Edition running on a 133MHz Pentium
processor-based system.
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of personal computer,
networking and communications products. Additional information is available at
www.intel.com./pressroom .
Note to Editors: Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
(a) Other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. |
