Dromaeo - Mozilla JavaScript Performance Test Suite

The other day I was expecting a JavaScript benchmark suite from Mozilla & Microsoft. Recently, Mozilla has released a performance test suite which they made available at dromaeo.com. Click on the links below to see the exact performance results of each browser.

• Mozilla FireFox 3.0.1 - 10229.40 ms
• Google Chrome 0.2.149.29 - 8277.0 ms
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 - What did you say? IE? Sorry it was a non-starter. I think it got scared away by seeing this benchmark suite. It just completed only one of the tests and never completed the other ones. It just hangs. Better luck next time Microsoft. :(

Here also Chrome blasted almost all the benchmark tests, though it took more time in "DOM Modification" test than FireFox.

Well, Mozilla & Google has come up with their own test suites. It is now the turn of Microsoft to give their own. I don't think they will do. Any benchmark suite should be open for public scrutiny. I bet they will hire some third party to test and come up with a white paper saying that IE 8 is faster under some fancy test conditions.

I believe, in future Google will come up with more innovative web applications which requires faster JavaScript performance. This will improve the adoption rate of Chrome & Firefox.

Links:- John Resig - Dromaeo: JavaScript Performance Testing

Technorati Tags: google, chrome, firefox, mozilla, microsoft, internet explorer, javascript, performance, benchmark, test, suite, dromaeo, browser

V8 & Sunspider - Java Script Benchmark tests

Today I ran the Java Script benchmark tests available from V8 Benchmark Suite - version 1 and SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark

I ran the tests in DELL my laptop which has Intel Core 2 Duo 7200 processor, 1 GB RAM, Windows Vista Business SP1. When I ran the V8 benchmark suite I got the following score. Higher scores means better performance.

• Google Chrome v0.2.149.27 = 1648
• FireFox v3.0.1 = 120
• Internet Explorer v7.0 = 30

On running SunSpider Javascript Benchmark, I got the following score(in milliseconds). The results shows how quickly the tests were completed by each browser.

• Google Chrome v0.2.149.27 = 1749.2 ms 
• FireFox v3.0.1 = 12623 ms
• Internet Explorer v7.0 = 30330 ms

Click on the above browser links to see the actual test results. The results page also provides a way to compare the test results from other browser.

From the test comparison, it is sure GC's performance has blown away the browsers. GC is 7.4 times faster than FF and 17.3 times faster than IE.

Let  us see what is in store for FF 3.1 and IE 8. I would also like to see benchmark test suites from Mozilla and Microsoft. The above two test suites are all relate to Google Chrome. One is hosted through Google chrome V8 project and other through Webkit site.

Technorati Tags: javascript,java,script,benchmark,test,result,v8,sunspider,google,browser,chrome,firefox,internet explorer,suite

Google Chrome - Installer error solved

Recently I posted an error which I got while installing Google Chrome in my office workstation. In that I assumed that the setup is trying to download an executable which is the actual Chrome installer. My assumption is right. Here is how I concluded my assumption. I opened the Fiddler2, which is an excellent HTTP tracking tool. Then I ran the initial small Chrome Setup. I saw the installer is trying to download a file from http://cache.pack.google.com/chrome/install/149.27/chrome_installer.exe

I am using Windows XP Professional with SP2. I am assuming the above URL has nothing specific to the OS edition. I think the string "149.27" in the URL could be the browser's minor version number. The Chrome version which I installed is "0.2.149.27".

Disclaimer: I don't know what harm will happen if you use the file from the above URL.

Technorati tags: google, chrome, browser, open source

Google Chrome - Installer error

I somehow downloaded the Google Chrome installer into my office workstation. When I tried installing, I got the following error message.

"Installer download failed. Error code = 0x8000421f4"

I believe, this is due to the Firewall at our office. I think the Chrome is trying to download some executables and the Firewall is blocking that. I don't know why Google is not providing the complete setup. Someone can try creating a complete setup through the source code available at Chromium. It will be of immense help if someone does that.

UPDATE: This issue is resolved.

Technorati tags: open source, chrome, google, browser

Google Chrome is out

Google Chrome is out. The first screen shots will arrive shortly in this blog.

Technorati Tags: google,chrome,open source,browser

Firefox 3.0.1 Welcome Page

Today I updated my Firefox 3.0 to 3.0.1. When I restarted the browser I got this page. Look at the error in the page. It says I am using Firefox 2.0.0.11. Funny isn't it?

For verification I went to the Firefox 3.0 welcome page. It shows correctly.

Technorati tags: firefox, mozilla

Google Developer day - Google Gears

Here is a presentation given by a Google engineer Aaron Boodman on Google Gears at the recent Google Developer Day conference. The Google Gears already started making waves across Internet.

What is Google Gears?

Google Gears (BETA) is an open source browser extension that enables web applications to provide offline functionality using following JavaScript APIs:

• Store and serve application resources locally
• Store data locally in a fully-searchable relational database
• Run asynchronous JavaScript to improve application responsiveness

To know more,

1. First goto Gears site. The site will identify whether your browser has the extension already installed and suggest you to install. Since the tool is early stages of development, I warn non-developers not to try immediately now. Though the tool looks very promising wait for sometime till the final version arrives.
2. For (web) developers, this one is a very promising tool for the future. Go and try. Already you have sample implementation available with Google Reader. If you already using Google Reader, try the offline/online feature available there after installing Gears.
3. It seems IE 6.0/Firefox 1.5+ for windows and Linux is supported out of the box. After installing flush the browser cache and restart both browsers if it is running.
4. Get the documentation from here.
5. If you want give feedback and suggest some more features go and post it in the Google Gears Forum.

Technorati tags: google, gears, opensource, web2.0, development, youtube, firefox, ie

One year of OSS implementation in ELCOT - the score card

The following letter was written by Mr. C. Umashankar, IAS to the yahoo group eGovIndia. He is the Managing Director of ELCOT (A Government of TamilNadu Undertaking)

On the 26th May 2007, ELCOT completed one year of OSS implementation in its day to day activities.
Currently the migration to OSS is close to 126 out of 130 desktop machines (97%) and 25 out of 26 rack servers (96%).
Barring four desktops which use a popular windows based accounting software, the entire ELCOT's head office moved into Suse Linux. A lone user has been using Fedora core.
We have asked for the Linux version of the accounting software from the vendor. He had agreed. ELCOT is also in the process of migrating to an open source based ERP shortly and so the four desktops also would be migrated to Suse Linux shortly.
ELCOT had also rolled out a powerful application software for administering family cards. Currently the contractors who do the data entry for the family cards have been using it. Government have given approval for decentralising the family card printing operations at the district level, thanks to the web based software developed by ELCOT using OSS.
The family card software has a powerful local language interface which is  built on Java script technology. It is absolutely platform independent and the user need not install any fonts.
So far so good.
ELCOT has been show casing its success in the migration to OSS to all Government departments. A few of them were thoroughly impressed and have decided to fully migrate to OSS. It is still too early.
Yet, the way in which the people accept OSS after a hands on experience in ELCOT gives room for optimism. ELCOT's staff generously share their experience when Government users visit ELCOT's office. They also get to see the Linux ATM and also ELCOT's 28 seater software development centre which uses only OSS.
ELCOT has an 80 licence anti virus software which had become redundant. The officer in charge of the licence had asked my permission to sell it outside!  Concurrence given.
Anti virus software has no role in ELCOT.
The latest success is the use of crossover and wine software to run application software that had already been developed in Microsoft client - server environment. ELCOT's team is shortly descending on Salem to provide on site support to a large co-operative bank (150 desktops) to migrate to Suse Linux without any migration of the existing Ms application software (using Wine/Cross over)

Regards.
Umashankar

It may be noted that few months back Mr. Umashankar initiated the process of OSS support and implementation for various government organizations in Tamil Nadu.

Technorati tags: egovernance, india, tamilnadu, oss, floss, government, linux