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                               WINBENCH
                  PC Labs Windows Graphics Benchmark
                       Version 2.50 - 02 Mar 92

1. This release of WINBENCH adds the WINMARK, the geometric mean of eleven
frequently used Windows graphics operations.

Contents of this release:

WINBENCH.EXE   WINBENCH executable, all tests enabled
WINBENCH.HLP   Help file
WINBENCH.DOC   This file in ASCII text format
*.XLS          Sample reports used by the Compare Results menu

2. Installation and Use

Copy all files from the WINBENCH diskette to the same directory.  Run
WINBENCH like any Windows application.  For example, the DOS command
"win winbench" will launch WINBENCH from the current directory.

WINBENCH writes the files containing test results to the directory
from which it was launched.  Generally, you should launch WINBENCH
every time from the directory in which it is installed.  This avoids
having test results scattered all over your hard disk.

For other information about WINBENCH, see the help dialogue box.

3. A Summary of the Differences in WINBENCH 2.50 from WINBENCH 1.1

3.1. New Features in WINBENCH 2.50

-    WINBENCH 2.5 introduces the graphics WINMARK, the geometric mean
of eleven graphics benchmark tests.  PC Labs profiled the major
Windows 3.0 applications in November 1991, and determined that these
eleven functions were the most frequently used.  The weights shown in
the WINMARK results screen show the approximate proportions in which
these functions are used.  Windows applications also use other
graphics functions, but for much less time.  Because the software
available to profile Windows applications at the time was not very
sophisticated, the weights assigned are subject to change when better
Windows profiling and instrumentation software becomes available.

-    When WINBENCH starts up, you now have the choice to run the
graphics WINMARK tests, to run detailed tests, or to exit from
WINBENCH.  WINBENCH now has other push buttons and menu choices for
the graphics WINMARK.

3.2. Corrected Defect in WINBENCH 2.04

-    WINBENCH 2.04 corrects an error in calculating the result of the
Rectangles|Patterns|Hatched Patterns test.  Previously, the result had
been stated as 20% greater than what it actually was.

-    WINBENCH 2.04 corrects several minor internal logic errors that
caused it to fail when compiled with other compilers.  None of these
changes have any effect on results.

3.2. Corrected Defect in WINBENCH 2.03

-    WINBENCH 2.03 displays an informational dialog box when no .XLS
files are available for comparison.  Previous versions of WINBENCH
presented an empty dialog box if no .XLS files were available for
comparison, and clicking on OK would have no effect.  The only
resolution to this problem was to change the Windows focus and
terminate Windows.

3.3. Corrected Defects and Improvements in WINBENCH 2.02

-    Corrected the processing of files written in Lotus 1-2-3 .WKS
format.  WINBENCH 2.00 or 2.01 failed with a UAE when writing a file
in Lotus 1-2-3 format.

-    Corrected the Select Results dialog box so that a double mouse
click selects a file.  Previously, a double click only highlighted the
file, and a click on the OK button was required to confirm the choice.

     Corrected the Compare Results dialog box so that it would fit
completely on a 640x480 VGA screen.  Previously WINBENCH displayed it
in a format that was too wide for VGA.

     Changed the Modify Options dialog box, so that the optional field
"File Header" is now the mandatory field "Test Description".

     Changed the report file formats so that the test description
information and test date/time appear in a structured format.  This
gives the user more useful information when either viewing results in
the Compare Results dialog box or comparing report files.  This added
information is also displayed by the System Information menu choice.

3.4. Corrected Defects in WINBENCH 2.01

-    Corrected the Select Results dialog box so that it does not show
the current report file as a choice.  Also, the Select Results dialog
box is wider, allowing twelve character file names to display
completely.

-    Eliminated the possibility of a UAE from the System Information
Option caused by a rapid sequence of many Ctrl-I keystrokes in
succession, typically 100 or more, and only under Windows 3.0, not
Windows 3.1.  Under these circumstances, Windows 3.0 exhausts its use
of system memory.

-    Added a message box to the View Results dialog box to inform user
that file being compared contains results from more than one test run.
Also, added logic to choose only the first information with a given
text key from a file.

-    Added a string resource to change the minimum test duration, with
a minimum of two seconds.

-    The Bitblt Align test dialog box now displays results correctly.
Previously, the displayed results were transposed between lower left
and upper right cells, but the information contained in report files
was correct.

3.5. New Features in WINBENCH 2.0

-    System Information adds the processor type and clock speed,
presence of math coprocessor, Windows version number and operating
mode, video driver file name and description, video driver file date,
video driver version, X-Width Aspect Ratio, Y-Width Aspect Ratio,
height of the system font, and average character width of the system
font.  All system information is written to the report file.

-    All tests now run for a minimum of five seconds, and report
throughput, rather than elapsed time.  There is no method to convert
results from WINBENCH 1.1 into the format for the results used by
WINBENCH 2.0.  Many of the tests are upgraded to be consistent with
Windows 3.0 and/or Windows 3.1.

-    All tests display text centered in the benchmark window to
identify the current test being run in a series of tests.  Identifying
the test when it is running keeps you better informed about what is
going on, and helps to debug WINBENCH and/or Windows should WINBENCH
terminate with an Unrecoverable Application Error (UAE).

-    Many tests change the color being displayed to give a better
visual indication that something is actually being done while the test
runs.

-    Where possible, throughput is either calculated or estimated as
"pixels/sec".  Results of text handling benchmarks are reported in
"characters/sec".  Results for some other tests are reported in
"operations/sec".

-    The Ellipse (Curves) test renames the WINBENCH 1.1 Full Arcs
test, which drew ellipses on the screen then filled the ellipse with
the current brush.  The Ellipse test also draws ellipses on the
screen, but it varies the brush color used to fill the ellipse.

-    The Patterns (Rectangles) test now runs ten tests, using a black
fill pattern, seven grey patterns, a white pattern, and a set of
hatched patterns.

-    The Scroll Text (Text) tests are new.  They display and scroll a
full screen of text using the same five fonts as displayed by the
Image Text (Text) tests.

-    The Mixed Fonts (Text) test uses Courier fonts rather than System
fonts.  With Windows 3.0, it is not possible to display a system font
with a bold attribute.

-    The Help dialogue box provides a complete description of all
tests.

-    The Modify Options menu writes to the WINBENCH.INI file in a
section called [Version.2.0] when you choose to save selected
parameters.  WINBENCH 1.1 used the [Bench] section of WIN.INI for the
same purpose.

-    The ASCII text report file now lines up data in vertical columns.
The "1-2-3" format for a report file produces comma-separated data,
and non-numeric literals are bounded by double quotes, e.g. "sample
text".  The Excel format produces tab-separated data.

-    Because all tests run for at least five seconds, there is no need
to use radio buttons to select the number of test iterations.  These
radio buttons are removed from WINBENCH 2.0.

-    If you run all tests or run in demo mode, WINBENCH displays an
appropriate message on screen when it is done, or after running of
tests has been interrupted.

-    If WINBENCH is run in real mode and there is enough memory to
load it, it displays the initial dialog box, then a message box saying
that it does not run in real mode, and terminates.  If there is not
enough memory to load it, then Windows displays a message box with an
application error.

-    The Compare Results menu choice presents a pair of dialog boxes.
The first one displays a list of existing .XLS files, from which one
is selected to compare with the results of testing for the current
video card and driver.  The second dialog box displays test results
for the current card and the selected card.  The results of each test
written to the report file now all have unique names or keys so that
the Compare Results dialog box can select them properly from files
that contain the results of previous tests.

-    WINBENCH 2.50 was compiled with Borland C++ Release 3.0 and its
resources edited with Borland's Resource Workshop editor.  Tests
between versions of WINBENCH compiled with various compilers show less
than one percent difference in test results.  The source code for
WINBENCH is fully compatible with the following:

     Borland C++3.0 Professional
     Microsoft C6.0a and SDK
     Symantec/Zortech C++3.0 (requires Microsoft LINK instead of
Zortech ZLINK)
     Watcom C8.5 (requires Microsoft LINK rather than Watcom WLINK,
due to a defect in WLINK)
     JPI TopSpeed C3.02 (requires compilation for math coprocessor
rather than math emulation, due to defect in TopSpeed Windows math
emulation library)

4. Problems and Suggestions for Improvements

-    Please note and report any test results that seem to be
incorrect, including zero and negative results.  These indicate that
the test being run uses an incorrect throughput calculation, either
roundoff or overflow.

-    Please provide hard copy or electronic copy of test results with
any problems, and describe the video graphics adapter being used
particularly if the System Information are not completely self-
descriptive.

-    If you have suggestions for improvements to WINBENCH, please
call, write, or send an electronic mail message explaining what you
require.  There is no guarantee that it will be added to the next
version of WINBENCH, but it WILL be added to the list of enhancements
that will be evaluated and prioritized for subsequent versions.

Thank you.

Ben Myers
Spirit of Performance, Inc.
73 Westcott Road
Harvard, MA  01451-1821
tel. [phone]
MCI  357-1400

Jim Galley
Director, PC Labs
PC Magazine
One Park Avenue
New York, NY  10016
tel. [phone]