Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pro-nbs.cts.com!asong From: asong@pro-nbs.cts.com (Andi Song) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: speed of computers Message-ID: <388.apple.a2.net@pro-nbs> Date: 19 Mar 91 02:09:04 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 32 Well, you misunderstand the importance of microprocessor speeds. You cannot gauge computers strictly by their speeds (in mhz), as different computers do different things. For example, you can say that the Apple IIgs runs Appleworks 2.6 times faster than a stock Apple IIe, which runs at 1 megahertz. The Mac (not including the LC) cannot run Appleworks, so here there is no standard to grade the speeds by. If the Mac with a 68000 microprocessor could run Appleworks, it would most likely be at 7.8mhz, and that would indeed be faster than a IIe and a GS. But it doesn't, so you cannot really say that the Mac is faster than the GS. The Mac has a faster chip because it needs more "horsepower" to run its programs with the Graphic User Interface (GUI). As opposed to the IIe running its text-based program, when 1mhz is usually adequate. The closest you could probably come to when comparing a Mac and a GS is comparing similar programs, such as graphic word processors. Like pitting BeagleWrite GS against MacWrite. Then you would notice a difference in window scrolling speeds, and editing functions. When it comes to comparing Mac and IBM, maybe the best thing to do is to compare Mac with a 33mhz IBM running Windows. And compare the speeds at which the windows can scroll. When you say that the IBM 33mhz is about 40 times faster than the IIgs, you think straight clock speed. But you have to realize that it might have to do more in that time, thus requiring the faster processor. Andi Song ---- ProLine: asong@pro-nbs Internet: asong@pro-nbs.cts.com UUCP: crash!pro-nbs!asong ARPA: crash!pro-nbs!asong@nosc.mil