Microsoft's own speed tests show IE beating Chrome, Firefox

Just before announcing that Internet Explorer 8 has been finalized, Microsoft has released a new report titled "Measuring Browser Performance: Understanding issues in benchmarking and performance analysis." The document explains the various browser and network components and how each piece can impact performance when benchmarking, capabilities and limitations of various benchmarking tools, as well as ways to design tests to avoid these issues. What makes this report extremely dubious is the chart that is buried at the bottom. It shows IE8 outperforming Firefox 3.05 and Chrome 1.0, something that no other test on the Internet has ever shown before.

Before I start to rant and rave, I want to explain that I am an IE8 user (in fact this post was written using IE8 on Windows 7), though I do use other browsers from time to time. IE8 is a vast improvement over IE7, especially in performance, but I will be the first to admit that it still does not compete with third-party browsers when it comes to speed. However, the table Microsoft provides shows the load times for the top 25 websites according to comScore, and IE8 does quite well. The report notes that Microsoft "used the browser 'Done' indicator for timing when the page when the page is completely loaded at that point. For pages which continue to load and change after the 'one' indication we have used common visual cues to generate the timings. Timing is started when the Go button is pressed. These timings were captured in January 2009; because Internet content is always changing you may get different timings when you run these tests."

As you can see, IE8 outperforms Firefox 3.05 and Chrome 1.0 in loading 12 websites, Chrome 1.0 places second by loading nine sites first, and Firefox brings up the rear by loading four sites faster than the other two browsers. Also, in case you missed it, IE loads mozilla.com faster than Firefox, and Firefox loads microsoft.com faster than IE, just for kicks. This report is bound to stir up a lot of controversy, especially since Microsoft outlines its exact methodology. The report is available publicly at the Microsoft Download Center in PDF and XPS formats, so check it out if you have the time for reading through 14 pages. Microsoft chooses approximately 25 websites for daily testing, and tens of thousands on a monthly basis. If you're going to do your own tests, Microsoft emphasizes that "any list of websites to be used for benchmarking must contain a variety of websites, including international websites, to help ensure a complete picture of performance as users would experience on the Internet."

Microsoft obviously wants to get users who are using alternative browser to come and try out IE8, which is why this report is quietly being released just before the new browser becomes available this month. Is this the best way to go about it? The fact that this is the first test (at least that I'm aware of) to show IE8 loading multiple websites faster than Firefox and Chrome, and the top 25 websites no less, is very supicious. What do you think?

Happy 20th Birthday, World Wide Web

On March 13th, 2009 the World Wide Web will turn 20 years old. Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented this world-changing layer on top of the Internet on this day in 1989. It's hard to overstate the impact this young technology has had already and it's even more exciting to think about where it's going in the future.

Berners-Lee has some great ideas about where the web should go next. His vision is of a major advance that could serve as the foundation for innovations that we can't even imagine today.

One year ago Berners-Lee said that all the pieces needed to build a new Semantic Web are now in place. Last month he gave an impassioned talk at the high-profile TED conference about a related concept called Linked Data, a set of ideas he outlined in 2006. The gist of the idea is that we need every institution that can do so to put raw data in a standardized format up on the web.

What's so exciting about raw data? We'll defer to Berners-Lee's 15 minute explanation at this year's TED conference. The video of his talk will be posted on the TED website early Friday morning, but ReadWriteWeb readers can check it out now.

HP netbooks for consumers

We did not have the chance to test-drive the HP Mini Note 2133, but by now you must have heard about it.

It was launched around a year ago. If we follow Intel's arbitrary rule on what can or cannot be called a netbook, then the 2133 might not fit the netbook category. It did not run on an Intel Atom processor. Instead, it ran on the CM-7 processor from Via Technology.

Although the processor was not as fast as Intel Atom, the 2133 received fairly positive reviews from the editors and users alike. One of the models that spearheaded the Internet-focused mini notebooks revolution, it had a metal chassis and, most importantly, a great keyboard. It was also a business-oriented mini notebook, and I will talk more about it later.

HP filled the consumer segment with a new line of netbooks, called HP Mini.

Early last January, HP Indonesia started the new year by inviting the press for the launching the new line in Jakarta. The HP Mini is a netbook because now it runs on an Intel Atom processor. It is also intended to be a consumer product, and therefore it has a more stylish look with the currently in-vogue imprinted patterns on the top cover.

Specifically, the model announced at the press event earlier this year was the HP Mini 1000. My demo unit has 1 GB of RAM and a 60 GB Toshiba hard disk. There is not much to say about the performance, especially if we are to compare it with the netbooks offered by Asus, Dell, Lenovo and others.

All the components are more or less the same. In fact, the 4200 RPM hard disk inside the Mini Note 1000 is its weakest link. That is no surprise, as every netbook maker strives to achieve the best affordability and therefore has to cut some corners. The good news is, I think, that the overall performance is more than enough for the types of task it is intended to help us to perform.

And this late-arriving consumer notebook has some strong points that may put it on top of the long list of netbooks currently on the market. HP has replicated the 2133's great keyboard in the Mini Note. It has almost full-sized keys, making error-free touch-typing almost a norm. The keyboard is really a star.

Next are the speakers that are placed inside the hinge. They simply sound too good to be true, considering the size. Keep in mind that many other netbooks sound just a little louder than your PDAs. The size is right for a lady's handbag, and it will not be too heavy for her shoulder, either.

The 10.2-inch screen is very bright when you plug in the AC adapter or set the brightness to the max. Unfortunately, the otherwise attractive glass plate that covers the entire screen and its frame makes the display too glossy. For some people, the glare can be a nuisance, especially when working outside under the sunlight.

One decision that I wish HP designers had not made is the use of proprietary connection for the VGA Out and the external optical drive. The HP Mini Drive is optional, and anything optional means more limited-use investment may be required. Fortunately, we can still use a generic, USB-based DVD-RAM drive. In my test, my external LG Super DVD Multi Rewriter works flawlessly with the Mini Note 1000.

Some people have also complained about the touchpad with the buttons flanking the pad instead of being placed below it. The repositioning of the buttons is necessary to keep the keyboard in its ideal size. This is also the approach taken by Acer in the Acer One netbook. Personally, I rarely use these buttons, so I have no problem with the placement of the buttons. Besides, don't we usually use a mouse whenever we can?

The HP Mini Note 1000 is just the starter in the new consumer netbook lineup from HP. In other countries, the company has also launched the premium-class HP Mini Note 2140, which has the aluminum body of the 2133 instead of the plastic casing of the Mini Note 1000.

The battery life is reportedly slightly above average, which can be a strong reason for choosing the Mini Note 1000 over the others. Another unique feature, which is neither good nor bad but certainly saves some space on the housing side, is the combination of the microphone and line-out in a single audio port.

One thing that people are sometimes unaware of is, as I touched on earlier, that the 2133 is designed for business users. That is why the 2133 and its successors are designed differently and have different sets of features. The HP Mini Notes, on the other hand, are targeted for consumers who really want a netbook that they can carry around to check their email and maintain their Facebook.

Before you choose which one to buy, you really need to consider your requirements, because, according to HP, both of these netbook lines will continue to exist.