iBench

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iBench is a discontinued browser test suite written in ASP and JavaScript by Lionbridge, VeriTest and PC Magazine.

According to Apple "most respected browser benchmarks there are available" (Citation Steve Jobs WWDC 2007).

To run the full test the server must be running MySQL, IIS 5.0 or higher, Helix (project), Windows Media Services and Darwin Streaming Server.

The last version was iBench 5.0 and was released some time around November 2003 (file date is 11/13/2003 05:15), the package bares PC Magazine’s logo.

As of 2006 iBench 4.0 and 5.0 can be downloaded from the Ziff Davis Media's (PC Magazine) FTP.

At the 2007 Worldwide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs used a modified version of iBench 5.0 to show the render speed of Safari 3.0 versus Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP.

[edit] Criticism

iBench relies on browser reporting when it had finished loading of a page, but browsers differ in definition of "loaded" page. Safari reports that page is loaded before calculating layout of the page, gaining significant advantage over other browsers[1]. Tests that do not rely on onLoad event[2] do not confirm Safari's speed advantage that Apple advertises.