As we mentioned in the BatteryXPRT 2014 and TouchXPRT 2014 release announcements, we are making the sources available to community members.
Download the BatteryXPRT 2014 source here.
Download the TouchXPRT 2014 source here.
We’re also posting BatteryXPRT build instructions and TouchXPRT build instructions in the Members Area. If you want more information, please contact BenchmarkXPRTsupport@principledtechnologies.com.
We look forward to your feedback!
Eric
As I mentioned in Looking for the next big thing, we’ve received some ideas for benchmarks recently. While there were several good ideas, the one that rose to the top of the list was a benchmark for Chrome-based devices.
For the past year or so, Chromebooks have been the fastest-growing segment of the PC market, so there’s a lot of interest. Given the rising profile of Chromebooks, a Chrome OS benchmark seems like a good fit with the existing XPRTs.
We’ve just started batting around ideas about what a Chrome OS benchmark might look like. Because the browser is the interface, WebXPRT is the natural place to start. However, WebXPRT runs on all platforms. We would like a Chrome benchmark to consider Chrome‑specific technologies like Google Native Client. If possible, it would also be great to get the battery life as well as performance.
Those are a few of our ideas. Do you have ideas about what you would like to see in a Chrome OS benchmark? If so, what would you consider most important for it to include? Let us know at benchmarkxprtsupport@principledtechnologies.com!
And remember, we’re always looking for new ideas. If there’s a benchmark you’d love to see, let us know.
Eric
Friday is the big day for TouchXPRT 2014. It will be available for download at TouchXPRT.com and through the Windows App Store no later than 5:00 PM EDT on Friday May 16.
As we mentioned last week, in addition to the new look and more-demanding component tests, TouchXPRT has a number of new features. One feature we are especially excited about is that users will be able to automate their TouchXPRT tests, something they could not do in TouchXPRT 2013.
You can run TouchXPRT 2014 from a command prompt or using scripting mechanisms such as batch files or PowerShell. The scripting interface allows you to set several parameters, including:
You can read the automation details and find specific commands in the Exploring TouchXPRT 2014 white paper.
Also, we’re in the last steps of preparing the HDXPRT 2014 Community Preview. It’s coming in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for more information.
Eric
Today we formally released BatteryXPRT 2014 for Android. The BenchmarkXPRT Development Community has been using a community preview for several weeks and now that we’ve released the benchmark, anyone may freely use it.
Also, the BatteryXPRT 2014 for Android source will soon be available to the community. Remember that community members have access to the source, but it is not available to the general public.
Tomorrow is the big day for BatteryXPRT 2014 for Android. After months of development, it’s finally time to release it to the world. We’ve learned quite a bit throughout the process, and we expect BatteryXPRT to become a trusted tool for Android users around the world.
BatteryXPRT will be available for download at BatteryXPRT.com, or through the Google Play Store. It will be available to the public no later than 5:00 PM ET on Friday May 2.
The BatteryXPRT results page allows you to submit test results directly from the app. We hope you’ll use this feature to submit your test runs for publication in the database.
There’s a huge diversity of Android devices out there, so BatteryXPRT.com will link to a page of tips, tricks, and known issues that we compiled during development testing. As with any of the XPRTs, if you encounter any issues please let us know.
Along with the new app, we also invite you to check out the Exploring BatteryXPRT 2014 for Android white paper for a more in-depth discussion of how it all works.
It’s definitely BatteryXPRT’s time to shine, but don’t forget that the new and improved TouchXPRT is coming soon!
Eric
The comment period for BatteryXPRT CP2 ended on Monday. Now we are in the final sprint to release the benchmark.
The extensive testing we’ve been doing has meant that we’ve been staring at a lot of numbers. This has led us to make a change in how we present the results. As you would expect, the battery life when you’re running the test using Wi-Fi is different than when you’re running it using your cellular network. Although individual devices vary, the difference is in the vicinity of 10 percent, about the same as the difference between Airplane mode and using Wi-Fi.
BatteryXPRT has always captured a device’s Wi-Fi setting in its disclosure results, but had not included this information with the results. Because we found it so helpful to have the Wi-Fi setting alongside the results, we have changed the presentation of the results to recognize three modes: Airplane, Wi-Fi, and Cellular. We hope that this will avoid confusion as people are using BatteryXPRT.
Note that we have not changed the way the results are calculated. Results you generated during the preview are still valid. However, results from one mode should not be compared to results from another mode.
We’ve been talking a lot about BatteryXPRT, but TouchXPRT is also looking great! We’re looking forward to releasing both of them soon!
Eric
