Ziff-Davis Extends PC Lab Testing and Benchmarking to the Web

Posted on December 15, 1997

PC Magazine and ZDNet announced that they are launching an online version of Ziff-Davis' testing labs on the World Wide Web. Web users can visit the ZD Virtual Lab in the ZDNet Products Channel and try their hand at analyzing and comparing PC and Internet products themselves.

For products such as video-streaming software, online readers can compare the quality, ease of use and features of the products and see the results on their own PCs. They can observe the quality of the motion, detail, and color reproduction, with the tests providing a basis for comparing different products and their capabilities. ZD Virtual Labs provides a place where buyers can experience and evaluate multiple products using the same tests to evaluate each product.

Other test features on the site include a "meta-directory" Capability that lets readers compare the effectiveness of Internet white pages services. Users can enter a person's name and/or location to see how many entries each directory is able to find, so they can compare the accuracy of each service. Future ZD Virtual Labs features will allow readers to compare online discussion systems, push servers, and chat clients. The ZD Virtual Labs also offers a discussion area where users can share preferences and opinions about products and technologies.

ZD Virtual Labs visitors can also evaluate the capabilities of their own equipment to find its strengths and weaknesses and learn how to fine tune it for optimal performance. For example, the monitor tests let visitors evaluate their display's focus, color purity, and detect -- and even sometimes correct -- undesirable image distortions. Other tests available include those that evaluate a printer's output, and the speed of a browser's Java virtual machine. From the Virtual Labs, readers can link to the Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation site to download or request Ziff-Davis' industry-standard benchmark suites for testing PC's, components, and servers.