Timing accuracy of PC programs running under DOS and Windows (original) (raw)

Abstract

The time in which to press a key and the video retrace interval were measured under various conditions of MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, Windows 95, and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation. All the measurements were obtained with the same program running on a single Pentium 300 computer. In all, samples of 1,000 timing measurements were obtained in each of 96 different conditions. Standard deviations of the times ranged from about 0.0006 msec under DOS 6.22 to almost 40 msec under Windows 3.11, representing an increase in timing error of up to 6,000,000%. Researchers requiring millisecond timing accuracy are recommended to use DOS only.

Article PDF

Similar content being viewed by others

References

• Forster, K. I., &Forster, J. C. (1990).DMASTR control system: Laboratory software for mental chronometry. Unpublished manuscript.
• Graves, R. E., &Bradley, R. (1991). Millisecond timing on the IBM PC/XT/AT and PS/2: A review of the options and corrections for the Graves and Bradley algorithm.Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers,23, 377–379.
  Google Scholar
• Microsoft (1992).Getting started with Microsoft Windows. Washington, DC: Microsoft Corporation.
  Google Scholar
• Myors, B. (1998). A simple graphical technique for assessing timer accuracy of computer systems.Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers,30, 454–456.
  Google Scholar
• Sargent, M., III, &Shoemaker, R. L. (1995).The personal computer from the inside out (3rd ed.). New York: Addison-Wesley.
  Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. School of Behavioural Sciences, Macquarie University, 2109, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
   Brett Myors

Corresponding author

Correspondence toBrett Myors.

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Myors, B. Timing accuracy of PC programs running under DOS and Windows.Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 31, 322–328 (1999). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03207727

Download citation

• Received: 29 August 1997
• Accepted: 09 March 1998
• Issue date: June 1999
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03207727

Keywords