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The latest version of the premier performance metric that measures and compares PC performance based on real world applications was released today by the Business Application Performance Corporation or BAPCo®, a non-profit consortium of leading computer industry publications, independent testing labs, PC hardware manufacturers, semiconductor manufacturers and software publishers.

SYSmark® 2004 extends the SYSmark family of productivity benchmarks, which have been widely accepted by IT Managers, PC OEMs, press and analysts worldwide. It represents a ground-up development, featuring new user driven workloads and usage models developed by application experts using the applications in manners which reflect current and emerging computing trends.

SYSmark 2004 is used by PC OEMs, hardware and software developers, IT departments, system integrators, publishers and testing labs as well as Information technologists and computer industry analysts.

SYSmark 2004 is an application-based benchmark that reflects usage patterns of business users in the areas of Internet Content Creation and Office Productivity and utilizes the following applications:

Internet Content Creation:

• Adobe® After Effects® 5.5
• Adobe® Photoshop® 7.01
• Adobe® Premiere® 6.5
• Discreet® 3ds max™ 5.1
• Macromedia® Dreamweaver® MX
• Macromedia® Flash MX
• Microsoft® Windows Media® Encoder 9 Series
• Network Associates® McAfee® VirusScan® 7.0
• WinZip Computing WinZip® 8.1

Office Productivity:

• Adobe® Acrobat® 5.0.5
• Microsoft® Access 2002
• Microsoft® Excel 2002
• Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6
• Microsoft® Outlook® 2002
• Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2002
• Microsoft® Word 2002
• Network Associates® McAfee® VirusScan® 7.0
• ScanSoft® Dragon Naturally Speaking® 6 Preferred
• WinZip Computing WinZip® 8.1

BAPCo's SYSmark 2004 Software and Hardware Requirements:

BAPCo's SYSmark 2004 supports Windows® XP (Professional and Home) and Windows® 2000 (with Service Pack 4). SYSmark 2004 requires 256 MB RAM. A CPU frequency of 650 MHz (or comparable rating) or above and 7.0 GB Free hard disk space. SYSmark 2004 also requires an integrated or add-in sound card and a DVD ROM drive. SYSmark supports the following non-English languages: Chinese (Traditional), Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

BAPCo's SYSmark 2004 is available for $399.95 USD.