Performance is a measure of how well your computer accomplishes
a given task, not how fast it accomplishes the task. Sure, it’s always
nice to get the job done quickly, but quickly doing it wrong doesn’t
accomplish much. A computer that performs well provides these elements:
* A usable interface
* Reliable operation and data handling
* Efficient resource usage
After a computer accomplishes all of these goals, then
you concentrate on making it faster. Speed is part of the performance
picture, but speed is actually the last element you consider. When
a computer performs well, it’s less likely that a user is going to
notice speed and even when the user does notice speed, the effect
is short-lived. Users tend to get used to speed, but notice these
other elements whenever they’re missing. No matter how fast the computer
is, the user will notice a bad interface and applications that aren’t
reliable.