Users have long reported that their PC's performance declines over time and with use, steadily becoming slower and unstable. This study was designed to measure whether PC performance does worsen over time and whether PC tune-up software has an impact on such performance degradation. This paper presents preliminary results. Read more...

The responsiveness of a PC relates to how quickly programs and the operating system respond to user input. A slow response is a commonly reported frustration by users and has been identified as a fundamental issue for positive human-computer interaction (HCI). The study quantifies changes over time by observing machines starting from a brand-new PC to one that is two years old.. Read more...

Many users have reported frustration with increasingly longer startup times—the longer they have had their PCs, the longer the PCs take to start. This study measures whether startup time lengthens over a period of time and, if so, what factors may contribute to this impact. The study quantifies changes over time by observing machines starting from a brand-new PC to one that is two years old. Read more...