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Leopard Reference Library
The performance of Mac OS X applications and hardware devices can be measured, evaluated, and optimized using Apple's developer tools, technologies, and programming interfaces. Developers can fine-tune their applications for high performance using tools such as the Shark code-profiling application, features such as multiprocessing, and APIs such as the one for the vDSP library.

A guided introduction to improving performance in Mac OS X software.   Essential information for improving the performance of developer applications.   API references, organized by framework.
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VelEng FFT (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
G4 Velocity Engine implementation of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and associated convolution/correlation routines.
Audio, Carbon, Graphics & Imaging, Hardware & Drivers, Tools, Vector Engines Sample Code 2003-01-14
VelEng Multiprecision (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
An implementation of arbitrary precision arithmetic using the PowerPC Velocity-Engine (G4) vector instructions.
High Performance Computing, Vector Engines Sample Code 2003-01-14
VelEng Wavelet (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
This demonstrates a Velocity Engine (G4) implementation of wavelet processing of color images
Vector Engines Sample Code 2003-01-14
Real world profiling with the OpenGL Profiler (HTML)
TN2178: This document describes how to use OpenGL Profiler, a very powerful tool for your OpenGL development.
Graphics & Imaging Technical Notes 2008-09-16
Thermal considerations for Mac Pro FB-DIMMs (HTML)
TN2156: Design considerations and specifications for the AMB and Heat spreader for the Mac Pro
Hardware & Drivers Technical Notes 2006-11-10
Enabling multi-threaded execution of the OpenGL framework (HTML)
TN2085: OpenGL on Intel-based Macintosh systems can use multi-threading to increase the performance of CPU-bound OpenGL-based applications.
Graphics & Imaging Technical Notes 2006-11-07
Coalesced Updates (HTML)
TN2133: How to achieve the maxium frame rate in your Mac OS X application
Graphics & Imaging Technical Notes 2006-01-20
OpenGL Release Highlights - Mac OS X 10.3 Panther (HTML)
TN2131: Contains a list of bugs along with a short description on a release-by-release basis
Graphics & Imaging Technical Notes 2005-02-04
Using the 3DMixer Audio Unit (HTML)
TN2112: Discusses how to use Core Audio's 3DMixer version 2.0
Audio Technical Notes 2004-06-14
Ensuring Backwards Binary Compatibility - Weak Linking and Availability Macros on Mac OS X (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
TN2064: Ensuring that Mach-O applications built using today's Mac OS X runs on previous versions of the OS.
Carbon, Cocoa Technical Notes 2003-02-18
Mac OS X 10.2 (HTML)
TN2053: Describes software development-related changes provided in system software update Mac OS X 10.2.
Tools Technical Notes 2002-09-04
Mac OS X: v10.1.1 - v10.1.3 (HTML)
TN2043: Describes changes provided by system software updates 10.1.1 through 10.1.3.
Tools Technical Notes 2002-03-06
GDB for MacsBug Veterans (HTML)
TN2030: Translate your experience with MacsBug into a working knowledge of the GNU source-level debugger (GDB).
Carbon, Darwin, Tools Technical Notes 2001-10-18
Optimization Strategies for Mac OS X (HTML)
TN1174: Achieving the best possible performance in your applications.
Carbon, Hardware & Drivers Technical Notes 1999-09-01
Disabling Processor Cores on a Multi-Core System (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QA1141: Describes how to disable processor cores on a multi-core system for testing purposes.
Audio, Carbon, Cocoa, Core Foundation, Darwin, Graphics & Imaging, Hardware & Drivers, Java, Multiprocessing, Tools, Vector Engines Technical Q&As 2008-09-16
Requirements for Quartz GL (HTML)
QA1536: Describes the requirements for enabling Quartz GL.
Carbon, Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2008-08-08
Synchronizing OpenGL rendering updates to the vertical refresh of the display (HTML)
QA1521: How to avoid tearing by synchronizing your rendering to the display VBL
Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2007-07-16
Common QA and Roadmap for USB Software Development on Mac OS X (HTML)
QA1370: Roadmap for development of USB Software on Mac OS X and some Common Questions and Answers
Tools Technical Q&As 2006-02-28
The "packages" node in the device tree (HTML)
HW90: Describes the "packages" node in the Open Firmware device tree.
Hardware & Drivers Technical Q&As 2006-02-22
Debugging Graphics with QuartzDebug (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QA1236: Explains how to use QuartzDebug to debug graphics issues.
Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2006-01-12
Specifiying if the CPU or the GPU should be used for rendering. (HTML)
QA1416: Which processor will be used for rendering in Core Image and how to affect it.
Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2005-08-16
How can I optimize a Quartz Composer composition depending on the hardware it runs on? (HTML)
QA1433: Explains how to design compositions that adapt to the hardware limitations.
Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2005-06-01
Sleep vs. Doze on Mac OS X (HTML)
QA1309: Discusses and demonstrates sleep versus doze detection on Machintosh Mac OS X
Hardware & Drivers Technical Q&As 2003-10-09
Is ColorSync thread safe? (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QA1261: Discusses ColorSync thread-safety issues.
Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2003-04-17
Quartz 2D Thread Safety (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QA1238: Explains the thread-safety issues for the Quartz 2D API.
Carbon, Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2003-02-25
How do I tell if a particular display is being hardware accelerated by Quartz Extreme? (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QA1218: Describes how to use CGDisplayUsesOpenGLAcceleration to see if a display is accelerated or not.
Carbon, Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2002-12-04
Setting environment variables for user processes (HTML)
QA1067: Tells how to set environment variables for user processes.
Darwin, Tools Technical Q&As 2001-10-25
QDFlushPortBuffer (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QD65: Describes a possible solution for window update problems under Carbon.
Graphics & Imaging Technical Q&As 2000-11-08
OTScheduleDeferredTask When Task Running (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
NW52: Describes what happens when you use OTScheduleDefferedTask to schedule a task that is running.
Carbon, Cocoa, Hardware & Drivers Technical Q&As 1997-10-13
Changing the TCP Window Size (HTML)
NW47: Describes how to change the TCP window size in Open Transport.
Carbon, Cocoa Technical Q&As 1997-03-14
Using Temporary Memory with OpenPicture (HTML)
Deprecated - QD20: Provides several techniques of causing OpenPicture to allocate temporary memory for a picture handle.
Carbon Technical Q&As 1996-02-01
Error -151 and NewGWorld (HTML)
Deprecated - QD18: Explains what the error code -151 means when in NewGWorld.
Carbon Technical Q&As 1995-09-15
Problem with PaintRgn on 256-color Screens (HTML)
Deprecated - QD23: PaintRgn with RGBForeColor and transfer mode addOver doesn't return color to original on 256-color-screens.
Carbon Technical Q&As 1995-09-15