[Python-Dev] Performance compares

[Tim Peters]

[M.-A. Lemburg]
> ...
> Running the same test for 2.1 vs. 2.0 there's not much to
> notice, so the important changes seem to be originating in
> the move from 1.5.2 to 2.0.

IIRC, Guido, Skip Montanaro and I put major effort into finding speedups for
1.5.2, and Fredrik did more independently (like inlining high-frequency int
operations in the eval loop).  Also IIRC, that's the last time any concerted
effort was put into speeding Python.  1.5.2 was an efficiency peak, then, and
unstable equilibrium never endures without deliberate and persistent
rebalancing work.  If Python were "a real product", it would be at least one
person's full-time job to keep it in peak shape.  But it's not even a
part-time job for anyone, and I don't see that changing.  In compensation,
machines have gotten faster much quicker than Python has slowed.