So, AMD announced a new 8-core CPU running at 5 GHz this week. It’s a bit of a hollow victory, since it basically will match the highest-end Intel Core i7 in performance, in spite of its much higher clock rate and wattage. I’m not sure what the appeal of a 220-watt CPU is, and I’m [...]
All posts tagged amd
AMD hits 5 GHz
Posted by Dave Farquhar on June 12, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/06/amd-hits-5-ghz/
No, this doesn’t mean Ubuntu and Linux are giving up
This week, Mark Shuttleworth closed the longstanding Ubuntu bug #1, which simply read, “Microsoft has majority market share.” Because Microsoft didn’t lose its market share lead to Ubuntu, or Red Hat, or some other conventional Linux distribution, some people, including John C. Dvorak, are interpreting this as some kind of surrender. I don’t see it [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on June 1, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/06/no-this-doesnt-mean-ubuntu-and-linux-are-giving-up/
“Computer Maintenance Department” called me again from India
So, “Peggy” from “Computer Maintenance Department” called me again last night. This time I decided to mess with him a bit more. This is the second time. (No, “Peggy” wasn’t his real name, nor did he identify himself as “Peggy,” but that’s the name I’ll use, thanks to that old Discover commercial.)
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 9, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/05/computer-maintenance-department-called-me-again-from-india/
Don’t read too much into the PC sales drop just yet
If you’ve been paying any attention at all, you probably know that new PC sales are in the toilet–out of the five biggest vendors, the only one whose sales managed to hold steady in Q1 2013 was Lenovo, while the other four saw a sales decline. So now Slashdot linked to a ZDNet piece stating [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on April 17, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/04/dont-read-too-much-into-the-pc-sales-drop-just-yet/
Is this a good computer for the money in 2013?
My realtor sent me some computer specs this past week and asked for my opinion on it, since I get paid to keep up with this stuff these days and he doesn’t. I thought my critique of the system might help other people.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 27, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/03/is-this-a-good-computer-for-the-money-in-2013/
Why Intel can’t quit x86
Here’s a nice perspective on Intel’s non-x86 efforts, and why they failed and x86 marched on, despite its weak points. Kudos for remembering that Intel made ARM chips.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 10, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/03/why-intel-cant-quit-x86/
How the previous week’s headlines flow together
Here are some headlines I read this past week: Dell is trying to take itself private. Microsoft is investing in Dell. Intel is pulling out of the motherboard market. AMD is considering ARM CPUs. And the PC is dead. It’s all related.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 27, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/01/how-the-previous-weeks-headlines-flow-together/
Up and coming low-end Android chips
I decided to dig into what the low-end Android chipmakers like Mediatek and Rockchip are up to, since they’re the ones who are likely to drive prices down.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 19, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/01/up-and-coming-low-end-android-chips/
SSDs might be getting less interesting, but that’s not necessarily bad
Ars Technica has a story about SSD news coming out of CES. Basically, they’re predicting that the big news this year will be consolidation and lower prices. That may be bad news for someone who writes about SSDs for a living (I don’t), but good news for consumers.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 12, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/01/ssds-might-be-getting-less-interesting-but-thats-not-necessarily-bad/
What to make of this Black Friday’s sub-$200 laptops
It’s still a couple of weeks off, but we already know two retailers will be offering sub-$200 laptops on the day the United States gorges itself on bargains. The question is, what do you get for your $200 on these minimalist laptops? I’ll answer those questions, then you can decide whether they’re worth $200 and [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on November 12, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/11/what-to-make-of-this-black-fridays-sub-200-laptops/