The Evangelist

Return

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0000

After a not-quite-so-brief hiatus, The Evangelist will be returning at a new address.

This blog will continue to exist as a separate site with all of the articles intact. I hope you will visit the new site and consider bookmarking.

-The Evangelist

Happy Holidays, Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:24:00 +0000

I realize I haven't had much time to publish new articles to the blog lately.

In light of this, I would simply like to wish everybody a happy, healthy new year.

Stay tuned, there is more to come.

-The Evangelist

Google Chrome Beta Available For OS X, Linux

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:37:00 +0000

For those of you who haven't heard, an official native port of Google Chrome is now available for Mac OS X and Linux.

Before this, Crossover Chromium offered an alternative way to run Chrome on OS X and Linux.

It should be noted that these are still in beta, and therefore there still may be bugs that need to be worked out.

The Linux port can be downloaded as either 32- or 64-bit .deb or .rpm packages for both Debian-based distributions such as Ubuntu and distributions that use the Red Hat Package Manager, such as Fedora.

Deja Vu: Netbooks

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. Please see the page on Wikimedia Commons for more information.

There can be no doubt that netbooks have become extremely popular over the course of the last two years. While many (including AMD, as was discussed in Why Intel's Atom May Revolutionize Mobile Computing) doubted that there would be much of a market for netbooks at first, this doubt would be quickly eliminated by the sheer amount of netbooks flying off of the shelves.

Netbooks certainly have their advantages over other classes of portables. They are lighter, smaller, and cheaper than your average laptop. While there are some ultraportables such as the MacBook Air that are typically slimmer and more powerful, they come at a hefty price.

Netbooks are useful for those who are on the go and don't need that much processing power. Students can undoubtedly benefit from the advantages of a leightweight and cheap computer.

That isn't to say that netbooks aren't useful around the house as well. They make for great secondary machines, so that they user has processing power when they need it and mobility when they don't.

Intel's Atom processor has become the mainstay of most netbooks. The processors have truly revolutionized mobile computing by helping to create the netbook market.

A number of operating systems are now preloaded onto netbooks. Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition has historically been the popular choice because it is lightweight and because XP is still very popular. Microsoft is now pushing their much-improved Windows 7 onto netbooks.

In addition, Linux has made some headway on netbooks. Projects such as Moblin and Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR) have been created to create distributions optimized for use on netbooks. These interfaces make it easier to get to what you want and help the user cope with the smaller screen size.

Unlike the highly portable devices of yesteryear, netbooks have become an unqualified success.

The only question that remains is where netbooks are headed next. The category is rapidly changing, and innovative new classes of devices are being created, such as the smartbook.

Image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License. Please see the page on Wikimedia Commons for more information.

Google's Chrome OS has the potential to challenge Microsoft on the netbook front. The interface is sleek and very minimalist, much like netbooks themselves.

The operating system is based on Linux, and is specifically designed for netbooks. It's interface is similar to that of Google's Chrome web browser.

Instead of desktop apps, Google Chrome OS will take advantage of Google's extensive cloud services such as Google Docs and Gmail.

Netbooks with Google Chrome OS installed will probably be cheaper than their Windows counterparts, although it is hard to tell what will happen (as Microsoft will undoubtedly want to keep their dominance). Chrome OS netbooks will include solid state drives. While these drives surely won't be able to store as much information, with Google's cloud services it is doubtful that much storage will be needed.

Deja Vu: Apple Brick

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Back in October 2008, I wrote a couple articles about Apple's Brick. At the time, there were quite a few rumors as to what Brick would be, from a new Mac Mini design to a Mac netbook. Of course, the "Brick" turned out to be a manufacturing process for the MacBook line of laptops.

With the introduction of Brick, a unibody aluminum 13" MacBook and 15" MacBook Pro were released. Later, the 13" MacBook would be replaced by a 13" MacBook Pro and a 17" MacBook Pro would be added to the lineup.

Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License. Please see the page on Wikipedia for more information.

When the line was originally released, the only option was a glossy display. A matte display is optional on the 15" and 17" versions for those who would prefer that option.

The mouse button has been integrated into the new glass touchpad, eliminating another button in traditional Apple style.

Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License. Please see the page on Wikipedia for more information.

There's no doubt that the new unibody MacBook Pros are a leap forward in design. Sure, unibody laptops probably won't supplant traditional processes anytime soon, especially for cheaper models, but the fact remains that the unibody design not only looks better, it makes for less pieces of plastic and breakable parts.

Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License. Please see the page on Wikipedia for more information.

Deja Vu: Opera

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0000

It's been a while since I mentioned Opera in a post. The browser has a mere 1.50% of marketshare according to Wikipedia, coming in behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's Safari, and Google's Chrome. Considering Opera's quality as a browser and how many features it has pioneered before other browsers, it is surprising how little marketshare Opera has.

Opera has some unique and interesting features rarely found in other browsers (and often requiring plug-in extensions). The browser has a built-in BitTorrent client for downloading files via torrent (which, contrary to what some may believe, has legitimate uses; I will be covering this in an upcoming article). It also features an IRC client, a feed reader, and an email client.

Opera, while not open source, is free for PCs and cellular phones. On the PC side of things, it supports Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and even FreeBSD and Sun Microsystem's Solaris. Opera is also available for Nintendo's Wii (free) and DS gaming systems (free for the DSi), as well as a number of smartphone platforms.

It has all of the features you would expect from a typical web browser today such as tabbed browsing, a download manager, and zooming. In addition, it supports mouse gestures (an innovative feature that can make navigation easier for some users) and excellent built-in security features to make browsing safer.

The latest release of Opera also includes an innovative new feature called "Opera Unite". This allows the user to run a web server that can stream media, share files such as videos and pictures, and even host a website. While there are plenty of other frameworks out there for doing the same things, Opera Unite is unique in that it aims to bring it to the average user and make it relevant for them.

To download the Opera browser, or to see all that Opera has to offer, visit the Opera website at http://www.opera.com/.

Deja Vu: Flock

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0000

The Flock browser has come far since my last post about it in 2008.

PC World ranked it number 6 on their "100 Best Products of 2008". It was the CNET "Webware 100" winner for best browser. In addition, it has won some other awards and has even been covered in the New York Times.

Flock's concept is certainly a logical one: social media has become incredibly popular; integrating this media with the browser can undoubtedly prove useful. Flock can connect with sites such as Twitter, MySpace and Facebook to track updates from friends and other information.

Flock also has a built-in email client, blog editor, and feed reader.

While Flock might not be good for those who don't like their browser to be loaded down, it certainly has some great features for those who want to keep in touch without having to have tabs open with all of their social networking sites all the time.

Deja Vu: Encrypting the "Internets"

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Ah, the Pirate Bay. It would be difficult to find another site that is so loved by some and yet so loathed by others.

Back in July 2008, I posted an article about IPETEE, the Pirate Bay's proposal to encrypt the internet. Since then, the site has been experiencing a number of problems. Some are worried that action against the site will cause it to disappear from the internet altogether. At any rate, the site has come into the spotlight due to its popularity, making it nothing less than a giant target for lawsuits and criminal proceedings.

At any rate, not much has come of IPETEE, considering it's lofty ideals and goals. It's a bit sad to see a plan that could have so much potential benefit not get anywhere after a huge announcement, but this seems unfortunately typical for vaporware.

All of that said, I hope that there has been continuing work on IPETEE or something similar. The concept was interesting because it would not require that client applications have special support in most circumstances; instead, traffic would be encrypted after it is passed from the program and decrypted before it is passed to the program. This makes it much more practical and useful than encryption for individual programs.

While IPETEE may be far from reality, there are steps you can take to make your experience more safe, secure, and private. Firstly, for email communications, look into GnuPG. Second, look for https:// in the address bar when you are purchasing items off the internet or doing banking. Third, make sure that you have a good working firewall - such as the freeware one from ZoneAlarm - before you surf the internet. All the encryption in the world won't protect you from snoopers if you're computer isn't secure. Lastly, make sure that you have wireless encrypted access set up on your router if you use wireless in your home.

Deja Vu: The Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0000

For such a simple device, the Peek has proved to be immensely successful.

Now, the company has introduced the Twitter Peek, a device that aims to bring Twitter (and just Twitter) to the palm of your hand and do it right.

It's no surpise that the innovators at Peek chose the immensely popular social blogging site for their new device. Twitter is undoubtedly one of the most popular social sites on the internet, and interest in the service continues to spread. While many use Twitter to post the latest updates on what they're up to, Twitter has been used for many other things as well. It is a useful tool for businesses to stay in touch with their customers, a way for campaigning politicians to spread their messages, and has even been used to organize protests.

One might wonder why anyone would but a device simply to Tweet when they can simply use a computer, a cell phone, or PDA to send tweets. At the same time, one needs to look at the original Peek: you can send an email using a computer, a cell phone, or a PDA. But that doesn't mean that the Peek hasn't done well.

One great the about the Twitter Peek is that you can get a "Lifetime Service Plan", which means that you don't have to pay for additional service again, as you would with a cell phone. The Peek, of course, is a lot more mobile than even a notebook. Also, unlike a PDA, you don't have to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

At any rate, if you are into Twitter or you just want a simple device to access your email without any hassles, Peek has an excellent product lined up for you.

Deja Vu: Mac Mini Web Servers

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Those who are longtime readers might remember my article on Mac Mini Web Servers.

A lot has happened at Apple since then, and Apple is now selling the Mac Mini with their new Snow Leopard Server preinstalled.

This special Mini comes complete with two 500GB 5400 RPM hard drives, 4GB of memory, and a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, making for a great server setup in a small package. The model does not come with a CD drive; this, however, isn't too surprising for a server edition.

So, what does this mean for a consumer? For one, you can now buy a server for your home that is dead simple to set up and configure. Apple has made desktop computer very simple, and extending this simplicity to the home server only seems natural. Secondly, it means that you can get such a package at a reasonable price. OS X server is usually quite expensive; in this case, it is included with the package.

If Apple plays their cards right, they could have quite a hit on their hands.

Deja Vu: A Look Back

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Over the next two weeks, I will be posting follow-ups to various past articles.

Through this series, titled "Deja Vu: A Look Back", I hope to explore how the landscape has changed since the articles were posted.

It is my hope that you enjoy these retrospectives.

-The Evangelist

Portable Future

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

With smaller devices becoming more and more powerful, could larger laptops become obsolete for all but power users?

In recent years, the power of small mobile devices has clearly increased at an incredible rate. While devices such as the iPhone, netbooks, and other mobile internet devices (MIDs) certainly aren't extreme multitasking machines, they get the job done and do it well.

There's no doubt that these devices are gaining great popularity; sources suggest that the iPhone has 10.8% of the smartphone market, while other reports suggest that netbook sales may rise to 22 million units this year.

All of this begs a question: why lug around a full size notebook computer when all of the tasks (or the vast majority of them) that you need to do may be possible using a much smaller device. Sure, you might not get a large screen or crystal-clear sound, but is all of that really necessary? Clearly many are saying "no, it's not."

Some might point to the rise and fall of similar devices in the past. Ultraportable devices always seemed to be more of an item for a limited audience, and many turned out to be flops (for example, see Apple's MessagePad series of PDAs and their eMate 300, which resembles a small netbook). However, I would argue that those devices were ahead of their time and the technology simply was not ready. Now, with the increasing use of wireless internet and the increasing power of these portable devices (to the extent that a number of netbooks can handle HD movie playback), the gap between what users want (and need) and the world of portable gadgets is closing rapidly. In addition, these devices don't come with a ridiculous price tag, as products of these sizes used to.

In addition, one other problem that used to exist with portable devices is in the process of being overcome: the inability of many devices to take advantage of the full breadth of the internet. This was clearly one of Apple's biggest concerns with the iPhone. Now, the news comes that Flash Player, on which a great deal of online content such of videos is based, will be coming to many smartphones.

Modern mobile devices are clearly quite capable of handling both entertainment and business tasks. While most are not as open of a platform as a standard computer, and "freeware" might be harder to come by, mobile apps do have their advantages. They tend to stick to one thing and therefore try to do that one thing right, as where PC apps can sometimes overdo or overcomplicate tasks.

All of this said, there should be no doubt that standard laptops aren't going to disappear (at least not overnight). Having a decent amount of power on the go is still important to many users. It is simply a matter of what tool will fit the job best.

Twitter Bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:10:00 +0000

I just wanted to take a minute to thank Twitter Bookmarks for sponsoring and supporting this blog.

Twitter Bookmarks is a useful resource for those into Twitter, with apps and tools to help you make the most out of Twitter.

For more information, please visit http://twitterbookmarks.blogspot.com/.

Feature: The Perennial Technology Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

A message many consumers can sympathize with

For many consumers, it can seem like it is you against the technology. Indeed, the very technology that is supposed to make our lives easier can seem to complicate things. This is especially true when new versions of software are released that, while they may have more features, typically introduce interface changes that may confuse users and can also have bugs in all of those new features.

This is especially relevant at the moment, with the recent release of Apple's Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Microsoft's impending release of Windows 7.

Despite the fact that Apple's Mac operating systems are typically known for their reliability and easy of use, Snow Leopard has not been without its problems. Most notable is a recently discovered bug that could cause the administrator account's data to be deleted. This, however, requires some unique circumstances and isn't exactly easily reproduced unless you are really trying to cause it. On the other hand, there have been compatibility problems, which has far greater potential to affect the experience of users. In addition, Snow Leopard does not come with Rosetta installed by default. While this results in a smaller default installation (as Apple has touted), it also means that the user has to install Rosetta before they can use any of their old PowerPC applications.

Also affected by Snow Leopard are those users who can't upgrade to Snow Leopard: those still using PowerPC Macs. Some of these users feel as if they are being "left behind" by Apple. While Windows users could theoretically install Windows 7 even on a relatively old PC (it has been demonstrated running on Pentium II PCs, although I wouldn't recommend using such a system for day-to-day work), even Mac users who bought PowerPC computers more recently cannot upgrade. It should be noted, however, that more and more applications are Intel-only, so Apple is not alone in this move.

On the other hand, Windows 7 presents its own unique problems. Although Windows 7 seems to at least be faster and more responsive than the much-derided Windows Vista, the difference doesn't appear to be by that great. Worse yet, Windows XP users will still face some of the incompatibility problems they experienced (or would have experienced) with Vista.

Users coming straight from Windows XP may still have problems finding some things due to the differences in the way things like the control panel are set up. While I feel that Windows 7's way of doing things is actually better, those who are used to doing things the Windows XP way will undoubtedly have problems.

The Windows 7 taskbar definitely has the potential to confuse users. While it is possible to switch to the classic taskbar, quite a few inexperienced users may not realize this is even possible, and may be thoroughly annoyed by the new feature.

Another problem is that while Windows XP Mode can help on the software compatibility side, the processor must have hardware support for virtualization in order for it to work. This has the potential to confuse the consumer even more considering the fact that Intel's budget processors typically do not have support for hardware virtualization, and support for virtualizating even among distinct product families can be inconsistent. AMD has been far more consistent, which could prove the be beneficial to the company. If retailers fail to make it clear to users which PCs are XP Mode compatible and which ones aren't, many users with old software could be especially angered when they find out that their new (or existing) computer with a copy of Windows 7 that supposedly supports the feature can't run it.

Of course, what many users are failing to realize is that Windows XP had the same kinds of problems when it was first released. It was criticized for its instability as well as its incompatibility with many old DOS applications as well as some older Windows apps. Of course, Windows XP improved greatly with service pack releases, and XP is currently the most widely used version of Windows.

Of course, there is no real solution to these problems. If new operating systems didn't include any new features, the companies that produce them wouldn't be able to sell them using their current business models. And, when you think about it, the thought of not having moved on from Windows 9x to Windows XP is absurd now. Somewhat ironically, the time between the release of Windows 95 and the release of Windows XP was a bit over 6 years, while the time between the release of XP and the upcoming release of Windows 7 will have been 8 years. While this is a testament to the quality of Windows XP, only so much life can be had out of an operating system in the consumer market. On the other hand, the lifecycles of some products are ridiculous. It's not Microsoft's fault that hardware vendors don't bother to create drivers for newer operating systems. It's also not Microsoft's fault that many of these drivers are subpar, and can be the cause of "Windows" instability; consider that if Microsoft were to enforce stricter standards, even fewer device makers might create updated drivers for new operating systems. Apple only avoids these problems because of the limited set of hardware on which OS X runs.

There are, of course, some ways to alleviate some of these problems.

One interesting possibility would be a subscription-based operating system. This could offer vendors a way to not force people to buy a completely new operating system every couple of years while still having a valid business plan. Newer elements could be modularized and added to compatible systems in the future, while underlying modules (such as those relating to drivers) could remain the same if compatibility would be broken by an update. This, of course, would introduce its own problems. Not everybody has an internet connection, and those who don't would likely be forced to call in. At any rate, it would likely require some time to renew the subscription. It could also anger consumers and make them feel as if they don't really have control over their computers.

As far as processor virtualization support goes, the key would be more consistency across product lines and at least being consistent when using such a feature (or a lack thereof) in order to segment the market. Intel has announced that hardware virtualization will be added to some additional processors.

In the end, consumers can do a few things to keep their experience is positive as possible. Before buying a product, check for reviews online. For example, go to Google and enter the name of the product you are thinking about buying and "review". It is even better if you can enter the specific model of the product that you are looking at buying, to see if it might be an older version and/or might have problems not present in other iterations of the same product. Also, proprietary formats, particularly connectors, can be a headache if there is not enough industry investment into them. Look into these technologies carefully, and be wary that they might not work with every device, and if they break, you might not be able to replace them easily.

Finally, don't forget one important fact: there are people out there that would be happy to help you, whether you are a beginner or seasoned veteran in the tech world. Chances are that there is a forum for your product (or type of product) where you can get help from others. Doing so can make what would otherwise be a major problem into a learning experience, and you just might find that the technology isn't so unfriendly after all.

The Evangelist On The Entrecard Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:03:00 +0000

The Evangelist is now on the Entrecard Marketplace! Entrecard members should see my listings page for more information.

Current listings include text and 125x125 spots. I hope that this helps support the community.

-The Evangelist

Google's Chrome Frame

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:38:00 +0000

Google has been developing an open-source plugin for Internet Explorer dubbed "Chrome Frame" that allows web pages to be rendered by Google's Chrome layout engine rather than the one built in to Internet Explorer.

This affords the user a number of benefits. Perhaps most importantly to Google, Chrome Frame enables the draft HTML5 standard in IE. This will be required for the use of Google Wave, Google's new powerful communication and collaboration tool.

In addition, Chrome Frame can also offer better Javascript performance thanks to the Chrome layout engine.

The only caveat is that, as of when this article was written, web developers have to add a tag to their web pages in order to render Chrome tab. It is my hope that Google extends the Chrome Frame capability to all pages at the user's discretion, allowing users who are familiar with the Internet Explorer interface to take advantage of Google's excellent layout engine.

Potential downloaders should also keep in mind the fact that Chrome Frame is, as Google describes it, in an "early stage." This means that there still might be some bugs and some glitches with the software.

Those who are interested should visit Google's page on Chrome Frame for more information.

A Notice

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:04:00 +0000

Just in case anybody noticed that I have been apparently getting hits from Google searches for "refererx", I just wanted to clarify a few things.

This blog is not associated with RefererX and does not use it. I couldn't even find how the visitor got to this blog through that search.

Moreover, this blog has never sold anything, marketed anything for anyone for pay, received any products or services for review, or been paid for a review. Due to the new regulations being put out, I will be creating a disclosure page to explain our current policy.

That said, I want to reaffirm that this blog is dedicated to creating unique and interesting articles on technology topics.

-The Evangelist

Google UFO Logos

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:41:00 +0000

Many of you have probably noticed (and maybe even read about) the UFO logos that have been popping up on Google as of late (for example, there is one up today, September 15, 2009, link to the image itself).

There has been much speculation as to what these logos are for, because they don't seem to commemorate anything too special like Google's typical logos do. This has led some to believe that they are marketing a specific movie. However, given Google's history, I doubt that they sold something as important as the logo as advertising. Also, the logo doesn't link to anything that would suggest a movie.

One theory that came to my mind is that it might be some kind of esoteric recruitment scheme like the one Google did a few years back. It is of interesting note that in the first logo with the UFO, the second o was being abducted and the file name of the image was go_gle.gif. With this second image, the l appears to have been written in by a tractor (or otherwise not made by the UFO, as it is not as distinct) and the file name is goog_e.gif.

So, what do you think the reason behind Google's UFO logos is? Or, do you think they're doing it for no reason at all. Share your thoughts in the comment section by clicking on the title of this article and scrolling down.

Opinions and comments are welcome. To post, simply click on the title of this article and scroll down.

Maintenance

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:49:00 +0000

The blog is currently being updated. Sorry for any trouble this may cause.

-The Evangelist

Feature: Innovation Woes

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:13:00 +0000

AMD once edged past Intel to attain the performance crown. Now, the chip maker faces an uphill challenge.

You might remember that years ago AMD held the performance crown with their Athlon 64 processors. Intel struggled to catch up, adding 64-bit capability to their processors. The Netburst microarchitecture (Pentium 4) proved to be unable to catch up with AMD's innovation no matter how many gigahertz Intel put into their high-end processors; therefore, Intel turned to their older P6 microarchitecture (Pentium 3) to create the Core microarchitecture, which has since allowed Intel to reclaim its performance crown.

Even with the performance crown, AMD faced the fact that Intel was a marketing giant. While many enthusiasts, gamers, and other demanding users turned to AMD, Intel still held the mainstream market due to a number of factors. Most manufacturers sold mostly Intel computers. Some did not sell AMD computers at all. The public perception of Intel was also a large factor; many recognized Intel as the processor manufacturer, and looked to buy an Intel computer. I would like to note that one time, I talked to a user that was unsure of whether or not all of their software would be compatible with an AMD processor because they had always bought Intel.

Now that Intel has reclaimed the performance crown, AMD has had to compete in other ways. One way they have successfully done this is by offering exceptional value through lower prices. Of course, they have not been sitting around; AMD has forged ahead with their Phenom and, more recently, Phenom II processors. At the same time, Intel has come out with their Nehalem microarchitecture. Based on this microarchitecture are Intel's new 45nm Xeon server processors as well as the Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme processors for the high-end desktop market as well as the first of Intel's Core i5 processors, which will aimed more at mainstream computing. Eventually Intel will switch over to a 32nm process. he high-end processor for servers and desktops will then be Core i9, a six-core processor. At the lower end will be the Core i3 and a Pentium-branded processor.

Image copyright Imperator3733. See the image summary on Wikipedia for more information.

So, the question becomes this: how will AMD continue to compete? It is fairly clear that Intel is also trying to get into the lower-end market with the Core i3 and their Pentium branded processors. If Intel is able to keep prices low enough and performance good enough on these lower-end chips, will AMD be able to compete? This is a complicated question, and there is no easy answer.

AMD's Phenom II processors are based on 45nm technology, and have improved performance from the original Phenoms. Benchmarks, however, show that high-end Phenom IIs still lag behind Intel's high-end Core i7 chips. While the Phenom IIs might cost less, those who demand performance at the high-end are bound to turn to Intel. AMD does, however, have quite a bit of potential at the mid-range to lower end. The Athlon II X2 and Phenom II X2 chips appear to be very good for the price according to benchmarks.

The other big question is this: where does AMD go next? It would appear that the next step is still AMD Fusion; these processors would function as both a CPU and GPU, eliminating the need for a separate graphics card. Intel will be exploring similar technology with some of their upcoming processors with the codenames "Clarkdale" and "Arrandale." However, given Intel's history with GPUs and the fact that these are intended to be mainstream-market processors, these processors won't be ideal for gaming or more intense graphics. One interesting thought is that, just as in the current Macbook Pro laptops with graphics that can be switched from dedicated to integrated to save power, perhaps computers with this technology could also an include a dedicated graphics card and be able to switch back and forth depending on performance needs or lack thereof at a given moment.

Since AMD now has ATI's resources, their Fusion processors could possibly deliver better graphics than Intel's will, but at this point this is just pure conjecture. According to Wikipedia's article on AMD Fusion, these processors may skip the 32nm process and instead be based on a 22nm process. This could give AMD a chance to get ahead once again, although there is no guarantee that AMD's processors will have superior performance simply because of the smaller process. Only the future will tell the fate of the two major x86 processor manufacturers, both of which face the challenges of the economic recession.

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Opinions and comments are welcome. To post, simply click on the title of this article and scroll down.

Another Reason The Internet Has Ruined Traditional Media

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Before I get started, I just want to clarify a few things, so as to not confuse anyone: I have no problem with internet media such as blogs (which should be obvious considering the fact that this is a blog). This article is simply my analysis of one of the reasons that internet and alternative media have virtually ruined the traditional media. This is an opinion-editorial, and this article simply represents the opinion of the author. Please do not take it as absolute fact, or anything else that it is not intended to be.

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It is clear that the popularity of internet media has greatly damaged the traditional media. Many online sources of news provide their articles for free. In these troubled times, it should come as no surprise that people are turning to free online news in order to save money.

But there is another reason that the internet has basically ruined traditional media, one that is often overlooked. First, one unavoidable truth: the quality of information on the internet is not always ideal. Sensationalist and even false information is commonplace. Now, in their effort to keep up with internet media, the traditional media has turned to the internet for stories and information. Unfortunately, it would seem that in an effort to garner better ratings, they turn to these sensationalist stories.

While this might seem fine and dandy, it also has one unfortunate side effect: there are no original stories, and the quality of the stories that are released are generally fairly low. When faced with the proposition of looking at websites such as Google News for the latest aggregated news stories or watching the news or reading a newspaper, I imagine that many "netizens" would choose Google News. The cream-of-the crop stories are towards the top, and all of the extra gobbledygook has been removed. My point is this: to try to compete with the internet media, the traditional media is trying to become more like the internet media. I simply do not believe this will work.

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Opinions and comments are welcome. To post, simply click on the title of this article and scroll down.

And, We're Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:13:00 +0000

I have been busy with various things lately, and as a result I haven't been able to post for a while. At the same time, I have still been getting a steady stream of viewers, and I appreciate the patience of all of those who are still waiting for my latest post.

Rest assured, I will be posting some new articles for your enjoyment soon.

Again, thank you for your patience.

-The Evangelist

Evangelist Media Forums

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:01:00 +0000

The Evangelist has always been an open forum for discussion, and commenting on articles has always been allowed. The format of a blog allows for the discussion of topics that you can first read about and get acquainted with.

It is our belief, however, that a blog is just one type of great forum for thought and discussion. There may be topics that you want to talk about in tech that aren't discussed here, and we realize that.

That's why we're opening the Evangelist Media Forums. The forums are still in the process of being fully set up, but they are fully-functioning, so please feel free to use them.

It is my belief that this will add another level of depth to the discussion here, and I do hope you enjoy it.

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Happy Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:03:00 +0000

I would like to wish everyone in observance a happy Easter.

May this time of renewal remind you of the promise of tomorrow.

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Our Stance On Paid Entrecard Ads

noreply@blogger.com (Jon) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:12:00 +0000

The Evangelist has from our first day been a part of Entecard.com, a community of bloggers who have come together to not only network with other bloggers but also expose our blogs to new visitors from other member blogs of the network.

Originally, the intent was to earn credits on Entrecard by "dropping" your card on other blogs with an Entrecard widget, by displaying advertisements from other bloggers, or by winning them in contests. You could also (as you can now) buy credits from Entrecard. Of course, people did try to sell credits, but these activities were prohibited. This meant that Entrecard was its own contained virtual economy. The more recent addition of the marketplace helped to cement this.

Of course, because Entrecard credits were created every time a person dropped on another blog or bought credits, inflation became rampant with so many more credits in the system. This resulted in higher and higher taxes on various transactions.

The good people at Entrecard have been trying, of course, to keep their economy afloat. Too high a tax on transactions would make certain actions prohibitively costly. Conversly, if they failed to tax enough, inflation would destroy their economy.

Because of these reasons, and to cover their own operating costs and be viable, Entrecard recently revamped their entire economy. This has meant that they are now accepting paid ads. With this, a new CashOut service will become available tomorrow, Saturday, April 10. This will allow Entrecarders to get paid for 75% of the value of the credits they cash in. The other 25% will at least partially go to operating expenses and growth.

These paid ads have caused quite the controversy, so I simply wanted to give this statement:

The Evangelist will be running paid advertisements. Many of these advertisements are for Entrecard blogs, and so we feel that, in running them, we are still supporting the community. Also, it is my belief that advertisers who pay in Entrecard credits will still get their money's worth.

It is my hope that the Entrecard community can see it in themselves to come together and support the community regardless of whether or not they choose to run paid ads.

It is simply a bit too late to change things back to the way they were. It is my hope that the two-widget system comes to fruition sooner rather than later. When the two-widget system becomes available, I will use it to run both Entrecard and paid ads, so as to support the community to the best of my ability.

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