text:
Gen event behavior demystified
From ErlangCentral Wiki
Serge Aleynikov <saleyn at gmail.com>
Gen_event is one of the standard OTP behaviours included in the Erlang/OTP distribution. It is not as frequently used as gen_server and hence often is not well understood by developers who begin learning the OTP.
The purpose of this tutorial is to reveal the mistery of gen_event, and to demonstrate how to build fault tolerate event handlers.
This tutorial assumes that the reader is familiar with the OTP and other standard behaviors, such as gen_server.
Gen_event Behavior
As with the other OTP behaviors, gen_event abstracts generic properties from specific properties of an implementation and allows a developer to extend a system with custom event-handling hooks.
Those with Object-Oriented background in languages such as C#, might be familier with a concept of a delegate. Delegates allow adding one or more callback functions that will be called in respective order upon processing a certain event. They can be added and removed dynamically at run time. A typical example of a delegate is that upon clicking an OK button on a GUI form, one may want to execute some validation of the form fields' content. We can accomplish that by adding one or more delegates to the onClick method of the OK button.
Gen_event behavior allows to implement a similar approach - to have a process responsible for interacting with an OK button on some GUI form, which may allow to dynamically add callback modules that will receive notifications such as {button, pressed}.
The reader at this point may ask a reasonable question: "This looks very similar to the gen_server behavior! How are they different and why do we need a separate behavior that can be emulated with gen_server?"
While gen_server and gen_event seem to be similar, they are fundamentally different. In order to understand this difference let's examine the context in which both behaviors execute the callback code.
Gen_server is usually spawned as a separate process, and all user callbacks (such as Mod:handle_call/3, Mod:handle_cast/2, etc) are executed in the context of that process.
In contrast, gen_event can be percieved as two sets of components:
- Gen_event manager process.
- Event handler modules.
A gen_event manager is the process that registers callbacks. It is very important to understand that all events dispatched by the event manager process to event handlers execute in the context of the event manager process. Event handler modules allow to add custom handlers to the list of event handlers maintained by the event manager.
Since an event manager executes event handlers in its own context, it itself guards failures in the custom callback code, and therefore is more fault tolerant than gen_server. What happens if an added custom event_handler doesn't process callback event correctly and results in an exception being raised? Then the event manager removes that event handler from the internal list of registered callbacks.
Three typical examples of this principle in OTP are the error_logger, alarm_handler, and error_handler event managers. All error events reported by the OTP framework are dispatched through the error_logger. By default at node startup a basic event hander module is added to the error_logger event manager that merely prints an error report to the shell. More sophisticated event loggers (such as the one installed by SASL application) replace the basic event handler, and allow to print more compehensive error reports to display or to file. The reader is encouraged to examine the LAMA application in jungerl that utilizes this principle by replacing SASL's error_logger handler with its own and sending error reports to syslog or other destinations.
Fault Tolerance
After reading the paragraphs above the reader may ask a question: "Hmm, it all sounds great, but what if there is a fault in the custom callback module and the event manager removes the callback from its list of event_handler modules? Will this happen silently, and if so, how can we reinstall a failed handler to ensure proper operation of the system?"
The removal of a faulty event handler is a silent operation. It does produce an error report printed on display, however, common monitoring techniques (such as link or monitor primitives) cannot be used on an event handler. Why not? Let's emphasize this again - because the handler code is executed in the context of the event manager, and links or monitors would only be able to help if the event manager crashed, but a faulty event_handler's code doesn't crash the event manager process.
If that's being the case how do we build fault-tolerant systems containing event handlers in presense of software errors in the event handler code? The answer can be found by examining the gen_event's list of exported functions. Gen_event exports the following function:
add_sup_handler(EventMgrRef, Handler, Args) -> Result
If the event handler is deleted due to a fault, the event manager sends a message {gen_event_EXIT,Handler,Reason} to the calling process. So, how does it help us build fault tolerant code? We need to spawn a separate process that would be responsible for adding our custom event_handler callback module using gen_event:add_sup_handler/3 to an event manager (that process can itself be a gen_server), and upon receiving a {gen_event_EXIT,Handler,Reason} message from the event manager reinstalling the event handler.
Let's illustrate this by an example:
$ cat handler_guard.erl -module(handler_guard). -export([start_link/1]). % gen_server's callbacks -export([init/1, handle_info/2]). -behavior(gen_server). start_link(HandlerModule, Options) -> gen_server:start_link({local, ?MODULE}, ?MODULE, [HandlerModule, Options], []). init([HandlerModule, Options]) -> % Call the new event handler's startup procedure case catch HandlerModule:start(Options) of ok -> {ok, HandlerModule}; already_started -> {stop, {already_started, HandlerModule}}; Error -> {stop, Error} end. handle_info({gen_event_EXIT, HandlerModule, Reason}, HandlerModule) -> %% gen_event manager sends this message if a handler was added using %% gen_event:add_sup_handler/3 or gen_event:swap_sup_handler/3 functions io:format("~w: detected handler ~p shutdown:~n~p~n", [?MODULE, HandlerModule, Reason]), {stop, {handler_died, HandlerModule, Reason},HandlerModule}; handle_info(Other, HandlerModule) -> %% This process should not receive other messages io:format("~w: received unknown message:~n~p~n", [?MODULE, Other]), {noreply, HandlerModule}.
$ cat my_alarm_handler.erl -module(my_alarm_handler). %% API -export([start/1, stop/0]). %% gen_event callbacks -export([init/1, handle_event/2, handle_call/2, handle_info/2, terminate/2]). start(Options) -> % gen_event:add_handler/2 doesn't check for duplicates case lists:member(?MODULE, gen_event:which_handlers(alarm_handler)) of true -> already_started; false -> case gen_event:swap_sup_handler(alarm_handler, {alarm_handler, swap}, {?MODULE, Options}) of ok -> ok; {error, Reason} -> throw({error, {?MODULE, start_link, Reason}}) end end. stop() -> gen_event:swap_handler(alarm_handler, {?MODULE, swap}, {alarm_handler, []}). %% init/1 is called when a event is being installed to an event manager %% using gen_event:add_[sup_]handler/3 function init({_Options, OldAlarms}) -> {ok, OldAlarms}. handle_event({Type, Alarm}, Alarms) when Type=:=set_alarm; Type=:= clear_alarm -> log_alarm(Type, Alarm), {ok, NewState}; handle_event(_, Alarms)-> {ok, Alarms}. handle_call(_Query, Alarms) -> {ok, {error, bad_query}, Alarms}. handle_info(_, Alarms) -> {ok, Alarms}. %% terminate/2 is called when %% gen_event:swap_handler(EventMgr, {?MODULE, swap}, {NewModule, Args}) is invoked terminate(swap, Alarms) -> {?MODULE, Alarms}; terminate(_Reason,_Alarms) -> ok. log_alarm(Type, Alarm) when Type==set_alarm; Type==clear_alarm -> % do custom logging here io:format("Custom alarm log function invoked for %w: %p~n", [Type, Alarm]), ok.
In this example the my_alarm_handler module is a new event handler that replaces default alarm_handler. This module merely displays the alarm information on the screen, but could be easily expanded to log alarms to a database, syslog or email by changing implementation of the log_alarm/2 function.
The handler_guard module can be linked to an application's supervisor, and is responsible for restarting the custom event handler at startup or when a fault causes removal of the event handler by the event manager process. The reinstallation of the handler is accomplished by the fact that when handler_guard is terminated with {stop, Reason}, its supervisor will restart the process that will in turn re-register alarm_handler callback.
This tutorial explained the details of gen_event behavior available in OTP. It also showed how to implement fault-tolerant event handlers.


text:
The champion of eclectic British fashion Paul Smith describes his unique and much-coveted style as 'classic with a twist.
He has the unique ability to anticipate, and even spark off trends not only in fashion but in the wider context of popular culture. His creations are infused with a genuine sense of humour and mischief which is beautifully married with his love of tradition and the classics; his unmistakable Englishness is augmented by the unexpected and the eccentric.
Paul Smith was invited by Christopher and Suzanne Sharp to bring his inspirational and powerful designs to The Rug Company as one of the first fashion designers to join the Designer Collection. Paul Smith's confident, bright rug designs can transform a room. They are an extension of his clothes designs, and many have enjoyed such perennial success that they have become undoubted icons of design. Paul Smith extended his collection for The Rug Company with sophisticated yet playful hand-woven wallhangings and cushions. Each creation encapsulates his classically English inspiration imbued with a unique Paul Smith aesthetic.
"I met the owners of The Rug Company at Westbourne House, my Notting Hill shop. We started to talk and they asked if I would be interested in designing a collection of rugs. I very much enjoyed talking to them and having had the opportunity to visit them in their shop, I knew immediately that we could work together. My designs have been a progression of my clothes, shirts and knitwear. My rugs are strong in pattern and form. They fit into today's interiors adding fun and colour." Sir Paul Smith.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ASUS UL80Vt First Look: Mobility Redefinedby Jarred Walton on 10/24/2009 8:00 PM EST
- Posted in
- Laptops
100 Comments
Back to Article
HimeNoHogosha - Thursday, January 14, 2010 - linkHas the updated Best Buy model made an appearance yet? Didn't see it on their website.. Reply
geok1ng - Sunday, December 06, 2009 - linkI am still not convinced that this nottebook from Asus ai better than the Dell Studio 14z: the processor is inferior and no amount of overcloking will make it better than Dell's. The dual VGA/IGP solution is terrible: it uses battery life for a VGA that is minimally better than the 9400M ( and there are softwares that allow overcloking the 9400M to 210 clock levels, but this is also a bad idea from a battery and heat management point. And we have the higher resolution option on the Dell Studio 14z, that can have a 14" 1440x900 LCD. Reply
Matiero - Monday, November 30, 2009 - linkFor those in this thread whom believe glossy LCD screens are no big deal, consider this:
Take a look at image #3 in the Photo Gallery for this computer. Notice how the image of the keyboard is reflected within the glossy screen? Well, when the computer is ON, this reflected image (or whatever background the screen reflects) is ALSO fully in view. In other words, the reflected image is ALWAYS superimposed over the image you're actually trying to view from the computer--creating visual confusion when using the computer.
Glossy finishes on any video/computer screen is just plain dumb and makes no sense whatsoever.
Asus, pay attention--at least change the LCD to a matte finish and win the business. Better yet, offer an option for a high-rez screen for those who care. But glossy finishes on viewing screens is stupidity personified. Reply
- Saturday, November 28, 2009 - linkWasn't there supposed to be an full review of this coming up?
It has already been over a month. By the time it comes out, the laptop will be obsolete. Reply
CheesePoofs - Monday, November 16, 2009 - linkI too would gladely pay a $100-$200 premium for a better screen. If this came with either a 1440x900 or 1600x900 matte screen I'd buy it in a heartbeat. As is I might have to go with the Dell Studio 14z for it's better screen. Reply
tasho - Friday, November 13, 2009 - linkSo a Best Buy model is coming out, looking seriously at this notebook and would be nice to see it in person- anybody have a clue when this might be available- I'm guessing I shouldn't hold my breath! Reply
zxc367 - Friday, November 13, 2009 - linkmine sucks! all the colors are sooo dull. Reply
ArchAngel777 - Thursday, November 12, 2009 - linkIs this review ever going to get updated like it was promised? The review, while better than most, still has many things untested. I'd like to see the follow-up before christmas. Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, November 16, 2009 - linkComing.... Reply
ArchAngel777 - Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - linkThank you Jarred. I am really looking foward to it. Anxiously... Reply
JarredWalton - Friday, November 20, 2009 - linkThe quick summary is:
1) Excellent battery life
2) Good performance (i.e. CPU and discrete GPU are fast enough for most users)
3) Construction seems a bit weak (flex and such), but I don't think it's horrible.
For the overall package, I'm giving it a Bronze award - a better LCD and more rigid construction would be needed for Gold. For $800, though, I don't think you can find a better laptop right now. Reply
juhaz - Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - linkI used to have Asus M6Ne, loved the thing, I was still happy with it despite the age. I originally bought it because it was one of the few laptops that had a decent SXGA+ display with reasonable price tag.
That got stolen a while ago, so, I'm in a market for a new laptop. Asus, if you think I'm going to buy a new device that has 40% less resolution than the one I got from you FIVE YEARS ago, you better think again. Not going to happen. So, I'm going to get Stinkpad or Elitebook instead. If you would've had this with a nice WSXGA+ or WUXGA panel it'd been an instant sale, IPS would be nice but I can tolerate TN if it shows in the price.
I really hate it that display market only caters for the half-blind these days, on both desktop and laptop segments... Reply
ippikiokami - Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - linkI would 100% pay more for a better screen! and a whole world of photographers would! Reply
Hrel - Sunday, November 08, 2009 - linkIt had the SU9600 CPU instead and it had a decent screen.
Resolution of at least 1600x900 and a contrast ratio of at least 500:1. I really don't understand why they don't just use the same screen as in the netbook.
I couldn't possibly agree more with your frustrations about crappy notebook monitors; I swear I'm not buying a new notebook till I can get one with over 5 hours battery life, a dedicated GPU, a resolution of at least 1600x900 and a decent color gamut and contrast ratio screen for less than a thousand bucks. Reply
Gooberlx2 - Friday, November 06, 2009 - linkI'd like to see comments about the build quality. Notebookreview.com basically blasted the UL80vt for very poor build quality.
I don't abuse my laptops but I don't treat them with kid gloves either. I'm interested in the UL series laptops, but can't really consider them if I don't think they'll keep together for longer than a couple years. Reply
wfarid - Wednesday, November 04, 2009 - linkyea there are a LOT of people clamoring for just that. Switchable graphics, a high quality IPS MATTE lcd screen, and 10 hour battery life around 4.5lbs and you got me sold!
Basically just take this laptop, pop a nice Matte Screen on there, change all that damn plastic gloss and replace it with aluminum or magnesium alloy (like that have in high end dslr's)
I think the HP Probook 5310 (I think) is a great and simple design. Just wish it had the guts of the Asus, with a better panel. Reply
mobutu - Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - linkThis laptop it's a step in the right direction
-on the fly switchable graphics (i could go with even better that g210m);
-good battery life (especially for integrat chipset graphics);
-very good quality MATTE LCD screen (i would like to see IPS here and NO glossy) - at least make it optional for the people willing to go quality.
Hear that Asus? You better be.
I would buy such a machine, for sure. Reply
Lukeh - Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - linkWell, actually I've been the proud owner of of Acer Travelmate 8371-G (business version of the Timeline) for a little less than 2 months now. And it does have discrete (switchable) 4330 graphics (though they could be stronger, but that's what my desktop is for), and i've had battery life last as long as 9 hours. Also, screen is matte. But, if this were out when I bought it, really it would all be about price. Reply
enki - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - linkNow if only they had a multitouch tablet version of this. I really hope with the new multitouch support in 7 more laptops come out to take advantage of it.
And an option for a better screen would be great, even if it was just a better TN screen that wasn't glossy Reply
ProDigit - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - linkI buy a netbook first and foremost because it's cheap.
The majority of the people act like this.
When they see the $800 pricetag, to them it's nothing more than an underpowered laptop, and for that pricetag I can get myself a core2duo notebook that's a lot faster, with 2 extention batteries that will last me about as long!
Extension batteries are made very cheap these days!
Second, I buy a laptop because it is small in size, and light in weight.
Only third, because it has long battery life!
The good thing about this laptop is, that you can equip it with an SSD, and remove the ext. graphics card.
This will hopefully boost the battery even more!
I have an old core2duo 1,66Ghz laptop, with a GMA945Se graphics card or chipset or something, and can run most DX9 games (like WOW, Phantasy Star Unlimited, Prince of Persia, etc... at 1024x600 or 1024x768 resolution, 16 or 32 bit just fine.
Most sims I can play fullscreen at 1280x800.
I'm sure the faster processor, and better graphics card will make me be able to play WOW even better on this laptop. Reply
ProDigit - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - linkWith the better graphics card I meant the integrated one.. Not the external one.
Also, if I'd remove the external graphics card, would I have a PCIE slot available for mods? Reply
ProDigit - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - linkI don't agree on better LCD's on budget laptops!
In fact I oppose it.
I'd rather pay $50 less for a laptop that has a worse LCD, than pay $50 more for a better LCD!
And by the looks of it, we're going that way, with PixelQi's screen which does not display colors faithfully, but could result in upto 20% more batterylife with their white background reflective screens.
I don't care about color precision. A netbook does not need a screen that is showing 32bits faithfully, or that has a high contrast ratio!
What it needs is show basic colors (16 - 24bits is more than ok!), and has a wide range of brightness.
If it isn't reflective (with white background like PixelQi's screens, or e-ink screens), then it needs to have an extreme low setting for comfortably using the PC in a dark room (eg bedroom at night without external light); and the info on the screen should be visible in the daylight, under the sun!
Contrast VS brightness, I'd set my $15 on better brightness settings,rather than pay $50 for a higher quality screen.
Faithful reproduction of screen colors only matter for those who need it, like web designers, photographers, video editors...
But the majority of users are like me. 99% does not care if the green looks a bit blue-ish, or the white looks somewhat a bit yellowish! Reply
strikeback03 - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - linkBut if the screen crushes blacks so badly that all the pics from last Saturdays party that you are looking at on Facebook look like shadows in a coal mine, that screen has failed at even basic functions.
Again, I don't think anyone is asking for better screens to be standard, but make them an option in models which are otherwise nice for those who are willing to pay for the upgrade. Reply
atlr - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkI would pay more for a better display with a matte or antiglare finish.
Exile550 - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - linkI would like very much a matte finish. Reply
estyx - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkCan you please test it when using the GPU for HD-resolution decoding? I.e MPC-HD playing 720p and 1080p h264 with gpu-accel decoding. This is very useful to know when concidering buying a laptop for taking long trips on train, bus, car etc, because then you're so bored you need some movies and series to watch :)
Otherwise it seems like a nice laptop! Looking forward for a bit deeper review Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkI'm running all sorts of tests as I get the chance. The GMA 4500MHD does x264 offload, as does the G210M. I can tell you that my test x264 720p file just about 6:30 with the 4500MHD; the G210M test is still running. I have a bunch of tests to still run (with and without Turbo, IGP and discrete, gaming performance, etc.) but that will all be revealed eventually. Given the number of tests I still need to run, I expect it to be another week or two before I'm anywhere close to finished. Reply
robertpolson - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkI am dealing with a dilema righ now. Stay with my order for UL80vt, get a macbook pro or wait for UL30vt to come out (if it will) at the end of the year.
What I like about UL over macbook pro:
1) Longer battery life
2) More hard drive space
3) Double the memory
What I do not like about UL comparing to macbook pro:
1) No bluetooth
2) Webcam sucks big time - 0.3 megapixel is a joke in 2009
3) Larger in size comapring to macbook pro.
I think I ca live with either OSX and Windows 7.
What do you think ? Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkWhat do you use Bluetooth for? The only time I've ever used it on a laptop was for a Bluetooth mouse, but I'd definitely prefer a wired mouse; the BT mouse was a bit finicky.
As for the webcam, I'm not sure if it matters that it's "only" 0.3MP. All the video conferencing stuff I've tried seems to limit me to 320x240 video regardless. I certainly don't take pictures with my laptop webcam; do you?
Mind you, I'm not saying these areas aren't important. You say they are for you, so I'm just wondering what it is you do that I may have overlooked, since I've never felt either was necessary.
PS - Benefit #4: optical drive, if you need it. Reply
heulenwolf - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkDear Asus,
I've been tracking netbooks since you released the first EEEPC. I always found them interesting but, despite their low price, continued to buy larger laptops or smaller internet-enabled devices until the 1005HAB came out. I saw it while perusing a Best Buy and could not resist. The screen is so nice to look at that it makes me look past some of the drawbacks inherent in a netbook. When at home, I'll gladly use the $300 netbook instead of my $2000 work laptop with a larger screen, faster and better everything (except for the screen, though its no slouch), and longer battery life. When I'm traveling, I don't even consider other options. I bring the 1005HAB. If you'd like this happy Asus EEEPC customer to purchase more lucrative Asus products in the future, please give more weight to the screen quality in your value proposition than was demonstrated in this review. Reply
The0ne - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkThis would be nice as my 2nd business laptop. My Vostro 17 is very nice, especially with the UW screen but it's heavy on busy days :) The weight, performance and battery life are amazing. Going to have to convince the Boss to get one hahah Reply
vectorm12 - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkUnlike most people who commented thus far I'm willing to live with the sub-par display at this point. I'm in dire need to replacing my old Vaio VGN-FZ19VN and this looks to be even better value than the Acer 3810T series.
Something I am desperate to find out though is if VT-x is enabled in this machine(it's for unknown reasons disabled in my Vaio) or not since I need to run a virtual linux machine for work.
Not mentioning finding someone who retails it in Stockholm,Sweden ofc. Reply
aapocketz - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link[quote]ASUS has informed us that the Best Buy model of the UL80Vt will have a rubberized palm rest. [/quote]
That helps, I hate the glossy plastic feel. I will have to check it out at best buy, I am skeptical about the bumpy touchpad too (I am not crazy about the new apple touchpads either, I prefer tap to click).
If this thing had the same panel as the 1005HA, I would snap this up in a second. Seriously the LCD panel is the most important component on your laptop, and they want to skimp on it. Seriously if this is to compete with the macbook, they will need a better screen, my brother's new macbook pro has an incredible looking screen for a laptop.
I am looking to upgrade my old 701 eeepc to something that can run windows 7, handle 1080 video streaming on my wireless network, and have much improved battery life. Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkKeep in mind that the standard MacBook (historically) doesn't have a good screen; that's only on MacBook Pro, which costs significantly more. I wouldn't be surprised if the MacBook LCD is very similar in terms of contrast ratio -- mostly because that's the type of panel I see on 95% of notebooks/laptops costing under $1500. Reply
6cef - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link
I had heard about the ul80vt months ago, and I was excited with everything about it: disk drive, dedicated graphics, ulv cpu, great battery life, chiclet keyboard... but I held off because of the screen.
Instead, I went with an HP HDX16T, which I got on sale for $800 with a 1920x1080 screen, 1GB GT 130M, and a Bluray drive... it's nice enough, but it's a whole lot bulkier than a UL80, and battry life sucks.
If ASUS continues improving the UL line though, I absolutely would pay a premium for one. Once they're on 32nm cpus... if they can kick up the resolution and lcd quality... these would be such a value. Reply
DukeN - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkJust really wish there would be a nice light, well built, relatively small and light notebook without a glossy screen and a decent panel.
I'll keep waiting I guess. Reply
strikeback03 - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkI know ASUS and others are limited by what the companies that make the panels offer, but please push to make better quality screens at least an option. An extra $100-200 (even on an $800 laptop) would be worth it to me for a display I would be looking at for the next 3-4 years. Reply
BikeDude - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkThe quality of the LCD matters to me.
I hate many of these big LCDs with ridiculous low (TV) resolution. Last time I bought a laptop, I went with a MacBook Pro since I assumed it had a decent panel.
I see little point in having the exact same sloppy product line as all the other notebook manufacturers out there.
Another annoyance is the utilities that comes bundled with many of these machines. I had to return a Asus because of the ridiculous setup it was boggled with. Removing the anti-virus package gave me a serious bump in performance. Clean install please! Reply
Visual - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkNow all that I want from ASUS is to replace the screen with hybrid multi-touch/stylus sensitive one, and preferably higher-resolution, maybe 1680x1050 so that it can work well in portrait mode and fit the many 1024 pixel wide websites.
I'd probably pay almost double the current price for such a thing, but if they can surprise me and get the price lower, that's even better.
Pirks - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkGiven that this is unusually ultra long battery life Windows notebook based on C2D, not on Atom, could you make one exception and include comparison with MacBook's legendary battery efficiency metric? I mean that cool graph that you used to put in your recent laptop reviews that said "Internet usage minutes per WHr" (you don't do this anymore, too bad :( I posted about it already)
It's one uber crucial metric for truly portable laptops, could you PLEASE make this comparison graph for Asus vs latest MacBook just one more time, just for this great Asus one, please? Reply
7Enigma - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkI'll do it for you. Using an old review from April09 where they posted the min/WHr:
MacBook2008 got a 6.36
Asus gets a 6.32 (531min / 84 WHr)
It is important however to note if the testing methodology (ie websites used/etc.) have changed significantly since the 2008 Macbook review and if so in which direction (my guess would be more draining now).
If they are directly (or closely) comparible then you have to factor in weight difference and price, and of course CPU/GPU performance differences. Since the price is $150 cheaper, the weight difference IMO would have to be significantly lighter for the MacBook to justify (build-quality, OS, intangibles aside). Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkAll I know for certain is that the old results had Apple at 6.36 (as mentioned), but the tests are not the same as the ones I used for the Windows laptops. Anand has the new Internet tests I'm using (I ran them on Linux, so they should run fine on OS X), so when he's had a chance to run numbers we can make the comparison. The UL80Vt is twice the relative battery life of most Windows laptops, and over three times the relative battery life of higher-spec units. I can't say for certain whether it has matched or surpassed the latest MacBook, but it should be very close if not better. Reply
Pirks - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link"32% in DivX encoding, and xxx% in CINEBENCH R10"
xxx%? Really?! Are you hiding something from us Jarred? ;))) Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkLOL... sorry, I was still running tests at the time and obviously missed that. It's 12% BTW; text updated. Reply
mczak - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkI'm wondering why asus uses a overclocked ULV chip. Presumably they increase voltage a bit when overclocked to guarantee stable operation right? So in this case power should be very similar to LV chips (+30% for higher clock plus something additional for more voltage - ULV chips are 10W, LV 17W). So why not get a non-overclocked LV chip like the SL9600 in the first place? 2.133Ghz, 6MB cache, should cost about the same as the SU7300. Reply
JarredWalton - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkCPU-Z reports the voltage as 0.875V -- at the overclocked 1.73GHz setting. The ULV parts are essentially CPUs that work well with very low voltages, and they usually have better overclocking headroom. Anyway, it appears that even overclocked, the SU7300 isn't consuming more than perhaps 12-13W. (I'll have to do more testing to verify that figure for the full review.) When you have a laptop that uses 9.5W on average for Internet surfing, an extra 3W is a big deal. Reply
mczak - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkThose 0.875V are presumably at idle? Would be way below published VID range under load (hopefully cpu-z reports this correctly even for mobile cpus).
I just doubt a ULV chip is really any better if you overclock it to the level of a LV chip. Unless you're courageous and don't overvolt it to the same level, though you could just undervolt a LV chip instead...
In any case, I'd be very interested in the voltage adjustments (if any) under idle/load for OC/-nonOC setting - of course those chips have a VID range and hence could vary by chip but in practice they don't vary that much and the asus overclocking would presumably add a fixed voltage increase (if any). Reply
mschira - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkAmazing, the most interesting new laptops at the moment are all cheap ones.
Like the acer Timelines, the Asus"WTF have they been thinking with that name", the Dell Studio 14z etc.
They are all very nice, but they have compromises to keep em cheap. Not too bad compromises, but still.
Why doesn't Asus make a Lambougini version of this little nice buddy? Ditch the CD drive - who needs those - give us a nice screen, give us an expensive light, great case.
I'll happily pay the premium - it's not going to be that much anyway.
KikassAssassin - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkWow, with the exception of the screen, this thing is almost exactly what I've been looking for in a laptop. I've been really disappointed in the seeming non-existence of an affordable, highly-portable laptop with a dual-core ULV processor, non-Intel graphics, and a high-Wh battery. Put a high-quality display with a matte overlay (WhyTF is almost every laptop using freaking glossy nowadays?), and a toggle-able back-lit keyboard on this thing, and it would be my perfect laptop to a T.
I also really like the idea of the ability to toggle between low-power integrated graphics and higher-performing discreet graphics, and I wish more laptops would include this feature. I have a feeling nVidia's going to be pushing hard for this once Arrandale comes out. Reply
hybrid2d4x4 - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkOne request for the game testing section: add an older title s/a Half-life 2 in addition to the usual new new games. I'm more interested in what it can run than the obvious "well, there you have it- it won't run the latest titles, get a desktop for that".
Looking forward to the review!! Reply
gohilurvish - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkI like the article and also the battery life figure by particular Asus model but I dont agree to compare it with MacBook (I am not Apple fan-boy).
From what I know is, all 9400M based MacBook/pro has C2D Penryn processors and with <55WHr battery it provides 6-7Hrs of battery life with wireless productivity.
If these lineup moves to ULV processor and 80+WHr I am sure it can deliver 15+hrs or battery life.
I think its OS and other hardware that helps giving longer battery life for MacBook.
For winodows PC, this is my choice now (obviously not for computational heavy work). Reply
fk49 - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkThis is a great first look and much more in depth than most of the previews that come out. I did notice that the main CPU comparison was with the P8600 of the 14z which is definitely meant for a higher price point. For the full review, could you include benchmarks comparing the SU7300 to more CPUs? Especially in the gaming benchmarks, as the G210m will definitively beat the integrated solutions available but what's not clear is how CPU-limited games might be when the UL80vt competes against laptops with dedicated GPUs. Thanks and again, great review! Reply
darwinosx - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkSince everything is compared to the Mac laptops that is obviously the gold standard. That should tell you something. For a minor amount more you get a dramatically better laptop build, screen, cpu, multi-touch trackpad, and of course OS. Not to mention support. Put one of these next to a MacBook at your local Fry's or wherever. The Mac Book walks all over it. Yes Windows 7 is decent. But I want a lot more than decent when it comes to my notebook or desktop computers. I make quite a good living as an IT Architect and I don't have time or interest in buying the lowest common denominator to save a little money. Reply
simas - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkMac Book /OSX = No games.
and buying overpriced laptop label just to by Microsoft OS to be able to play a game is too wasteful. There isn't anything OSX delivers in the laptop that I can not get from Windows 7 so why pay the premium?
for Asus - they are close, dual core CPU, switchable graphics, 4+ GB of ram, decent CPU speed and good battery life. Get a better LCD and I would buy it.
Kelv00n - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkQuoting: "I make quite a good living as an IT Architect and I don't have time or interest in buying the lowest common denominator to save a little money."
1) You're clearly an Apple fanboi; ergo anything not Apple is the lowest common denominator; ergo your comments add nothing to a proper evaluation of this machine and are therefore useless to other readers who are not facetious like you.
2) No one cares about how big your wallet (and what it compensates for) is, and as many commentators here have observed, this laptop fills a nice role for people like non-trust fund college kids who have to a) consider weight and performance since they have to lug the piece around, and b) work to pay their own way through college.
Asus has been making lots of right moves lately. They just need to ditch the glossy trend and work on their build quality. This laptop is hitting the sweet spot for the holy trinity of weight, performance and price. I'm going to wait for the next iteration, which hopefully will have a better LCD, but it looks like my new laptop will be ASUS-branded. Reply
fk49 - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkEven so, comparisons to Mac performance is something some of us would like to see. The Macbook does cross the $1000 line and as a student, the price difference with the UL80 is meaningful. About half the kids at my school have Macs while Asus has a pretty niche market, so it would be interesting to see if an aggressively designed and priced product aimed at the tech-savvy can beat the mainstream "standard". Reply
Voo - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkWell I won't be using Mac OS X any time soon and I don't think many Apple fans would even consider it.
So the interesting comparision would be a MacBook with Win7 against this one. Reply
Voo - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkArgh..
"and I don't think many Apple fans would even consider using this notebook." Reply
MournSanity - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkIf I may make a feature request for the full review...
I heard that this laptop can also be overclocked from the BIOS. Can you look into this feature and tell us how/if it works in conjunction with the Turbo33 setting? Thanks. Reply
MournSanity - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkI ask this because I recall seeing on a taiwanese review of this laptop a picture of it overclocked to something like 2133 mhz(8x266?). It would be very cool if this machine can be stably overclocked that high for when you want to do some heavy lifting. Reply
JarredWalton - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkCPU-Z reports the incorrect clock speed; it thinks the SU7300 is an 8X multiplier, and thus reports a 2166 clock speed when overclocked. In reality the CPU is a 6.5X multiplier. Reply
Al B - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkGreat first look! It definitely seems a desirable piece of kit.
I'd be interested to know how it fares rendering Google Earth and to see it compared with various incarnations of HP's DM3.
vlado08 - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkAre you going to measure the temperature of the bottom and the noise during idle and load? At 10W I suppose these should be low but it depends on ventilation and the fan. Also the quality of the speakers? Reply
darckhart - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linki am trying to match the pictures of left side and right side with the description list on your table, and they do not correspond. for example, i see hdmi and vga, but no displayport. i see lots of usb, but no esata nor mini firewire. i see 1x microphone and 1x headphone, but no 2nd headphone. left side and right side table also have things written where picture shows on opposite side. so which is correct, pictures or table? thanks Reply
vlado08 - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkI also noticed that. Reply
JarredWalton - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkSorry - cut/paste from the Studio 14z that I forgot to update. It's fixed now. Reply
MrSpadge - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkExcellent technique. Using the vast clock speed headroom of the ULV CPUs just plain makes sense. Add the switchable graphics and it's almost perfect. Now just please give it:
- a matte display
- non-shiny finish everywhere else
- remove the colorful stickers (or whatever) telling you what's inside (hey, I KNOW what I bought)
- add the option for a good display (*VA or IPS)
- give it a thinkpad quality keyboard
- change that ASUS logo into a Thinkpad one ;) Reply
Pirks - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkJust buy a MacBook, forget about cheapo ASUS. Why pay less for worse quality if you can pay more and get quite a bit better quality? ;) Reply
JimmyJimmington - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkMaybe they want to put their laptop on their lap without burning themselves. Reply
Pirks - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkAny MacBook won't burn if you just browse inet and do low CPU load jobs like that. You missed, next! Reply
JimmyJimmington - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkIf you're just going to browse the internet and do "low cpu load jobs," why not just buy a $150 netbook refurb? Why spend 1k+ on a computer? Reply
Pirks - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkWhy the most cheap and the most crappy low quality computer if you can get much higher quality one for some extra $$$? Reply
JarredWalton - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkI'm confused... exactly what makes ASUS a "most crappy low quality" option? I'd say this is actually a very well made laptop. ASUS isn't always the best, but they are far from being a low quality option in my book. Or are you talking about netbooks? Again, netbooks can be well made (albeit slow). I think his point is valid: if you just want a laptop for surfing and such, a netbook would suffice.
If you don't want to use OS X, there is (in my mind) zero reason to buy Apple products. You'd be paying for the Apple premium (which includes OS costs) just to ditch it. Lenovo, Sony, and others make nice looking laptops that cost a premium as well, and at least they fully support Windows. I'd guess if you took a MacBook into an Apple store to get help, and you had a Windows (or Linux or whatever) issue, they wouldn't provide any help at all beyond, "You should run OS X." Reply
Pirks - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link"Lenovo, Sony, and others make nice looking laptops that cost a premium as well, and at least they fully support Windows" - that's why I said buy a MacBook OR a similar quality Win notebook, something like this Asus you reviewed but without cheap glossy crap all over it. Older Dell Vostro's used to have quality all-matte finish, but they turned into half glossy crap too recently... although they still offer matte screens, unlike 99% of modern PC notebook OEMs. Dunno about Sonys and Lenovos, they either offer cheapo glossy crap instead of screen or they don't specify glossy or matte on their sites, so who knows... I hope you're right here. Reply
KikassAssassin - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - linkAs far as I'm aware, none of those others provide the same balance of battery life and performance that this Asus does, which is the entire reason people are excited about it.
The fact that it's cheaper than a Macbook is what makes it a good competitor. You *could* spend more money on the Macbook to get that shiny unibody enclosure and OS X. Or if you don't care about OS X, you could save some money and get an equally capable machine that doesn't have quite as high a polish.
There's no wrong choice. They're both perfectly viable options, it's just a matter of what your priorities are. Reply
Pirks - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkJimmyJimmington above mentioned some crappy refurb netbook for $150, I wonder why would one spend hard earned cash to get this kind of crap instead of some used MacBook or at the very least this Asus you reviewed. Pay some extra cash, but you get so much more in return... Reply
JimmyJimmington - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkYou just said yourself you can't keep the damn chassis from overheating and burning you while doing anything beyond browsing the web and "low cpu load jobs." If that's all your doing, then your wasting your hard earned cash on a $1k+ laptop. A $150 netbook refurb will perform the same task. You might think it's cheap, but it takes you to the same internet. It types the same word documents. It makes the same excel spreadsheets. And you don't waste your hard earned cash. Reply
Pirks - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link"You just said yourself" - no I didn't :P
"A $150 netbook refurb will perform the same task" - a $1000 rusty Chevy from 1980 will also take you from point A to point B (with some amount of luck), why spend $20K for some nice Toyota or Lexus?
JarredWalton - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkSorry... edited my post after rethinking. LOL Reply
Zoomer - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkA rough/matt lid/lcd bevel and an aluminum palmrest, please. I'd ask for the VAIO inscription as well but I think that's going too far. Reply
MrSpadge - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linktechnique = technology *doh* Reply
Alexo - Monday, June 28, 2010 - linkLet me add my vote for:
- a matte display
- a good display (*VA or IPS)
- a quality keyboard
I am willing to pay for these features and I am sure others will as well. Reply
tmgp - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - link"We looked at the ASUS UL50Vt running on Windows 7 Home Basic"
Does windows 7 home basic exists?... Don't think so Reply
iamezza - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkWindows 7 Home Basic
Windows 7 Home Basic will be available in emerging markets such as Bangladesh, Brazil, People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand.[13] It will not be available in countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom.[13] Some Aero options are excluded along with several new features. Reply
MadMan007 - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkWhy is it called the UL80Vt? If that were consistent with the others in the line it would imply an 18" screen. Wierd.. Reply
strikeback03 - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkI though the same thing, did they already use UL40Vt on something? Reply
codedivine - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkI request benchmarks for new Turion II based laptops. Turion II is 45nm based with Phenom based cores. The Athlon QL-64 used here is 65nm bsed and uses K8 cores.
I also request benchmarks for the machine HP dm3. It comes in an AMD flavor and a Intel flavor and in the Intel flavor supposedly provides 10 hours of battery life and on AMD about 5.5.
codedivine - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkAlso, I specifically request Turion II and NOT Athlon II. Athlon II supposedly only have 64b FP units as opposed to full speed 128b FP on Turion II. Reply
feelingshorter - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkCan we get battery numbers without turbo mode enabled? I don't see why anyone would turn turbo on unless they know they are doing something specifically CPU intensive. Could you please add that to the chart? Reply
JarredWalton - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkThe whole reason for the "first look" is that battery tests are going at a rate of about one per day. It's the blessing and curse of a long battery life, and I like to be thorough. In the full review, I'll provide some figures for with and without Turbo, as well as battery life with the G210M enabled (with and without Turbo if I've got the time...).
From what I can see, the Turbo really only accounts for about a 0.5W-1W increase in power draw, so without Turbo battery life might increase to around 560 minutes for Internet surfing, or best-case about 590 minutes. I think idle power draw isn't affected as much (closer to .25W-.5W increase), so without Turbo idle battery life would be in the realm of 800-840 minutes. Obviously, that's still a HECK of a long time. :) I'll get you numbers in about a week or so when I've finished testing. Reply
feelingshorter - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkWe understand that it takes a long time to test the battery. Just wanted to know that you are working on it for the final review. Thanks :) Reply
CurseTheSky - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkI just bought a UL30A-A2 on Thursday. It's a wonderful laptop, though not quite perfect.
Unlike the ULxxVt laptops, the non-Vts come with just the X4500MHD, which is abysmal for anything other than general web browsing and watching movies. While I love the smallness of my 13.3", if I had read sooner than the UL80Vt comes with on-the-fly switchable graphics, I probably would have bought it instead. Oh well. Additionally, as far as I know the entire UL series also lacks Bluetooth, which kind of sucks. ASUS stated somewhere (one Amazon, I believe) that they're considering bundling a USB Bluetooth dongle.
Anyway, what was said in this article about the build quality is very true. It's sort of a mixed bag, but overall much better than most of the competition. The brushed aluminum cover is a very nice touch, and the plastic palm rest doesn't feel all that bad. The glossy black around the LCD is annoying (adds extra glare and really attracts finger prints), but the hinges really feel solid and the keyboard is excellent. The trackpad is a bit odd, but I find that I actually like it. Don't expect a Macbook Pro / Air in terms of fit and finish, but do expect something that'll get your friends or the locals at Starbucks asking "What's an ASUS?" and "That's nice, where did you get that?" Best of all, it doesn't cost as much as a Macbook Pro.
Really, the best part of these things is the battery life. Several reviews I've read have clocked around 8-9 hours real-world performance (ASUS claims 16 on my particular model, and the consensus seems to be that 12-13 wouldn't be unreasonable in a best-case scenario). I can't wait to read the Anandtech follow-up; I've always loved their testing methodology. The thinness and lightness of the series - particularly the smaller models - is also a huge plus.
Overall, great article, and great laptop. For anyone that values portability over performance but still wants something that'll fair (much) better than a netbook under stress, I highly recommend the UL series. Nice job ASUS. Reply
Gooberlx2 - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkhttp://www.amazon.com/UL30vt/forum/Fx1978M98LGJ2GT...">http://www.amazon.com/UL30vt/forum/Fx19...mp;store...
Maybe the UL30vt will be available stateside some time in December?
I don't really put too much stock in to forum postings from sources one can't really verify. But since I won't have any $$$ until at least after the New Year, I'm certainly hoping it's true. Reply
Uncreative - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkI've been watching this one ever since you guys posted the first look on the UL50VT. I've been looking to buy a laptop for class and a one day charge to last me through lecture and a good couple hours at the library would be perfect. I'm definately with you on the panel, I'd gladly pay more for a better LCD.
I saw that they had the SU9400 listed as one of the possible models, was wondering if anyone has any idea when/if that model is coming? Reply
Drizzt321 - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkWow, I've have been wanting to find a laptop with one of the ULV Intel processors that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Add to that the switchable graphics, and decent cost, and I think I've found my winner! Except, of course, the LCD. I'd like to do some graphics work (digital photography) on the go, and a good quality panel would be very nice. Hell, just give me a nice TN panel with this laptop and I'll be good. Give me an IPS/MVA/PVA panel and I'll be in heaven. For one of those good panels, I'd happily pay an extra $150-$200. Do you hear that Asus? There are people willing to pay for quality! Reply
dtham - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkThis is very ideal for schoolwork etc. I would love to see one that has a touchscreen display for taking notes, etc.
The downside to the touchscreen is that it will be likely to have an even worse screen. However, with battery life for light work like this it would be absolutely awesome for students.
JarredWalton - Monday, October 26, 2009 - linkUgh... I hate touch screens. I can type at 60 WPM, or chicken scratch at about 20 WPM (okay, maybe 30?) Anyway, you can get the Acer Aspire 5738PM with a touch screen, but that has worse battery life and it's not a tablet. I wouldn't buy a touch screen, though, unless things were much better than the last time I used one. Reply
chrnochime - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkAt a higher price of 1.5k, manufacturers KNOW they can better justify adding that option, since people paying that much for laptop are much more willing to pay a bit more for PVA than those at the 820 USD price.
Consider this: 200 for a panel option on a laptop that costs 820. That's almost 25% increase. Versus 200 on a 1500, which is ~13.4%. Latter case much more acceptable to buyer when taking original price into account.
munim - Sunday, October 25, 2009 - linkDude: Hey is that a Macbook Air?
Dudette: No, it's an ASUS UL80Vt
Dude: You'll what? Reply
san1s - Saturday, October 24, 2009 - linkthis looks great, and it has an optical drive. I wonder if there's any way to get it past 1.7 ghz? Reply


text:
100% cotton with a beautiful soft, matt finish. This yarn knits to a standard DK tension on 3.75mm needles. It comes in a stunning selection of colours from soft pastels through to jewel like brights.
This cotton is a wonderful dry handle cotton yarn.
Pure wool is a robust, hard wearing yet soft 100% wool yarn.
This cotton is a wonderful machine washable soft handle cotton yarn which is perfect for all year round knitting.


text:
One of the best things about traveling around the United States is the chance to chow on a region's seafood specialty. For instance, in Maine, you'll find lobster rolls. In Massachusetts, fried clams. In Louisiana, a hearty bowl of gumbo. And in Texas you'll find fried catfish.
After barbecue, fried catfish is the dish of choice when a group of Texans gather to celebrate. Family reunions, wedding receptions, birthdays, Juneteenth and Fridays (especially during Lent if you're Catholic) are all best served with endless supplies of delectable deep-fried, cornmeal-coated catfish.
Statistics say that more than 50% of the nation's catfish consumption occurs in Texas. That's no surprise since in countless small towns across the state it's more ubiquitous than either Tex-Mex or barbecue—chance are, in most places if there is only one restaurant it's a catfish joint. That's certainly the case for my grandparents. A stone's throw up the road from their farm (which is in the no-light town of Chambersville) is the one-light town of Weston. It has a gas station, a post office and a cafe called Grady's that specializes in, you guessed it—catfish.
While for years, catfish was not consumed in polite society outside the South—Texans have long been fans of this unattractive bottom-feeding fish. You can understand people's aversion: catfish's contact with the ugly stick left it with freakish long whiskers and a slimy, scale-less skin much more suited for an eel than a fish. Because it's not pretty, it was initially a poor-man's food—a cheap meat ubiquitous in the countless streams, creeks, rivers and ponds that dot Texas' landscape. And since they're a cinch to catch, many families would send their children down to the creek to bring home dinner.
Today, however, most people buy their catfish pre-filleted at the store, and chances are it's been farmed in Mississippi. Yep, Texans get riled up about this fact, as many consider this big business the state's birthright. No matter, I'm not here to discuss aquacultural politics, I'm here to talk about the sweet, moist and delicate deliciousness that is catfish.
There are many reasons why it's popular beyond its terrific taste. Catfish is also inexpensive to buy (though not as cheap as dragging in a trot line filled with them), so even if you don't have access to a stream, you can feed large amounts of people for very little money. And while many fish get a bad rap these days due to mercury levels, you won't find catfish on those lists. The official catfish season begins in March and runs through August, which is probably why I saw a large display in the fresh-fish section at Whole Foods recently. It's been a while since I've cooked it, and even though I'm going to a catfish fry in Austin at the end of the month, I couldn't resist.
Fried catfish is a simple affair, and while there are endless variations and debates on how best to create your batter, all agree that yellow corn meal is the grain of choice. I prefer to dip my catfish in an egg and milk bath before doing my corn-meal dredge, others prefer beer or some just omit the liquid all together and just dredge. The latter is probably the most authentic method, especially when you think of cowboys and long-ago pioneers with limited rations on hand for cooking. But no matter how it's battered, I've yet to eat a fried catfish I didn't love.
Cole slaw, collard greens and potato salad are all fine accoutrements, but I don't think any fish fry is complete without hush puppies. These little balls of fried corn dough and peppers are not only addictive but also a perfect complement to the catfish. Plus, it's an excellent way to recycle the oil after frying your fillets. And while fried catfish are so flaky and juicy they don't need a sauce, I like to dip them in chipotle-lime mayonnaise. This, of course, would be considered sacrilege in certain circles, but I don't mind—it's tasty.
Since catfish has swum out of the South, it's been gussied up—either broiled with garlic and lemon, baked en papillote with seasonal vegetables or incorporated into bouillabaisse. And these are commendable (if not healthier) options. But I still find fried catfish the most satisfying way to enjoy this homely critter. And unlike the brutal drama of chicken-fried steak, cooking catfish is almost downright civilized. It doesn't make much of a mess and it's fast—you can fry enough catfish and whip up enough hush puppies to feed your friends and family in under an hour. So even if you're simply celebrating the end of the day, there's really no time that isn't right for a good ol' catfish fry—Texas' offering to this nation's list of seafood specialties.
Fried catfish
1 pound of catfish fillets, cut into inch-wide strips
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper fillets and let warm to room temperature.
Heat up about three-inches of oil in an iron skillet or a Dutch oven.
Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl.
Put cornmeal on a plate.
Dip fillets in egg-milk mixture and then dredge in cornmeal, covering both sides.
Place battered fish into hot oil and cook four minutes, turning once.
Drain on a paper-towel lined plate.
Serves four.
Hush puppies
3/4 cup of yellow corn meal
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of milk or buttermilk
1 egg
2 teaspoons of bacon drippings (optional)
1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed, finely diced
1/3 cup of diced onions
Oil for frying
Mix together all ingredients.
In batches, cook tablespoon-sized balls of dough in hot oil, until crisp and golden brown (about two minutes).
Makes about 20 hush puppies.
Chipotle-lime mayonnaise
2 chipotles in adobo chopped
1 teaspoon of lime juice
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of cilantro, chopped.
Mix all ingredients together. Can add more chipotles for extra smokey heat.
Monday, March 12, 2007
No better fish to fry
One of the best things about traveling around the United States is the chance to chow on a region's seafood specialty. For instance, in Maine, you'll find lobster rolls. In Massachusetts, fried clams. In Louisiana, a hearty bowl of gumbo. And in Texas you'll find fried catfish.
52 comments:
- Linda said...
i adore hush puppies and yet have not had them in years and have NEVER attempted to make them myself! thanks for the recipe. i still have to make your cornbread. every time i come to your blog i remember!
- Christina said...
Dead on. Growing up, visits to my grandparents home in rural East Texas were always complete with a visit to the local catfish joint, which was one of the only restaurants in town.
- Anonymous said...
Yum! Any chance you know a place in NYC to buy the other key side for catfish - Shiner Bock?
-The Roughneck
- matt said...
No, you really have NO idea. Seriously.
What a fantastic post! AS ALWAYS!
- Yvo said...
my catfish story: while camping with family and family friends as a kid somewhere in upstate NY, I fished for the first time. And caught a catfish. Which my mom steamed up in a rice cooker (don't even ask me how or why she brought one, I just know that's how it was served) and everyone praised me for catching such a yummy fish. I promptly swallowed a bone.
My sister's husband swears there is no possible way I could catch a catfish considering the time and location, but it sure looked like a cat.
Still. YUMMY. Love fried fish!!!
- Rachel said...
I love catfish! I used to catch them in the river right here in Baltimore. My grandpop would gut them and fry them up, although not in cornmeal.
- Homesick Texan said...
Linda--You wouldn't believe how fast and easy hush puppies are, if you're not afraid of a pot of hot oil, that is.
Christina--Yep, they're everywhere! I never thought about it until I left and couldn't find fried catfish on the menu.
Roughneck--Unfortunately, Shiner Bock still isn't sold here. I think the DC area is the closest it's come to NYC.
Matt--Thanks! And of course you love catfish--you're a Texan!
Yvo--I don't think there are any other fish that have whiskers, but I could be wrong. No matter, it's still a great fish tale!
Rachel--How'd you catch them? With a trot line? I have friends who grew up in the midwest or the MidAtlantic, and they grew up dredging them in plain white flour. Still tasty, though.
- Lydia said...
I love love love catfish! Up here in clam and lobstah country, some of our best BBQ joints do fried catfish, and it's always a treat. Better than a clam roll? I don't know -- but catfish is awfully good....
- Jaye Joseph said...
I actually had fried catfish at lunch today. At Luby's. Seriously.
- Ken Wheaton said...
One thing some of the fancier establishments in Louisiana do with their catfish (and by fancy, I mean they don't have peanut shells on the floor) is plop a fried (or grilled) fillet onto a bed of white rice, then cover it with crawfish etouffee. It's a bit much, but hell, you should try it at least once.
- Chicken Fried Gourmet said...
Although I do not eat fish I love to cook it for family and friends. Another way to fry it is with crushed tortilla chips, marinated in spicy buttermilk and served with poblano tartar sauce. As always Lisa, great post.
- Jerry said...
Cornmeal is my preferred method for both catfish and striped bass (which was the catch of choice in the bay area when I was growing up)
For the liquid of choice, half dark beer and half buttermilk.. And I usually add a bit of flour to the cornmeal.
Makes me want to run down to Kickapoo Catfish and go for the buffet tomorrow ;)
- Kevin said...
I live in San Antonio and I love reading this blog. If you are ever in the area stop by Clear Springs Cafe (http://www.clearspringscafe.com/home.html) they have some of the best in this area. Roughneck I will drink a cold shiner for you!
- janelle said...
I'm in Texas and we had catfish from a cafe just the other night. Well, at least I felt we had until I read your post. I plan to attempt to recreate what you've so gloriously displayed! I think I'd forgotten what catfish and pups done right are supposed to look like. Love your blog!
- MomLady said...
I was surprised that you described the taste of catfish as "delicate." Okay, our family is not from Texas, so maybe we're cooking it wrong? My mom has started cooking it because they carry it at Costco, and it tastes kind of strong and, well, dirty. She's not doing it in any kind of batter. Does that make a difference? She cooks it in a pan with a little olive oil and lemon-pepper. And kind of steams it with the lid on. Would the difference in cooking method account for the difference in taste.
- Nandita said...
While I am a vegetarian, I found your post so much fun to eat and the pictures look beautiful too !
- Homesick Texan said...
Lydia--I always find it interesting when bbq joints also serve catfish. Not a bad combination!
Jaye Joseph--What a coincidence! I bet it was delicious!
Ken--Since I have your mom's recipe for etouffee, I'll definitely have to try that.
Chicken Fried Gourmet--Oh yum! What a great idea using crushed tortilla chips! Love the idea of poblano tartar sauce as well!
Jerry--I've never used beer with buttermilk, but I bet it has a nice tang to it.
Kevin--Thanks! I'm actually heading that way at the end of the month so I'll have check out Clear Springs Cafe.
Janelle--Thanks! Good luck with the recipes!
MomLady--That's a good question, but I've never found that it tastes terribly strong or dirty. It's usually kind of sweet, moist and flaky, not even overtly "fishy" like some other fish such as tuna. Maybe it's the catfish they have at Costco. Is it frozen or fresh?
Nandita--Thank you! And the hush puppies are vegetarian if you don't add bacon grease.
- TexanNewYorker said...
Oooooooh, boy. I tell you what. ;o) I saw this yesterday and I IMMEDIATELY went to the grocery store after work and picked up catfish fillets. I wish now in hindsight I'd taken pictures of the process! I used buttermilk instead of plain milk, and made my family's recipe for cornbread instead of hush puppies (never was a big fan of the "spherical" hush puppies). Boy howdy, was it a good fish fry! I used a combination of grapeseed oil, olive oil, and canola, and added a little Emeril's Essence to the cornmeal. Served it with pecan rice and sweet iced tea, and the guy I'm seeing LOVED it (he did most of the frying). Thanks for this! I'll definitely be making it again!
- Brilynn said...
Those are some seriously drool inducing pictures!
- leo said...
Another stop in San Antonio for catfish, Gradys BBQ, San Pedro location (inside 410). Friday nights between 6 & 8, they have a 3 piece country band playing the classics.
- Josh said...
Great timing on this, my girlfriend and I were thinking about doing a catfish fry for our friends for the end of spring break.
Since I'm an Arizonan born and raised, I've had very little opportunity to cook fish, this will be a great guide!
Anyone have any recommendations for places to get catfish in Tucson?
- Meeta said...
I love fried Catfish. I have family in Houston and whenever I visit we just always have to head out to our fave catfish joint.
But I really thank you for this recipe because it's something I have been craving for a long time and now I'm gonna give it a try. I just have to find catfish in Germany LOL!
- Homesick Texan said...
TexanNewYorker--Very cool! And I'm glad your guy loved it as well!
Leo--Thanks for the tip, that place sounds fun. I just love live music!
Josh--I've never been to Tucson, so I don't know of any catfish joints, but it's easy to do at home.
Meeta--You're welcome! And good luck finding catfish in Germany. I reckon in a pinch you could substitute another white, flaky fish, but it wouldn't taste the same.
- Freya and Paul said...
Only had catfish and hush puppies once, eating at, believe it or not, a Cracker Barrel whilst Paul and I were travelling the Southern States on my first trip to the US. The fish was slightly over cooked but I still loved it!
- Terry B said...
After years of being force fed frozen, breaded ocean perch [as ghastly as that sounds] as a child, I had fresh fried catfish when we visited relatives in southern Mississippi. Suddenly I understood that fish could be wonderful.
- sandi @ the whistlestop cafe said...
There is a season for catfish? I have always heard oysters in a month with an 'R', catfish in any month with an 'A'.
You did a southern girl proud!
- rob said...
Ah, Texas is a place full of incredible food. I have to admit that until this post I always thought Louisiana when I thought catfish, but you've done a lot to change my mind. By the way, chipotle-lime mayo sounds good on the phone book, let alone fried catfish.
- Sarah said...
That's some good-looking catfish--especially with that nice cornmeal batter. And what's not to love about hush puppies?
- Garrett said...
I think you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?
- dawn said...
this makes me miss my grandma something bad.
- Homesick Texan said...
Freya--I'm not surprised at all you had it a Cracker Barrel. Do they not have hush puppies in England or does everyone just eat chips with their fish?
Terry--Isn't it wonderful how one bite can transform your views? Great story!
Sandi--I've never heard that about catfish...which makes sense except for June and July which are smack dab in catfish season. Hmmmm...
Rob--Chipotle-lime mayo is fantastic on phone books as well as old shoes! But seriously, Louisiana also has a fine catfish tradtion. They probably eat it the most after us.
Sarah--Indeed! Hush puppies, like the creatures they're named after, are so lovable!
Garrett--Why, yes! How did you ever guess?
Dawn--You should fry up some catfish in her memory!
- Olivia said...
As much as I love seafood, I could never get into the taste and texture of catfish. Too silty for me.
I do, however, miss those big neighbourhood seafood cook-offs.
- Ivonne said...
Every time I come to your blog I feel like I'm returning home. I've only tried catfish a few times but would love to have it fried. Which reminds me, I haven't been to the fish store in awhile so maybe it's time to go in search of some catfish to fry!
- Claire said...
Okay, from MS around here! BUT I agree with you that catfish are fantastic. Grilled, fried, sauteed...yum!
- Susan said...
I haven't had hush puppies since I lived in North Carolina years ago. Just reading the recipe has given me a hankerin' for some!
- deb said...
if you ever find yourself in augusta, ga, touch base with me. i'll treat you to fried catfish and the best hush puppies you've ever had at T's restaurant, a local favorite for decades.
- Homesick Texan said...
Olivia--Yes, I reckon catfish can be an acquired taste, but half the fun in eating it is indeed the fellowship at a big ol' fish fry.
Ivonne--Welcome home! Catfish is best fried, I think! Enjoy!
Claire--Yum indeed!
Susan--Hush puppies are the best! I can fry up a batch and eat the whole thing in one sitting.
Deb--Thank you for your kind offer. If I'm ever in Augusta, I'll give you a shout!
- Lisa said...
I'm crazy about catfish, and I don't know where it comes from as I grew up in L.A.! Well, of course it comes from the fact that catfish is wonderfully good. Fried is my favorite, too. And I would love dipping my fried fish in that mayo. Heavens.
- Traci said...
My dad starts fishing and freezing catfish right when spring starts, and come summer we have a huge freezer full of fish. Then he'll set up his fryer and the whole family gathers at my parents' house, where we eat catfish, hush puppies (made with cornmeal, not those cylindrical ones you buy at the store) and fries. There is nothing more satisfying than a Texas fish fry!
- Homesick Texan said...
Lisa--Fried catfish is indeed wonderfully good, and that mayo wasn't too bad either!
Traci--You betcha! I miss those big ol' fish fries!
- Sprittibee said...
Love that Chipotle lime mayo recipe. Surely you have a Chipotle restaurant up there in NY. It is my favorite "fast" food. Cilantro is an obsession of mine. I don't know how I have survived in Arkansas for nearly 2 years (OK - I have been back to TX at least 7 times in that duration).
I love fried catfish, too. The best places I have had it were the Dixie Cafe in Hearne and UNBELIEVABLY, a place called Catfish City here in Arkansas (owners are actually from Louisiana).
Best of eating to you, my Texan friend. I feel for you - because New York is a LOT farther away from the border than Arkansas. ;) God bless and may you come to rest once again on Texas soil soon!
- Homesick Texan said...
Sprittibee--I'm not surprised there's good catfish in Arkansas, it's close enough to Texas afterall. And yes, cilantro is also an obsession of mine. I'm attempting trying to grow some for the first time. Fingers crossed!
- Club Amaro said...
Thank you for this hush puppy recipe! Summer vacations to visit my family in Louisiana got me hooked on fried catfish & hush puppies. Yesterday we did a fish fry here at home (Bay Area, CA) and I made your hush puppy recipe - it was a hit. For the catfish, I stick w/ straight cornmeal, salt and pepper and perhaps a bit of cayenne depending on who my guests are. Thanks for the blog - it's great.
Kristin Amaro
Bay Area, CA
(with roots in LA & TX)
- Genevieve said...
My Grandma took me fishing instead of baking cookies when I was young. We caught many fish, some catfish. I loved her deep South recipes. Much like yours. Recently, I had a pecan encrusted catfish dish along with cole slaw. The pecan crust was a welcome treat instead of the usual cornmeal. It was really divine!I am going to make it tonight!
- Nicole said...
Just stumbled on your blog and love it! I'm a multigenerational native Texan who now lives in Portland, OR. I love Oregon, but what I miss most about Texas is the food. I always eat fried catfish and hush puppies when I go back for a visit. YUM! My dad gets them whole and crunches on the tails which freaked my non-native husband out at first! I bought a 1/2 a cow from a rancher who does grass-fed beef in eastern Oregon this year and after reading your blog, I'm pulling the brisket out of the freezer today!
- Kashif said...
I have never tasted catfish but this one looks good.
Will try this one out if I am able to spot a catfish at local fish market.
- Tommy's Place said...
Man, thanks for this recipe! I live in Bahrain and caught some pretty nice pan size fish today. They scaled and cleaned up nicely. I found some Quaker Corn Meal at Al Jazira market, but I couldn't remember just exactly how to make the dredge/batter.
They ain't catfish but they'll do in pinch!
Tommy from Bandera
- petek said...
Our Family has been making Hush Puppy's for over 150+ years. Dad served them in a resturant. If you want them to be the best you have ever tried. Use beer your choice for the liquid, along with plenty of black pepper and Onion. Then I use Habanero ( Chopped up and held in Viniger in a pint jar) Dip out a Tea Spoon of the liquid and pepper. These make the best in the world.
- Sooky D said...
Mercy! That sure is good!
I had been fretting over whether or not to try frying up some whiting my husband brought down, so I decided to give your recipe a try...well, it was mighty fine! It fried up just as quick as can be, and I recycled not only my frying oil, but I went ahead & used my dredging flour for my hush puppies, too! It was great! All four of my little ones ate it all up in under 15 minutes, and as God is my witness, nothing's ever left my table that fast!
Unfortunately, I'm now flat out of fish right smack in the middle of the week, during lent! :) no matter, we enjoyed it too much to care!
Thank you so much! Lord bless you for saving an old girl from yet another night of pasta marinara!
- cwlammers said...
The lost ingredient! In the early 50s we would make Hush Puppies for the Friday Night Movie at 10:30 on TV. Don't laugh, that's what we did! Anyway, for many years I search for a method of getting more onion taste in the Hush Puppies. I tried boiling the onion before putting it in, and everything you can think of. Finally, many years later, I tried Onion Powder and found the taste I always wanted, but could never achieve. This recipe is perfect - if only you add Onion Powder to taste. About a teaspoon should do it for this recipe, maybe a little more. Enjoy. One other little trick: I don't use a mix for ANYTHING! But I use Jiffy Cornbread Mix at a ratio of 1/3 to 1/2 of the cornmeal. Makes the Hush Puppies rise when cooiking and are large and light. I also use self rising buttermilk cornmeal mix and don't have to use the baking powder.
- brent said...
yes mississippi is the catfish capital, over 70 percent is grown there, but all farm raised catfish in the USA is great, so please next time you buy some catfish make sure its not from asia as they do not have the same regulations on their catfish as we do here, you dont even want to know about their "farm raised fish" anyway great recipe!!
- Faye said...
I have a friend who is Cajun and grew up in the Beaumont area. They make their catfish much the same way as you do, except they marinate it in yellow mustard before cooking it. And no, they don't rinse it off and no, you don't taste the mustard, when it's cooked.
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated to avoid spam. If you don't have a blog, please leave your name as it makes it friendlier that way! Also, please don't leave a link in the body of your comment. If you wish to direct us to your personal site, use that link when you sign in to comment. Thank you for reading and joining the conversation!


text:
AMD Q4'12 and FY 2012 Earnings: Closing Out a Rough Year, Looking Towards the Nextby Ryan Smith on 1/23/2013 12:30 AM EST
34 Comments
Back to Article
stm1185 - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkI'll contribute to making up that 473M loss if they could get their next gen cards out by the time I get my tax return!
Well assuming their 8xxx parts replace the 7xxx parts in the price structure instead of being added in above. I am not going to get price gouged like all those poor fools who bought a 7970 when it was first released. Reply
chizow - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkProbably looking at 9xxx parts if you're looking for an actual upgrade over 7xxx. AMD recently announced 8xxx would be "OEM-only" rebrands, but I suspect they will trickle down into the retail market as well and replace the current 7xxx line-up.
I doubt we will see Sea Islands in the next quarter or so, if Sea Island launch was imminent I think AMD could've convinced their OEM partners to hold off.
We will probably know more in a month or two as rumor has it Nvidia is gearing up to launch their Kepler refresh headlined by the long-awaited BigK (GK110). If AMD isn't ready to counter with actual product, I'm sure we'll start seeing leaked specs instead. Reply
silverblue - Thursday, January 24, 2013 - linkAMD announced the OEM 8xxx parts, not the retail ones. There will be a non-OEM 8xxx series launch, the higher up models being based on GCN2. From what I've heard, and it could be wrong, the OEM parts were launched a couple of weeks back and the retail parts will arrive in Q2. The new codenames on the desktop are Oland (85xx and 86xx), Bonaire (87xx), Hainan (88xx) and Curaçao (89xx) if the following link is to be believed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_AMD_gra... Reply
chizow - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkIt's certainly possible AMD names the next-gen Sea Island parts 8xxx, but I highly doubt it. That would only cause significantly more confusion in the market to have completely different ASICs behind the same-named OEM and retail parts.
Maybe if the 8xxx was mobile-only would this possibly make sense to have different ASICs behind the same SKUs since this occurs now, but the 8xxx rebrand is top-to-bottom and both desktop and mobile on the OEM-side.
I think it's much more likely that we see a full re-brand on the OEM side for 8xxx, a partial re-brand on the retail side. Then with Sea Islands, a jump up to 9xxx on the retail side with the OEM side following shortly after. Reply
Kjella - Friday, January 25, 2013 - link"That would only cause significantly more confusion in the market to have completely different ASICs behind the same-named OEM and retail parts."
You must not have been paying much attention to the graphics market the last years, they've done this many times before. Reply
chizow - Saturday, January 26, 2013 - link"they've done this many times before"
Uh, no they have not.
OEM in the past has just used retail SKUs in *addition* to some OEM-specific SKUs (ie. GTX 555, LE or SE parts). The exception has been in the mobile space where "M" parts are almost always a different SKU than the desktop counterpart for obvious TDP reasons.
But there has NEVER been a time where the OEM lineup top-to-bottom has used the same product numbers on a completely different ASIC as the desktop counterparts. I doubt that this will change with OEM using 8xxx series numbering with older Southern Islands parts and the desktop parts using the same 8xxx series numbering but Sea Islands chips. That's pretty much the only way AMD could make this situation more embarassing, anyways. Reply
Wreckage - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkI guess you could say they are stuttering financially and having trouble smoothing out their business model. They hope an update this year will turn things around, but many fear this will affect their performance. Reply
CeriseCogburn - Thursday, January 24, 2013 - linkThis is what happens when fanboys are also extreme tightwads and scream for years best bang for the bucks, whilst worshipping the company as "good above all !"
It sends their master to the poorhouse, because the millions of amd penny pinching lying tightwads took it down.
It's too late for the amd fanboys to "start putting their money where their mouth has been". Reply
tim851 - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkWhen AMD was performance competitive or ahead of Intel, their pricing was accordingly.
After Core hit, AMD could only compete on price and they did. For a couple of years. Until they'd fallen so far behind, that even price couldn't help them anymore.
Nothing to do with "fanboys", you fanboy. Reply
CeriseCogburn - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkWrong you are, blind and angry, likely guilty, hence the denial. Reply
chizow - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkYou're both right in some respects, imo.
When AMD had the performance crown for long periods while Intel and Nvidia stumbled, they charged a premium for their products (Athlon 64 and 9800Pro to X1950XTX). So there was certainly a time AMD/ATI products commanded hefty price premiums.
The problem on the CPU side has been obvious. Ever since Core 2 launched, AMD has been running a performance deficit and could never compete in performance so they were forced to compete on price.
The problem on the GPU side has been less obvious, because AMD has been for the most part, very competitive in terms of performance. AMD's mistake, imo, was their pricing of the HD4850/4870, something I've been very critical of. The 4870 was very competitive with the much pricier GTX 260/280, and despite launching after the 280, AMD cut Nvidia's pricing by more than half.
AMD claimed they had to price it so low to regain market share after the failed HD 2900 and 3800 series, but they priced the 4870 so low that made AMD GPUs synonymous with value brand. Since then, they've never been able to recover from this price mistake, as subsequent generations have been good improvements but not enough to justify the type of premium to significantly shift the pricing structure set by the 4870. Making it even harder is the fact Nvidia has generally held the single-GPU crown in each generation since.
All you have to do is look at AMD's recent attempts to jump up their pricing with the 7970 to see what the 4870 did to their long-term outlook. Reply
BiggieShady - Monday, February 04, 2013 - link"... they priced the 4870 so low that made AMD GPUs synonymous with value brand"
What made me thing of AMD as a value brand was the fact that back in the day my 4870 died after 2 months of use, and the GTX 260 is still happily running games in my GF's rig Reply
Alucard291 - Saturday, February 16, 2013 - linkYou're almost making it sound like Nvidia never makes shit silicon :)
I mean using made up "facts" and all that
But wait that would be trolling and you wouldn't do that on Anand would you? :P Reply
Spinman - Saturday, March 16, 2013 - linkI'm still using a PowerColor 4870 in my primary i7 based gaming rig today, it runs flawlessly... oops it's 2013 right?!? I guess I need an upgrade... Reply
karasaj - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkCompetition is good... I hope AMD can make some good comebacks or design wins this year. Reply
tim851 - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkWe've all been hoping for recovery for 6 years now. Hasn't happened. Won't happen.
Phenom was a little behind, Bulldozer is lot behind. The trajectory is clear. Turning things around doesn't get easier when you're in all kinds of financial troube and have to split the company up five ways and sell for parts.
I think AMD is only kept alive to figure out what to do with "ATI".
I mixed AMD and Intel between '95 and '99, went AMD exclusive between '99 and '06. Haven't even considered them for my own machines since then. Last time I used AMD in a build for someone else was in 2010.
Sad story this.
OTOH Intel has been pricing their stuff decently in the absence of competition. Their 200$ parts are worth the money, I think. Reply
shivoa - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkDo those cash reserves not look less healthy when taken with the continued $2bn debt (was $1.5bn a year ago, unchanged since last quarter but obviously they have $300m less cash over that quarter) AMD are carrying?
I also hope for an AMD recovery as nVidia need competition to force their prices down and make sure they bring the fastest chips they can design to the market to compete and Intel could be pushed to offer better value for people who don't want to spend money on transistors for an iGPU they don't plan to use (but would certainly like a hexacore or a more aggressive product for peak performance in the traditional 100W+ TDP envelope without buying a server grade CPU at server prices). Reply
arnoldtm3 - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkDid anyone forget xbox 720 and ps4 comes out with amd chips.this will be the biggest year for amd,wii u already got a radeon gpu...way to go AMD........... Reply
frogger4 - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkThat's a good point, but the Wii U hasn't sold huge quantities yet, and the xbox 720 and ps4 don't exist yet - if those do turn out to sell like hotcakes, then I agree, that could be very good for AMD. Reply
tipoo - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkThey were already in 2 of the 3 seventh generation consoles. Unless Durango sells in huge numbers on day one, I don't think it will really help in terms of quarterly reports, just more long term steady revenue. Reply
chizow - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkIt won't matter, the GPU licensing agreements AMD has for their console chip designs pays them peanuts, pennies per console sold. It's similar to ARM's licensing of their chips, the main difference is ARM sells a lot more chips but also has a lot less overhead and operating costs. But in the big picture, ARM is still a tiny company in terms of overall revenue, a couple dozen million in revenue per quarter is not even going to be a blip on AMD's financials and certainly not enough to pull them out of the red.
I suspect that's why Intel and Nvidia haven't cared too much about getting their ASICs into the next-gen consoles, there's simply no money in it. It's like giving away the tech for free, and in some cases, directly supporting indirect competitors.
I forget the exact numbers but last I checked it was pretty insignificant. Ryan or some other interested party might be able to pull them out of the financials but I believe in years past AMD made ~20M annually on their XBox 360 liensing fees. Double, even triple that and it's still not going to make much dent in that operating deficit. Reply
tim851 - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkYeah, I think it's clear that the ATI part is the one that will survive, the CPU division needs to go.
ATI must also love that AMD execs sold off Imageon, the company's handheld chip, to Qualcomm. They call it the Adreno.
AMD must be the worst managed company in IT. The engineering dept. clearly was industry competitive, but the suits always made the wrong decisions.
Both ATI and AMD would probably be better off today if the companies had stayed seperated. All the time and money that was wasted on that merger... Reply
chizow - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkYeah it's really amazing what happened with some of the mistakes AMD made, SnapDragon/Adreno one of many. It's no wonder many in AMD's graphics division are making a mass exodus to Qualcomm.
I agree the merger was a huge waste of time and money and while ATI may be the only division in AMD worth anything at this point, it's really the biggest reason for AMD's problems, a point that's typically overlooked.
AMD paid 6B for ATI when they merged, many at the time thought they overpaid, and that's clearly the case today as AMD's graphics division while outperforming the rest of the company is still clearly underperforming it's price expectations. 300-500M in revenue and <25M in profit per quarter simply does not justify a $6B acquisition price. The interest and hefty write-offs attached to the acquisition alone attest to this fact.
If and when AMD spins off ATI for peanuts (maybe even to Qualcomm, how ironic), it will be a drop in value of historical proportions. Reply
Kevin G - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkAnd?
It won't make any difference if they follow the same licensing for the Xbox 360 GPU. AMD didn't manufacture the GPU's for MS, rather they sold the design and allowed MS to shop around for suppliers. Similarly MS got the same deal from IBM for the CPU. Hence MS was not burdened by a vendor who refused to shrink their designs to lower component prices like what happened with the original Xbox (*cough* Intel *cough* nVidia *cough*). This was a one time deal and not something AMD received continual revenue overtime. On that note, reading through MS recently quarterly report you can see some deferred items for the Home and Entertainment division. This my hint that MS hasn't yet paid AMD for next gen parts so it isn't entirely doom and gloom.
The only restriction I can see to his arrangement is if MS and/or Sony went with an x86 CPU. Due to the Intel/AMD cross license, there are some restrictions on who has access to x86 IP. While AMD has sold their fabs, they will likely have a say in where the console chip is manufactured. Being x86 also means that MS and/or Sony cannot purchase the design whole sale like MS did with the Xbox 360's GPU. Though I'm under the impression and contrary to recent rumors that AMD is sticking with PowerPC due to the desire for backwards compatibility. Reply
mrdude - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkThe successor to their highly successful Brazos/Bobcat series is certainly a product that's something to get excited about. Unfortunately for AMD and Intel both, regardless of what products they put out they'll be inextricably tied to MS and the Win8 failtrain. Intel at least has the high margin server segment to help keep it afloat, but AMD is actually hovering below ARM's current server market share at sub-5%.
So even if Kabini and Haswell exceed most people's expectations, chances are they're just not going to sell like they need to unless MS gets their ship in order first. Reply
creed3020 - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkWell I've bought three AMD APUs (all Trinity) in the last 3 months for various lower power office / HTPC computers that I built. I'm also looking at an upgrade for my own desktop but not sure I want to go the APU route or not. The only problem is that AM3+ mATX motherboard selection is AWFUL. The good AMD mATX boards are all FM2/FM1. Reply
Notmyusualid - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkI purchased 2 x 7970Ms, and that was no small potatoes, I can tell you.
I'm miffed how they could lost so much really, and whilst I am absolutely no fanboi either way, I pray for their continued success, lest Intel gain a monopoly.
And if they can lose so much money, can they hire some coders to get the drivers right for product launch?
Bought my 7970Ms in August.
It's nearly February, and it's really only been a couple of months the drivers have been acceptable (save for the 13.11 which failed to install at all).
Had they launched with the drivers in the current state, I'm guessing Nvidia would have had some difficulties selling their 680Ms at double the price (or thereabouts). Reply
jjj - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - linkThe only good thing this year for AMD are the consoles, Jaguar is low ASP and somewhat collides with tablets so if there are any Win 8 tablets that sell well and they get to into those,it could be good for them. For Jaguar based SoCs i hope they'll do a better job at launching it than with Brazos 2, Brazos 2 was so low key that it went under the radar.
Kaveri .. is it for this year? AMD doesn't have resources and money to waste,doing both Rrchland and Kavery in a year seems a bit much and late in the year might be too late to go 28nm, I guess we'll see.but it would be nice to see them go 20nm early.
I do hope their revenue stops declining ,we need them in desktop at least with Intel bailing out. Reply
Penti - Thursday, January 24, 2013 - linkRichland is just Llano, it's the same chip and chipset. It's just a revision and it's an existing 32nm product. Reply
lmcd - Thursday, January 24, 2013 - linkIt isn't just Llano, in fact it isn't even just Trinity. As I understood it will integrate GCN with Piledriver. Reply
Penti - Friday, January 25, 2013 - linkSorry, of course I meant to write Trinity. No there is no indication that it will include GCN. Second generation DX11 is what Trinity (VLIW4) already has. All AMD documents says only this. New chipset and some new software is what Richland is. See it as a platform, the silicon is just a minor revision. Reply
Beenthere - Thursday, January 24, 2013 - linkAMD didn't have all that bad of year at all considering the current worldwide economic meltdown that shows no signs of ending for another five years. With AMD buying Seamicro, buying out their GloFo exclusive contract and Q4 wafer commitment, AMD is actually doing pretty good especially with all of the new products they have coming to market in '13 and '14. They have good OEM wins for SoCs and will be in the next X-Box and Play Station. With Trinity racking up sales in both laptop and desktop and FX doing just fine in desktop, AMD is headed in the right direction. Their server group has been relaunched and should be generating significant revenues in micro servers - especially now that they own Seamicro. AMD's obituary is widely mis-reported. Reply
lmcd - Thursday, January 24, 2013 - linkI would like to note that Piledriver was actually a huge success performance-wise... No one seems to have noticed (thanks Toms for finally pointing it out) that Piledriver isn't the bottleneck for all games but Skyrim the CPU slaughterhouse (and maybe SC2; it wasn't benched). Given that games are among the few tasks that can't be extended to 8 threads easily, reviewers should be recommending Piledriver more. So really, this is the press' fault. The media is neglecting AMD's development wins.
Intel gets reviews of nearly 1/3rd their SKUs, but I haven't seen one yet for the 6300, the A8 mobile, or many other SKUs. Why? I can tell you my A8 Trinity laptop is competitive price/performance.
OEMs are biased, the media is reliant on samples, and AMD's image will screw it over. The only thing AMD is terrible for is Linux, and that's a niche that shouldn't be killing them.
By all rights, this should've been a great year for AMD. So maybe AMD is doomed. What will it take to make it out of Intel's shadow again? Reply
coder111 - Wednesday, March 13, 2013 - linkUm, I just wanted to point out that AMD is NOT terrible for Linux. It's quite good in fact. AMD CPUs work very well- better in fact than on Windows, as on Windows a lot of stuff is compiled with Intel Compiler, which disables a lot of optimizations on AMD chips. That's the reason 99% of Windows benchmarks are skewed towards Intel. I even stopped looking at Windows benchmarks in many review sites, as even some benchmark software is compiled with Intel compiler...
As for GPUs, of course, Intel has 100% open-source drivers. AMD has community written open-source Galium3D drivers as well, which are becoming better and better very rapidly. And they have binary drivers that work OK as well. Unfortunatelly open-source graphics drivers don't have video acceleration nor OpenCL, but the binary drivers have support for both under Linux.
I've been using Linux with AMD CPUs and GPUs for years, and I'm quite happy. Of course, I mostly do software development and related stuff, so I don't need heavy 3D graphics. Reply