Safari Books Online Is a Great Learning Resource

I recently subscribed to Safari Books Online.  Safari Books Online (Safari) is a digital online library filled with thousands of technical books and videos.  Once someone subscribes to Safari they have access to those thousands of books and videos as long as they have an Internet connection.  People also have the option of buying any of the online material as a permanent download that they can view offline.  I use my regular PC and my iPad for viewing materials.  Safari Books has its own App for the iPad.  I find the experience on my regular PC is better navigating the Safari site and playing back videos.  The iPad is much more convenient though. I find myself reading more often with my iPad and viewing videos more on my PC.  Because of the increased reading I do on my iPad I spend almost as much time on my iPad as I do on my PC now.  I like my iPad but without Safari it would just be an interesting toy.  Safari has not just changed my computing and study habits but it has changed my views on learning and information.

AMD's Bulldozer May Be A Trend And NOT A Disappointment

AMD has finally released its much anticipated CPU based on what it calls its "Bulldozer" architecture.  AMD gave the FX 8150, the most powerful version of the Bulldozer architecture,  for reviewers to evaluate.  One of the best reviews that I have seen was done by one of my favorite online hardware review websites Overclock3d.net.  Throughout both the written and video review there was a large amount of disappointment with AMD.  The upcoming Bulldozer architecture has been talked about for a long time by hardware and PC game fans and the expectations were extremely high.  AMD did not "beat" Intel in the long raging CPU war that PC gamers have been cheering on according to this review or some of the others I have seen.  The normal progression of the CPU wars between AMD and Intel and the video graphics card wars between AMD and Nvidia have followed a predictable pattern.  One company introduces a product followed by the other company responding with a better performing product.  The back and forth between hardware companies have filled websites and blogs with articles and kept consumers buying bigger and faster components for their gaming PC.  It is completely possible that AMD has just introduced a product that is a failure.  Intel may have finally won the war of the game PC CPU.  But I think another possibility is that the game has changed and the old ways of keeping score just don't apply anymore. I am not a "fan" of any one company trying to make excuses or an insider in the technology business with sources at the highest levels.  I am approaching my conclusion from my own use of technology today.