I wasted most of today powering up at the Renaissance Harbourside hotel in downtown Vancouver with AMD and Microsoft. The invite told me that I’ll be able to experience software and hardware solutions from AMD’s latest quad core processors and chipsets to Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Home Server and OneCare. And they’ll throw in a free lunch as well. I just can’t seem to say no to food.
The all day event is like a combination trade show and information session. Representatives from both AMD and Microsoft were there to teach why their products are the best and why you should be using and selling them. The event was designed for system builders and has a heavy OEM and resellers bent to it. While they talked about the technology behind their products, a lot of time was also spent on maximizing revenue from your customers by up-selling them to technology they may not need.
It’s The World’s First But It’s Not The Fastest
AMD bills their new Phenom processor as the world’s first true quad core CPU. Their reasoning behind this was Intel’s quad core CPU isn’t really quad core, it’s just two dual core stuck together. You can spin it however you want but it doesn’t change the fact that AMD’s quad core is slower than Intel’s quad core (or dual dual-core as AMD calls it).
The Mini Trade Show
While the main sponsors of the event were AMD and Microsoft, a bunch of smaller companies were there to show off their stuff in the demo room. I got a chance to catch up with friends from ECS, Kingston Technology, Sapphire and Seagate. I’m sure I’ll see them all again at the 2008 CES in Las Vegas.
Admiring The View
The Renaissance Harbourside hotel offers a really nice view of Vancouver’s Coal Harbour. The Harbour is a very busy seaway. There are sea planes and giant cruise ships going in and out of the harbour all the time.
The Coolest Lanyard In The World
This has to be the coolest name tag holder in the world. It’s a lanyard with an integrated 1GB USB flash drive with Ready Boost. A free lanyard went to the first 200 attendees but, being the evil one, I managed to snare two. If you want a chance to win the extra one, just reply to this post. I’ll draw the winner this Friday. Good luck.
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My favorite part of the post… “a lot of time was also spent on maximizing revenue from your customers by up-selling them to technology they may not need.”
Here, buy this processor that you won’t have any use for!
Oh, and sign me up for the lanyard!
I’m down with the lanyards. I didn’t think they could make them any more cooler, and then they go ahead and add flash memory. My entire belief system is just shattered.
Those MSFT lanyards should have Bluetooth!
I’m not evil, but I would like that extra lanyard you scarfed up. Count me in!
Alan
me too…
I don’t mind one, count me in!
I be IN.
I have never won anything on this damn Blog JOHn!
Chow, I’ve sent you so MANY links your way up to this point. For almost a whole year I’ve linked back constantly just that you might drop some crumbs my way.
Show me favor this time.
i did, but it was soem dumb book? you want it?
I want one
can anyone explain why it’s called a Lanyard? AMD playing ketchup for a while yet. 
It was originally supposed to have been of a yard in length and worn around the shoulder to hold anything, mostly a bossun’s whistle. Quite why the first part is called lan I do not know. May be those days they did have local area networks too!
Yeah so many upsells like that, especially in the IT world!
Chow man, please consider me a starter for the Lanyard comp. I have been wanting to tinker with ReadyBoost for a while, and the lanyard / USB stick is just a big bonus!
Thanks,
Adam
John makes a good point about AMD’s “true quad-core” claim. Who the heck cares? If Intel’s Core 2 quad processors are more powerful, those are the ones I’m going to go with.
I had an old AMD (not a dual core) which really worked great for me, until, one day it burned
i’d have to say intel processor is way much better and faster than AMD (any type of processor I have tried).
And as for the lanyard I want that COOL thing
it just rocks (we can make exchange, will give you 2 usb flash drives for that cool one) 
SAME!!! da bomb fashizzle
It’s post like these that desperately remind me that my own build is horribly outdated. I may have to spend November’s earnings on a Christmas gift for myself.
Me too. i still have P4 3.2
That’s old:!:
AMD ROck…
My laptop using AMD…
I’m going to have a new PC with AMD end of this week…Hopefully it is good enough for my evil
blogging activities
I like AMD. My old desktop is still running very good!
My computer uses AMD. It is powerful. Some said that AMD is better than I****. But AMD needs more marketing campaign…
How’s your AMD performing using the Vista? I may increase my RAM up to 2GB to make it good and fast
Sign me up for the lanyard! Free swag is always nice.
As for AMD, I have been thinking about it. I know it doesn’t beat Intel on performance but price/performance it just edges out the Intel. It looks like AMD will be playing that game for some time until it can regain the upper hand in performace.
eh, thats wack. I would be happy about it for a day then throw it on my pile of other useless crap i own.
I’m sorry but the lanyard thing is a riot. Now kids will not be able to get locked out of their house or away from their information. Do you know what they need for parents? A lanyard that keeps the kids out of the house.
Oh I’d love that lanyard!
That’s pretty sweeeeeeeet.
I love Intel’s Quad core. I have not been a fan of AMD since the whole dual core thing came out.
Good times.
I must win.
I never do, so I think my chances this time is quite low again.
OOOOHHH!! ME ME ME! I want that usb flash drive
-Mike
That lanyard would be perfect for my commute as I can put my bus and train passes in it…and then storage to boot? Count me in!
wow you go to so many cool places. Then again you do run a tech site so it would be odd for you not to. Were the usb’s the only free stuff worth mentioning or did I miss something?
I gotta win the flash drive! I just gotta!
It’s really stupid of AMD to claim that quad core thing when it is slower than dual core… I loved that company and lost a lot of money in the stock because they just suck now
I’ve got to say that the conference room was quite small judging from the photo John took. About how many people were there John?
I say no more than 200 people.
Give it to me!!! I want that lanyard! Pretty please
Hook me up John!
Man…IMHO it is all on development issue and by the way you said before “a lot of time was also spent on maximizing revenue from your customers by up-selling them to technology they may not need”
So you got see…may be speed is not always the issue for customer…you still have to consider about energy consumption, durability, resistance and everything else right?
Be honest. Let us just take out own little computers, be them PCs or laptops or whatever. How many features do we really need and or use? Same thing with say cell phones. Apart from the phone, and the sms services, how many features do we really need and or use regularly. If there are suckers willing to buy, sellers will sell what is really not needed.
That is one cool lanyard.
Oh Yes!! It looks great!
ahahha… i don’t mind having that lanyard… count me in for the draw.
I totally want one of those!
I just want the lanyard
Looks like a pretty sweet lanyard to me. Ill take it
Well, I’m glad I stayed home and caught up on my “Heroes” watching. I’m thinking that they diverted money away from this show to send me to Lake Tahoe for the real launch of the platform and pay for my flight, limo and…steaks…mmm…steaks.
Phenom on its own is lame, but the platform has some promise.
In for the lanyard!
Hey John!
What is “2008 CES in Las Vegas”?!? Is it a computer gig or something else?? (i’m trying to find out if it will fit my IM Seminar blog or not).
I just upgraded my tower and I have 1/2 a terrabyte of hard drive. The duo processor is a serious step up from my circa 2000 (vintage) machine I’ve been struggling with until this week!!
It’s smokin’!
Pam Hoffman
http://seminarlist.blogspot.com
p.s. put me down for the lanyard – just ’cause it’s cool.
CES = Consumer Electronics Show. Biggest electronics trade show in the world and the 2nd biggest trade show in the world. http://www.cesweb.org
Cool lanyard! Nice concept
Nice Lanyard
Might as well try again, right? Count me in!
Hi John
I ve joined your email newsletter.I would like to know more about Quad core.I am a fan of dual core since it came into market.its pretty fast.I found articles in many sites about quad core but in a conference like this they might reveal more.
And..that lanyard is really cool.You r lucky that you own one.
Thank you.
Give me the extra
Me me, pick me sir!
Not a huge fan of AMD since Intel came out with the Duo. AMD was on the right track, but some of their latest chips just haven’t been all that great.
You definitely are lucky to go to these type of events!
Just wondering…did you ever goto a Star Trek convention?
I’m not messing with you…I used to be a Trekkie myself
USB for me!
I think I am due for a win.. next time invite me. I would n;t mind takign a day off work and spending it “learning”
Give me the usb lanyard please
.
Sweet lanyard!
Nothing like a high-pressure upsell, how do those people sleep?
Hey, no food pics?! It must have been really good or really bad…
I thought the exact same thing
It was really bad.
Hi John. Please add me to your lanyard draw.
Thanks.
i just want that lanyard
That lanyard looks pretty nice, and my school makes us wear them unfortunately.
Hey, I’m deprived. I never had a lanyard… I always that a lanyard was at the bottom of garden…
That lanyard’s sweet. I still think Intel > AMD.
Good Lanyard!
Cool lanyard indeed!
Count me in
Count me in for the lanyard, too. I would really need a lanyard to hold some of my badges, and I really need a new USB Flash, so, this might be the perfect opportunity.
Vancouver is great, I know.
The lifestyle of the Rich and the Famous eh John?
Love the name tag holder, too cool
Intel quad core or AMD quad core??? I like the true multi-core (yet to come)!!!
Please refer to this wikipedia and if you can, edit to perfect this explanation :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-core_%28computing%29
Some people will still buy the AMD one just for bragging rights, the people with more sense will go for the intel.
Count me in for that lanyard!
I almost never reply when I don’t have anything to add, but I really want that lanyard! Gawd! I feel like such a nerd!
i could use a lanyard =P
I think its about time I won something from you John. Muahaha. it is the cools lanyard in the world.
I think microsoft should start selling those lanyards instead of try selling Windows Vista
Heh, these do look cool..
You know why I replied to this post
I want it………………..
You are great, but I want that lanyard.
MS seems to be wanting to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. What difference does it make whether it is two twin cores or four put together? The proof of the pudding is in eating it as John did at the show! If the Intel core is faster, what chance does AMD quad core have?
AMD seems to be trying too hard without much luck against Intel.. Count me in for the prize draw!
I NEED ONE!!! for school
Let me try my chance!
Man, in my university back in 2003, I was the first in my class to have a thumbdrive. 64 MB of LG pendrive. 64 MB in those days are more expensive than 2 GB today. Count Me In!
That lanyard is awesome, John. It’s enough to make any geek go weak at the knees.
Sign me up! 
I could use the usb landyard for sure. I wish trade shows like this came to small cities/regions.
been needing to get me a usb drive for a while now
Ahh AMD is always my fav processor. I have been using it for more than 10 years now..
given the fact that you get more power while paying less
I wonder, since Intel bundle two dual core as a QuadCore processor, AMD could outsmart them by bundling two QuadCore and and pass it off as an EightCore processor. There you go, AMD has the world’s first EightCore processor for comps.
The only USB memory I have is an old 256Mb one.
Sure could use a gig one attached to a lanyard!
How are you going to choose who gets the lanyard?
Does crying help?
Those lanyards look pretty sweet to me.
That is one of the few coolest prize i have seen so far, that would be great if i happen to win one.
Sign me up for the lanyard… Within hours I will be walking around with a bare neck strap as the drive will surely walk away on its own…
That lanyard looks sweet. A very clever idea.
As for scoring one, count me in
Neat prize, count me in!
Cool lanyard! Great idea
Count me in too, that looks pretty cool. Yeah, what’s up with there being no lunch pics?
Me wants!
Count me in! That would be a cool prize.
I wan’t it too.
Maybe i’am lucky.
Count me in for the contest. Nothing cooler than a USB lanyard around my neck attached to another USB drive within which is stored a picture of yet another USB drive.
That’s a really cool lanyard – I hope I win!
I’m in.
It’s about time that I win something.
Yeah, Free stuff. It’s all good.
I always love reading about your trips and conferences/conventions. That is the COOLEST. LANYARD. EVER. Would love to get one.
Toss me into the running for that lanyard
That thing is nice.
That’s sooo cool! And I thought Mac got all the creative juice in the world. Never thought I would put Microsoft and the word “creative” together.
If you have not guess by now…YES, give me the Ready Boost Lanyard.
Maybe AMD should have kept it in development until it was faster than Intel.
Sign me up for the Lanyard! notjohnchow.com
I would like to win that lanyard John
Very cool lanyard. At least it wasn’t a wasted trip
Count me in for the lanyard giveaway!
You should make a post about how to sell stuff people don’t need. I’m very interested in such a thing.
And I’d like to have the lanyard, too.
Sure count me in on this one as well. You never know!
Sign me up for the lanyard!
Thanks.
I would love to win that lanyard – I love the dramatic pic from behind with the view – haha.
Definitely is one of the cooler lanyards I’ve seen!
Amd claims to be the first quad “desktop” processor, not the worlds first quad processor. Spark processors come with 32 cores, wats 4?
A little editing in your article. Send me the lanyard for the tip! I have added a useful bit of information as compared to the rest
yes, very nice name tag / usb drive.
send it my way.
Sign me up.
Yeah for USB Lanyards. What will they think of next, mini 1 megapixel cameras hiding inside?
pretty neat stuff…
Can I be the first one from Malaysia to get something from you. I’ll be very honored and will surely blog it like crazy!!!
That’s surely a very unique, interesting, amazing pen drive cum name tag holder. I will definitely use it at work where we have to where our ID card. And I will be the most cool person at work wearing something from you.
I want in as well Mr. Chow!
I want that lanyon!
Sign me up!
If That Lanyard belongs to the Evil Group
…I’m Definitely Expecting it John !!
Count me in
I take it the free lunch wasn’t great, no pictures?
Cool lanyard indeed.
I’m not evil, but I’d like a lanyard.
http://www.spencerkam.com
Lanyard looks sweet…count me in!
Hmm let’s see if I’m as Evil as you are in getting a lanyard
John, I want that LanYard. puhlease…
Me win, me win!
come’ on lady luck, do me right !
i noticed a small typo John:
“While the main sponsors of the event was”
i know it sucks when people correct your english because i am not a native speaker as well, but this is somehow too obvious
What a great way to get comments and participation! I have tons of Microsoft SWAG, I should probably give something away on my website and watch my comments and traffic soar!
You really are evil; any chance you will be starting a how to course on becoming evil?
If yes count me in for that course, in the meanwhile also count me in for this pen drive.
I am one free USB lanyard short of saving the world.
I feel lucky!
I know it won’t help, but I will say it anyway. Your blog rocks.
Go Drupal.
Count me In
Might as well go ahead and award that lanyard to me…only I can rock it like a true baller!
Way to go picking up 2 lanyards. Those look to be a new trend or what? Nice JC!
pagey
Count me in, did I say that John Chow Dot Com is My Favorite Website. Its the greatest. If I dont win how do I get my hands on one of those…. Hmmmm???
Thanks
AMD are good. A question for you about the lanyard – even if I was to win, are you going to send it to me all the way to New Zealand?
This is some thing I am wondering as well, especially since I live in India shipping to which would be more costly than shipping to New Zealand.
I will ship it anywhere in the world.
Prove it!
Hell, if everyone is trying to win one, count me in also!!!
count me in !
hope i win the lanyard!!!
I want the coolest lanyard in the world.
Now, that IS the coolest lanyard in the world and I know my name will jump into your hands, so just mail it…
I want the lanyard toooooooo. Pick
me 
THOSE ARE AWESOME! I WANT ONE!
Nothing wrong with swag, even from Microsoft.
Nice post but count me out… I ‘m not into contests…
Alright!! I WANT One!!! Although i know its impossible.
Oh, please let me have it.
Me Me…I want it. Give me please.
Stick my name in the pot.. Please…
That thing is the hottest thing I have ever seen, coming from Microsoft. It will be untouchable once John Chow sends it in!!!!
I can handle that!
Flash memory in a lanyard… pretty cool marketing and nicely integrated too. I wonder how much it costs to make one of them.
Not that I expect an answer…but how do I get my picture to appear with my comment. If it just appears out of nowhere I’m goin freak out.
With the how much traffic would someone get before they would need to upgrade there plan?
Saw you on .
I want that one!!! I loved it!
Looks like I need to do some work on my site linking…It’s a long road to the top when you wanna Rock n’ Roll.
Take 2.
Saw you on LabwithLeo.com The contest sure brings in alot of comments as you mentioned on the show.
That’s one cool lanyard and I’d love to have one! Thanks in advance!
Those lanyards are awesome. Ooh, please pick me John! I really need to win something to pick up my spirits, after the week I’ve had.
It sounds interesting…Count me
All the best
Now that is one kick ass keychain, i would happily hang up my Jägermeister chain I won at the Newport for that baby. Hit me up Mr chow!
Aj.
AMD and Microsoft sucks
I use AMD Athlon
I also want that Lanyard…
This is my lucky post. I never win anything so this must be the one for me. Make a difference in a losers life John! lol.
Intel Pentium due core rox
You know what, I’m working on a laptop manufacturing company and in the past seven years, the company stopped using AMD and used only Intel chipsets. But recently, due to monetary reasons, they switch back to using AMD as an alternative source. I think a time will come when AMD will overrule Intel even in terms of performance. And considering you can have almost the same value for less the price, people are starting to switch to AMD recently.
hi, i think amd is kinda better than intel with games, hypertransport aint the same as hypertraething of intel, sound almost the same but they arent… i think that intel processors are kinda more like opening stuff on windows and etc.
Anyways, thats my opinion.. … And i want that lanyard!!
Consider my reply-ified.
That is pretty sweet
Finally, a stocking stuffer the hubby would LIKE to have! Woooot!!!
Technology they may not need?
I’ll take all I can get.
I need this lanyard!
Sign me up!
Gotta love that tiny lanyard.
I would like to have the Lanyard. Count me in please. Thank you.
Count me in please.
blogged ya: http://laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com/2007/11/thursday-edition-of-contests-galore_29.html
Lanyard is awesome. I’ve been using AMD but I haven’t tried any of the dual cores yet. Looking to buy a new computer next year. Who knows what they’ll have by then.
I just can’t seem to say no to a cool prize like that, count me in!
Wow, cool lanyard. What an oxymoron!
I would love to win that lanyard. Count me in.
That thing is cool, count me in!
My husband would LOVE this thing. I have never even heard of them before. Count me in the draw, too! Thanks!
I don’t want your stupid lanyard
Will you ship to anywhere in the world?