Hammering on

Little is known about the AMD chip sets here in Sri Lanka where Intell dominates the CPU market. Recent tests have shown that AMD's 1.33 GHz chip has shown that it can easily out-perform the 1.7 GHz Pentium 4 on systems running Windows 2000. Even though Intell maintains its lead in certain areas, over all AMD seem to offer a better alternative.

Great performance, however, will not be enough to convince buyers that AMD is an alternative at all. A few of the big names in the industry will have to embrace the Athlon before it achieves any significant developments in the business market. AMD seems to approach the market quite methodically with a sensible degree of caution as well. They are targeting high end consumers and small business users with the initial release, placing a greater emphasis on raw computing power than on saving rupees and cents. In this market, the Athlon delivers. AMD may not play significantly in the business market, at least until it brings a new factory online, reportedly by the end of the year.

The x86-64 architecture has three different modes for dealing with different types of instructions: long mode, legacy mode, and compatibility mode. Long mode is designed exclusively for 64 bit code run on 64 bit operating systems, while legacy mode is for 32 bit code on 32 bit OSs. Compatibility mode allows 32 bit code to be executed on 64 bit operating systems.

It was no small fete for AMD to produce an X86 processor that's faster than any of Intel's offerings. The key areas that set the Athlon apart from the Pentium III are a fully pipelined super scaler floating-point unit, a 200MHz system bus and a significantly larger Level 1 cache (128KB). The result is a system built with and around the processor and not just an over clocked processor trying to squeeze itself through an old motherboard. Surprisingly the Athlon's larger Level 1 cache and faster bus has performed below expectations in benchmark testing, but what it delivered was enough to tip off anything that Intell had to offer.

A lot about the generalities of the x86-64 architecture is already known. Now AMD is letting out a bit more. Some of the more interesting articles that are found on the Web about the subject include The Register's comments on Sun's glowing endorsement, Ace's Hardware's comments on some expected enhancements that appear to be missing, and CPU Review's general commentary. CNET also offers reviews about the latest happenings.

(Sources: AMD & CNET)

One of the trendiest takes on Internet marketing these days seems to be the notion that securing top search engine rankings "no longer works". "Experts" claim that search engine positioning is largely a waste of time and should not be a primary focus of Web site owners.

Well, as the saying goes, "there are two sides to every story".

According to a Forrester Research Media Field Study, getting a loyal audience in the first place is best done by Search Engine Placement. A GVU Users Survey, 84.8% of Internet users use Search Engines to find Web sites. ActivMedia Research in September 1999, ranked search Engine Positioning the #1 Website promotional method used by e-Commerce sites.

"Top Ways Web sites are Discovered"
Banner ads: 1%
Targeted email: 1.2%
TV spots: 1.4%
"By accident": 2.1%
Magazine ads: 4.4%
Word-of-mouth: 20%
Random Surfing: 20%
Search Engines: 46%

Every time your potential customers use the search engines, they qualify themselves as 'hot prospects' by conducting searches on keywords that are directly related to your product or service. Their choice of keywords is proof that they have a genuine interest in what you offer.

They didn't stumble upon one of your ads, or wander past a hyperlink to your site. And they didn't get a banner ad thrown in their face. They made the 'decision' to actively search the keywords that brought them to YOUR Web site. At the very least, they're seriously considering doing business with you!

Merely getting your Web site "indexed" or listed in the search engines is not enough, it must be listed within the top 30 search results (preferably the top 20). Hardly will anyone look beyond the first 30 results returned from a search. If your prospect doesn't find what they want within the first 20 to 30 listings, they'll simply do a new search.

1) You can attempt to gain these Top 20 rankings yourself. However, this can easily become a full time job. (I think this is why so many marketers advise against focusing on search engine positioning.)

2) You can hire a reputable company who can achieve and maintain your Top 20 rankings for you (be sure they guarantee their service and have several verifiable clients that currently have multiple Top 20 rankings).

3) You can do nothing at all. But as you've seen from the third party statistics referenced above, search engine positioning is something you can't afford to ignore.

Whatever choice you make, I hope that your eyes have been opened to the tremendous profit potential that exists with top search engine placement.

Sent in by
Priyanga T. Kumarasiri

Geldof style after ten years

The album is expected to be out by September and is being produced by Roger Taylor of the rock band Queen.

Shaggy swept the UK singles chart last week with 'Angel'. As the song hit the shelves it was destined to go all the way to the No:1 spot. Commercial radio stations and Radio 1 too played their part. The song worked on its own merit as there was no question about where it would debut when the singles chart was published last week.

The vocalist featured on Shaggy's 'Angel' is Rayvon. The singer's voice too went a long way. If Shaggy was left to his own devices the story could have been rather different. It was a repeat of his previous hit 'It Wasn't Me' back in March which featured the vocals of Rikrok. In the March 11 issue of The Mirror Magazine we did mention 'Angel' was likely to be released in the UK in June. Well it did come to pass and gave the Jamaican star another No:1 song in the UK. 'Angel' is Shaggy's fourth chart topping single in the UK. Rayvon the featured vocalist on 'Angel' was also the featured vocalist on one of Shaggy's former chart toppers 'Oh Carolina', in 1993.

Last week as 'Angel' topped the singles chart it provided Shaggy with a simultaneous No:1 on the albums chart as 'Hot Shot' took the prime spot.

This week too 'Angel' is at the helm of the singles chart. 'Angel' is based on the Juice Newton hit 'Angel of The Morning' from 1981. But long before Newton dreamt of the song it was PP Arnold who first recorded 'Angel Of The Morning' in 1968. At the time the US single only managed to go as far as the No:29 position. Juice Newton also an American was a disaster in the UK as her version of the song peaked at No:43 in 1981.

Taking a very central role in the beat on Shaggy's 'Angel' is the sample from the Steve Miller Band's 'The Joker' heard throughout the song. 'The Joker' was a No:1 song for the Steve Miller Band in 1990 as it was at the time used in a Levi Jeans TV commercial.

Of the 10 new entries in the Top 20 this week there is a famous singer Marti Pellow who checks into the chart at No:9 with 'Close To You'. Pellow was once a member of the band Wet Wet Wet.

Striking at the No:16 spot is the German night club DJ-Boris Dlugosch's 'Never Enough'. The song was basically aired at the Midem dance conference before sweeping across the club scene in Germany and the rest of Europe. 'Never Enough' with its slight Latin flavour was released in the UK taking the radio and the club scene by storm it is reported. Dlugosch has club hits for Eternal and Mary J. Blige. He generally selects session singers for his work. On his current hit Roisin Murphy lends vocal support.

Eddy Grant a star of yesteryear, at 53 now has one his old hits 'Electric Avenue', back in the chart. Last week the remix checked in at No:5 but this week has dropped to the No:11 spot. The song itself is thought provoking as Eddy reflects on street riots etc. 'Electric Avenue' ironically was released the very week riots hit the English town of Oldham. Way back in 1983 'Electric Avenue' peaked at the No:2 spot. It was a sing-a-long reggae beat. It was one of the songs that was little heard on state radio in Sri Lanka at the time for obvious reasons.

The remix of 'Electric Avenue' is to be featured on multi-instrumentalist Eddy Grant's forthcoming 'Greatest Hits' album.

The childhood home ofthe late John Lennon in Woolton, Liverpool is up for sale. The four bedroom house where John Lennon lived for almost 20 years with his aunt before he made it big with the Beatles, is being put on sale following the death of its current owner Ernest Burkey.

Though the house has been advertised for £300,000, it is likely to be advertised on the internet. Fans of John Lennon and the Beatles will perhaps make bids for the house.

Courtney Love, the wife of the late Kurt Cobain has been robbed while staying at a hotel in Vancouver, Canada. Reports say Courtney lost jewellery, including the wedding ring given to her by the Nirvana leader (her late husband), other rings, diamond bracelets and toys belonging to her daughter Frances Bean all valued at over $100,000.

Courtney Love who is leader of the band Hole was in Canada to shoot her forthcoming movie '24 Hours'. Police are investigating the theft.

Thousands of fans waited eight years to see a Madonna concert in Europe as she kicked off her tour in the Spanish city of Barcelona on Saturday June 9. The critics have been silenced as fans said the gig was very good. Madonna will move over to Earls Court, London next month for another sell out tour. Tickets sold at £40.00.

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