Posted 02/08/2010 at 07:52:46pm

nHereGo: First off, thanks for the kudos on our website. As for your criticism, I'll only say that the purpose of the story was to report on a trend, not to explain GPU compute (which is a fascinating subject, by the way, especially with respect to scientific modeling). Also, please keep in mind that the article was on low- and mid-end consumer machines, not workstations that might actually benefit from GPU compute ... for this reason, the GPU compute angle bears less relevance to the story.

 That is, unless Photoshop Elements hooks into CUDA or OpenCL! ;-)

Posted 01/18/2010 at 10:35:58am

I hope to have a new EIC in place for the April issue of the magazine, which means a web announcement would happen at the same time. OR... we might do a web announcement before that.

Posted 01/16/2010 at 02:42:38pm

What a great outpouring of support for Will. I am 99% sure that I know where he's going, and if I'm right, I'm pretty comfortable in saying he won't be working for a direct competitor, but rather more of a tangential competitor... an organization that complements Maximum PC in the tech space. I guess we'll all have to wait for Will's announcement.

But I do want to jump in and say that Will is leaving at the best of times and worst of times, depending on how I look at it. These are the best of times because Maximum PC print and especially MaximumPC.com have received a lot more support from Future in the last 18 months, and this immediately translates into more resources for producing more content and better content. In fact, now with Will's position open, I have three editorial jobs that need to be filled. We are actively searching/recruiting for the right talent, but as you can imagine, finding just the right mix of skills and talent isn't easy. We need folks with all the technical smarts and hands-on experience, but they ALSO have to be great communicators, and understand the Maximum PC voice... how we choose are stories, and how we write our stories to give them that unmistakable mark of MPC. At any rate, these are good times insomuch that once we get fully staffed up, we can really begin making some improvements that were greenlighted a while ago.

On the flipside, these are the worst of times because now we don't have Will to help with the growth and content development. There's a lot of work ahead, and we who remain have roll up our sleaves and get down to business more than ever before.

But this thread DOES make me wonder who you guys think are MaximumPC-quality editors? Are there any editors at other mags and websites whom you really respect, and could see working at MPC? I'm asking to get a feel for whether our ideal of the perfect MPC editor matches the hardcore reader's idea of the perfect editor. Plus, it would also be interesting  to see if any names line up with the people I've identified on my own. Just thinking out loud.

Posted 01/15/2010 at 07:23:12pm

Hopefully, there won't be ANY demonstrable changes in the magazine or on the website, save for the absence of Will's full-time presence. I know I'm not planning any changes. Whoever becomes the new EIC will be charged with carrying the flame, not stirring the pot. And on that point, I think one of things that has sustained us all these years, from the days of boot, to the early days of Maximum PC, to the current era, has been a keen grasp of voice, direction and purpose among all team members. I can remember when we hired Gordon in 1998, and Will a few years later, and both those guys have informed the voice/coverage approach of editors who were hired after them. At any rate, whoever gets the job will have all the key ingredients that make an MPC EIC. Also, I am pretty sure we can coerce Will into more than a few podcasts. One of things about the web, that isn't so applicable to print, is the free sharing of content and talent. So let's see. In the meantime, let's please all support Gordon, Norm, Katherine, the new blood in Nathan and Alex. All of us, together, have a lot of good stories in the works, and we're chasing down those key pieces of HW with all the perseverance and intent you've always seen from Team MPC.

Posted 07/23/2009 at 11:15:31am

There's actually a lot of PC/PC games related stuff happening at Comic-Con. Regardless, let me assure everyone that sending Norm and Will to Comic-Con has no negative impact on the resources/human bandwith we devote to PC coverage. - Jon Phillips, editorial director

Posted 10/01/2008 at 07:38:34am

Keep in mind that pubically available ad rates are almost always reduced during the deal-making process. So while our Digg might be worth $2 on paper, that number might be closer to $1.50, $1.33 or $1.00 in real life. And that's still a SICK amount of money for a single button-mash, at least I think it is. 

Posted 09/13/2008 at 10:49:35am

*clap, clap, clap*

Jon Phillips, editorial director, Maximum PC

Posted 09/05/2008 at 12:15:31pm

I didn't think I would be impressed with the rumored Seinfeld commerical given what is (for me at least) a bizarre/creepy Mojave campaign. But you know what? I thought this commercial was great. I thought it was funny, and it inspired in me the thought -- for the very first time ever -- that MS is actually cool in a modern, geeky, pop-culture, 'we get it' kind of way. Nope, the ad doesn't have ANYTHING to do with Vista, but within the larger context of marketing strategies, this is the perfect approach, I think. In its war with Apple, MS is losing a battle of perceptions, and not necessarily a conflict of which company actually offers the better OS platform. If MS can somehow establish that they understand people, and culture, and a general sense of appealing dorkiness, then they set the table for a follow-up message on actual products.

Posted 07/13/2008 at 11:27:41pm

Jon Phillips, editorial director, Maximum PC

I was there as well, (gulp) returning a bday present from Williams-Sonoma... couldn't believe it was two days later, and the store was still queing up lines.... waiting patiently until IT gives me my phone....

Posted 06/26/2008 at 12:11:45pm

Jon Phillips, editorial director, Maximum PC:

Wow the ugliest, stupidest car on the road is being loaded with a device that makes it even less safe. (The PT Cruiser has a very high waist line and "short" windows, reducing visibility for the driver. Know why these design elements were used? Because surveys indicated that many drivers -- especially women -- don't like people "looking into their cars." Hence high-riding SUVs and stupid cars like the PT Cruiser with sliver-like windows.)