There is an aspect to blogging that all bloggers have to get past. I am sure most writers get over this quickly; I must confess that until very recently, I found it a struggle. The problem is this: will anyone really give a "fetid dingo’s kidney" about what I write?

Well, I would like you all to know that I have gotten past this issue. Should you need proof, I hereby quote myself: as noted in a column late last year by CRN’s Damon Poeter, on predications for 2009, "this is the year where we will all finally agree: the speed of the processor is no longer the most significant factor in defining the experience of the user."

I bring this up because today we are demonstrating this point at two events here at CES.

First, my boss Dirk Meyer (AMD’s CEO) is giving a CES Industry Insider keynote at 11am PST at the Las Vegas Hilton (also the scene of my biggest ever craps win), and then this evening I’ll be hosting fellow bloggers at CntrStg at the Wynn.

At both events we will explain and demonstrate why the speed of the CPU alone is no longer enough to deliver the best experience to the end-user. Not that CPU speed is unimportant – we will show our new AMD Phenom™ II processor over-clocking to around 6-plus GHz at various events while at CES.¹ It is just that speed is now one of several crucial factors that – when taken together – yield superior end-user experiences.

Let me put it another way: I often ask people what their first consideration is when buying a new car. Very few say the engine (though many Germans and engineers do). For most people it depends on how they plan to use the car. Is it for taking the kids to school or for fun on the weekends? In this sense, people make a platform choice first. They then make a brand choice – perhaps American vs. foreign. And then at some point downstream in the decision-making process, they generally ask how powerful an engine they can afford.

PCs are pretty similar. Consumers ask themselves whether they need their PC to be mobile, or whether they need a notebook or a desktop. Only afterward do they consider the brand and price. And it is only later that they wonder how much processing power they can afford.

In 2009 I think consumers will ask a new question early on in the PC buying process: how important is the graphics experience? Do I need integrated or discrete graphics? How much of the ‘heavy lifting’ of the application can be done on the GPU?

In these tough economic times people are looking for the best deals – and graphics is becoming a bigger story. You mark my words!

1. AMD’s product warranty does not cover damages caused by over-clocking, even when over-clocking is enabled via AMD software.

Nigel Dessau is senior vice president and chief marketing officer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such links sites and no endorsement is implied.