Gordon Mah Ung, a pillar of the PC Hardware journalism community, has passed on at the age of 58 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. In an age of YouTubers who might make wild claims in order to get “clicks” Gordon was the real deal and pulled no punches when it came to hardware reviews but also gave critical praise when things were done right. The PCWorld Editor got his start in journalism over 25 years ago as a police reporter after studying at San Francisco State University. It wasn’t long after when in 1997 he moved into tech journalism by becoming a member of an early PCWorld sister publication called Computerworld. This brought him into the fold of PCWorld where his ethical writing, combined with a blend of unique humor and passion, would see him become the lead reviewer for Maximum PC for 16 years.
PCWorld Editorial Director, fellow writer, and longtime friend to Gordon, Jon Phillips said that Gordon’s passion for what he did inspired those around him, and his “Rant of the Week” became a cornerstone at Maximum PC. Jon has provided a link, but those wanting to use it will need to jump through the hoops to enable Adobe Flash as it is an older file, for those unfamiliar or simply needing to understand the depths to which Gordon Mah Ung would go. Jon does warn though, that things can get a bit extreme and NSFW but that was who Gordon was.
“As I listened to his rants from my office, he always had me guessing, “Is he really that angry, or is he playing us?”
Jon Phillips, PCWorld Editorial Director
Per Jon Phillips (via PCWorld):
- “And that was part of Gordon’s genius. His number one commitment was to investigating the story, informing the public, and helping people make the best technology decisions. But layered on top of all of this was a master showman who effortlessly connected with like-minded enthusiasts.”
Executive Editor and The Full Nerd co-host Brad Chacos shared one of his favorite moments with the Full Nerd staff following the end of CES 2017. Most of the staff have left leaving Gordon and crew sitting back with 3-foot tall margaritas and a very special CES After Dark Episode. Brad explains that while Gordon might spice things up a little for videos, everything was still sincere and real and what you saw on camera was not a broadcast personality.
“The Gordon you know is the Gordon you know. He was personable, and funny, and hard-working, and deeply connected, and curmudgeonly, and smart, and fair, and honest, and he was utterly dedicated to being a journalist and presenting the truth as he saw it.”
Brad Chacos – PCWorld Executive Editor
To say that Gordon Mah Ung had an impact on the PC and tech community is an understatement. The following is a segment from Gamers Nexus showing their remembrance of Gordon and how much he meant to Steve Burke.
Gordon’s family has launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses. Please donate to them if you can.