Didn't Ati promise availability in 30 days since launch?

M

Mendel

Mr. Upgrade
Veteran
I think it was sometime in spring 2004. (edit, I mean, the time they promised their future release parties would be followed by availability within month)

Now it's been few weeks since the introduction of crossfire and I sure don't have my press sample even, (though that could be just me) let alone see any kind of promise of availability in stores any time soon. I'm a bit disappointed.

So what's up with Ati? Back to paper releases?
Why do they feel they need to take that route?
I'd prefer them to bring their products and impress us rather than just talk about them before they're ready! :?
 
Well you really only have 2 options

Release the chips and wait for them to hit retail and lift the nda for benchmarks which is stupid .

Or


Release the benchmarks when you start to roll out the cards into retail and oem pipelines so that people can make informed buying choices .
 
Mendel said:
Now it's been few weeks since the introduction of crossfire and I sure don't have my press sample even, (though that could be just me) let alone see any kind of promise of availability in stores any time soon. I'm a bit disappointed.
Click to expand...

Crossfire has not launched it has been anounched, to different things.
 
I've said this so often it hurts, but it seems it still bears repeating...;)

There is a difference between announcing a product and launching a product. When you announce you merely state what's upcoming and when. When you launch a product you presumably move it into channels where it can be purchased by your markets. Why it is the line between announce and launch is so often blurred is beyond me completely as the two concepts are very easy to understand, and very different.

Look at the software industry in particular. When MS announces that a new OS will ship in a year or two, nobody asks the dumb question: "Well, where is it?" or screams, "Paper launch!" over and over again...;) When Carmack starts talking about Doom3 years before it ships, nobody has any problem distinguishing between an announcement and a launch.

So, it sure beats me why the concept is so hard to follow when we're dealing with hardware, but it seems many simply cannot understand the difference when it comes to hardware, doesn't it?

Recap...

Announce: a company states what's coming and when.

Launch: a company ships its announced products.

Where's the beef?...:D
 
WaltC said:
So, it sure beats me why the concept is so hard to follow when we're dealing with hardware, but it seems many simply cannot understand the difference when it comes to hardware, doesn't it?

Recap...

Announce: a company states what's coming and when.

Launch: a company ships its announced products.

Where's the beef?...:D
Click to expand...


That's not how a lot of companies do it. I'd go with:


Announce: a company states what's coming and when.

Launch: A company does the PR song and dance, reviews are published, NDA's lifted. A marketing event.

Shipping: Hardware is in channel. It may be constrained, but it's there if you hunt for it.

General Availabilty: Hardware is all over, shipping in stores and online with no appreciable shortages or difficulty buying it.


All of the above may happen on the same day, or they may be spread out by months or sometimes (in the case of announcements) years.
 
Don't misunderstand me...;) I think a lot of the problem stems from the fact that the companies themselves do it so poorly. What companies need to do is to distinguish the difference themselves and hopefully their markets will be able to comprehend the differences between a product announcement and a product launch.

Still, though, I have to say that I have seen numerous instances in recent years where a company will do a hardware product announcement and simultaneously announce a ship date 60-90 days out, only to have certain self-appointed "critics" stand up and scream "paper launch!" anyway. I saw this with several AMD processor announcements a couple of years ago, just to provide an example.

Anyway, I'm of the persuasion that when a company announces a new upcoming product and provides a shipdate of sometime in the future that no one has any legitimate right to accuse them of a paper launch--since the company never claimed to be launching the product immediately in the first place.
 
trinibwoy said:
So Agiea's PPU is considered "announced" ?
Click to expand...

Well, if they formally announced the specs for the product and a future ship date, then the answer is yes (of course.)

If they said, "This product is shipping today," but in reality it isn't, then of course the answer would be no. Only then would it be a paper launch, imo.
 
I think ATI/Nvidia need to actually be specific at the time of the "announcement" on general availability. It seems too often that they announce the product, but don't give a solid release date. I work in the pc world and we have missed some deadlines pretty severly, but at least we gave a date! :LOL: This way they can feel the same stress I am currently under since our software product is three months late....
 
Well, even if the x-fire was just announced and not launched, I think it somehow did let us assume that it would be available to at least reviewers pretty soonish. I don't think anyone except those in the know presumed there would be nothing for so many weeks.

At least, I guess it could be safely assumed that the x-fire was supposed to be available well before R520 launch, which is coming ever closer, I presume.

Well, anyways. I somehow liked the announcement of 7800 GTX a bit more. It seems its even somewhat available here in Finland now. Though I don't like the lack of AGP version at all... hence I think I'll be going for R5xx AGP.
 
_xxx_ said:
R400 was also on the roadmaps, as well as nV50, these get changed very easily if so wanted...
Click to expand...

That's long term product planning, those mentioned above have changed, same project, different codename, different timetable.

No need to be pessimistic, right? Sapphire has been promising us AGP r520's since march. .well.. they actually said they were releasing them in june, but THAT's something different.
I'm pretty sure R520 will be there in AGP.. together with the Lost Coast launch..

http://www.thethirdmedia.com/pc/200504/20050425128709.shtm
 
Mendel said:
I think it was sometime in spring 2004. (edit, I mean, the time they promised their future release parties would be followed by availability within month)
Click to expand...

Actually, I'm thinking I remember the "one month" guideline going back quite a bit further than that --at least to 9700Pro, and maybe R8500. Tho they certainly have restated it a few times in the interim.
 
neliz said:
I'm pretty sure R520 will be there in AGP.. together with the Lost Coast launch..
Click to expand...

So Valve is just waiting for R520 launch in order to launch the Lost Coast? You mean it would be ready, but no R520, no Lost Coast?
Me mad, me mashes with sticks!
 
Mendel said:
neliz said:
I'm pretty sure R520 will be there in AGP.. together with the Lost Coast launch..
Click to expand...

So Valve is just waiting for R520 launch in order to launch the Lost Coast? You mean it would be ready, but no R520, no Lost Coast?
Click to expand...

That's not the case, at least from what I've heard in email exchanges with Lombardi.
 
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