VSA100 ?

[Ichneumon]

I don't think VisionTek really "switched" suppliers. VisionTek went bust; the company that bought their name has decided to market ATI boards.

I would have to agree as well. The article that Joe linked at xbit mentioned that Hartford Computer Group purchased the brand names. It didn't say the actual company or assets(technology or employees) were purchased. It could be a totally different company.

[EDIT]
I would also like to add that from older articles at xbit(linked at the bottom) that former employees of VisionTek started BFG Technologies. BFG is now NVIDIA's premier board partner in North America. This gives more credit to the idea that VisionTek is not the same company before they went bankrupt.
[/EDIT]

Tommy McClain

I think that's correct. Hartford Computer Group bought the brand names, which IMO was a really good idea. A lot of the "new" ATI board makers don't have good Retail brand names and are trying hard to build them with the expectation that down the road a ways ATI will continue the transition to being a chip provider in the consumer space, not a board provider.

The Xtasy brand name and VisionTek were very well known names in the retail markets here in the US, and that could help them get onto shelves easier than the brand new names.

 

[Tahir2]

Can't say the 'M' word, there are kids about

 

[Ante P]

Can't say the 'M' word, there are kids about

muffdiving?

 

[Dave Baumann]

I would also like to add that from older articles at xbit(linked at the bottom) that former employees of VisionTek started BFG Technologies. BFG is now NVIDIA's premier board partner in North America.

What was interesting is that one article pinned NVIDIA trying to resurect the 3dfx brand using BFG.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

Except I backed my opinion up with facts, gleaned from my experience of working with ODMs in the consumer electronics market...

Does you experience include the inner knowledge of VisionTek? Or graphics board vendors in general? (What "consumer electronics" market are you speaking of?)

I don't think it matters whether it's ATI or NVIDIA, the component costs are fixed and the only issue that Visiontek can compete on is: a) brand name, and b) cost to manufacture.

The basis of this debate centers around ATI's ability (or not) to gain significant market share and possibly grow to be the "leader" in the graphics market, supplanting nVidia. (And whether or not ATI's current technological and performance lead can have any significant impact toward that goal.) We're looking at this from two different angles. I AGREE that no matter if VisionTek sells ATI or Nvidia chips, obviously they need to compete on price (and brand) if they want to survive.

The point though, is that for WHATEVER REASON, VisionTek chose to use ATI, when they could have chosen nVidia. And that is certainly a nod in the direction of more market share for ATI. This is despite nVidia's "dominance" in OEM relationships, etc. I can only conclude that VisionTek chose ATI at least in part because they felt ATI had the more marketable product.

I can only hope if they're reentering the market, they've addressed the root cause of their insolvency.

Well, apparently (see all above posts), it's "BFG" (selling nVidia boards) that we have to worry about addressing their costs, as they are apparently the old VisionTek employees. We have no idea what Hartford's cost structure is. All we know is that they chose ATI.

 

[AzBat]

What was interesting is that one article pinned NVIDIA trying to resurect the 3dfx brand using BFG.

Hmm? I didn't see that mentioned. Could you provide a link please?

Tommy McClain

 

[Joe DeFuria]

LOL!

To see if there was any official info, I typed in http://www.visiontek.com into my browser....

I guess going to ATI is an understatment!

 

[Dave Baumann]

Hmm? I didn't see that mentioned. Could you provide a link please?

No, I can't now. I know I read it in one of xbits news stories, but can't find it now.

 

[AzBat]

LOL!

To see if there was any official info, I typed in http://www.visiontek.com into my browser....

I guess going to ATI is an understatment!

ROFL

I swear to God that wasn't there when I checked their site about 30mins - 1hr ago. Great timing for our discussion.

Tommy McClain

 

[RussSchultz]

(What "consumer electronics" market are you speaking of?)

The company I work for makes the chips that power all of the big, name brand (flash) MP3 players: Creative, SonicBlue, Samsung, Legend(China), TGE(China). We also provide a large portion of the AC97 codecs for motherboards,add in boards, and laptops. Its not the exact same business model (since our products allow the ODM/OEM to differentiate with the firmware), but its close enough for me to see how things work in the business of add in boards.

The basis of this debate centers around ATI's ability (or not) to gain significant market share and possibly grow to be the "leader" in the graphics market, supplanting nVidia. (And whether or not ATI's current technological and performance lead can have any significant impact toward that goal.) We're looking at this from two different angles. I AGREE that no matter if VisionTek sells ATI or Nvidia chips, obviously they need to compete on price (and brand) if they want to survive.

Good, then there's no need for discussion now, is there?

The point though, is that for WHATEVER REASON, VisionTek chose to use ATI, when they could have chosen nVidia. ...I can only conclude that VisionTek chose ATI at least in part because they felt ATI had the more marketable product.

Well, maybe there is need for discussion. I think they went with ATI because they couldn't make any money with the NVIDIA market being saturated with ODMs either because there were too many ODMs, or not enough business. However, their old distribution channels are already filled with 3 brands of ATI products , so, in my opinion, they're going to be in the same boat and suffer the same fate.

Regardless, I'm not getting embroiled into the partisan discussion about technological prowess and marketability of the two solutions.

 

[RussSchultz]

I will say its humorous that their website says "Powered by ATI" but the only products listed are NVIDIA products.

 

[Ante P]

I will say its humorous that their website says "Powered by ATI" but the only products listed are NVIDIA products.

you didn't see the flash movie where a Rambo type character blows the GeForce FX fairy into little bits?

 

[RussSchultz]

Hmmm, nope. There's a little flash animation where you can choose the products (4200, 4400, 4600, MX460) and see the specs. That was it.

 

[Ante P]

http://www.ratchetsgame.com/misc/xtasyati.html

ratchet from Rage3D has mirrored the animation here, I dunno why some people can't see it, seems strange.

 

[Humus]

LOL @ that flash movie

 

[Ante P]

Just to make it clear: that's what I, and many others, get when we view visiontek.com

perhaps you've vísited their page before and the old movie is in your cache or something

 

[BoddoZerg]

Who said that nVidia's the only one that can make ridiculous looking movies to promote nonexistent graphics solutions. LOL!

 

[JF_Aidan_Pryde]

Perhaps ATI chips / memory packages are cheaper? Or more flexibility?

 

[martrox]

Perhaps ATI chips / memory packages are cheaper? Or more flexibility?

Perhaps they feel ATI has the best products......

"In the past, VisionTek had always been closely associated with NIVIDA, but when we looked at the technology available from both suppliers, both at present and what's coming over the next nine months, we felt we owed it to our loyal gamers to make the switch to ATI," commented Tony Graffia Jr., president of Hartford Computer Group, Inc. "ATI has the best performing products at every price point and we're confident that they will retain that lead through the coming year."

 

[demalion]

Well, to be fair, I think the conflict between nVidia and VisionTek cannot simply be ignored in all this.

Yikes, I wonder how much validity there is to their side of the story...sounds pretty ugly.