POLL: What kind of video card launch do you prefer?

[Creig]

Originally posted by: nitromullet

Originally posted by: Creig

Originally posted by: josh6079
Why is it increasingly difficult for you to understand that when a product is presented yet is no where to be found for sale, it's a paper launch, as it has no tangible substance--even if the manufacturing company wanted to do it.

They only lifted the NDA. We'll have to wait until Sept 14th to see if it's a paper launch or not.

Just for argument's sake, say they don't have the cards on Set 14, but they announce a later date, will it then be a paper launch, or will it still just a be a "preview" or an NDA expiration? I mean, they will have a planned date, right?

People keep using the term "paper launch" as some sort of blanket definition for a delayed launch, an NDA release, etc.

AFAIK, it refers ONLY to a situation where a manufacturer says "We're releasing our product on X date" and that time comes and goes without anything being available. If a manufacturer officially pushes back a release date, that would be a delay but not a launch.

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: Creig

Originally posted by: nitromullet

Originally posted by: Creig

Originally posted by: josh6079
Why is it increasingly difficult for you to understand that when a product is presented yet is no where to be found for sale, it's a paper launch, as it has no tangible substance--even if the manufacturing company wanted to do it.

They only lifted the NDA. We'll have to wait until Sept 14th to see if it's a paper launch or not.

Just for argument's sake, say they don't have the cards on Set 14, but they announce a later date, will it then be a paper launch, or will it still just a be a "preview" or an NDA expiration? I mean, they will have a planned date, right?

People keep using the term "paper launch" as some sort of blanket definition for a delayed launch, an NDA release, etc.

AFAIK, it refers ONLY to a situation where a manufacturer says "We're releasing our product on X date" and that time comes and goes without anything being available. If a manufacturer officially pushes back a release date, that would be a delay but not a launch.

My question was what if they do it more than once...? They still have a date announced, it's just different than the first date. Is that still just a delayed launch?

Clearly, if you read the rest of the thread you will notice that the definiton of a paper launch varies between different people. I'm just curious to see how far you guys are willing to stretch the definiton.

 

[Creig]

How can it be possibly be called a "launch" of any type unless you actually reach the official date of expected availability? When the date finally arrives that the company says its product will be available and it's nowhere to be found, then that would be a paper launch. The pushing back of a release date is simply a delay.

I don't see why this should be so confusing.

Product delay - Official item release date is pushed back further than initial announcement.
Paper launch - Items are not available for purchase once date of official release has been reached.
Hard launch - Items are available for purchase once date of official release has been reached.

 

[nitromullet]

It's not confusing, and I'm certainly not confused... I just think it's a paper launch when you "delay product" or "expire the NDA" when you have no actual product to sell. It isn't a lack of understanding, it's a difference of opinion.

 

[josh6079]

Paper launch--Existence of hardware is apparent and widely used among different sites. NDA expires. Product statistics and levels of performance are shown. Product is not available for retail sales.
Hard launch--Existence of hardware is apparent and widely used among different sites. NDA expires Product statistics and levels of performance are shown. Product is available for retail sales.
Product delay--Existence of hardware is not apparent and is not widely used among different sites. NDA does not expire. Product statistics and levels of performance are not shown. Product is not available for retail sales.

Like nitromullet said, it just comes down to a difference of opinion.

 

[Creig]

That makes no sense to me. So in other words, every automobile and truck is paper launched? Simply because we're aware of its existence before we can purchase one and Road & Track has written a review on it?

So by your definition, there can NEVER be a product preview because it would be a paper launch.

 

[josh6079]

I suppose that is true. It's kind of hard to compare analogies since computer hardware traditionally introduced differently than automobiles. We knew about some of Conroes impressive results before it had really launched. There wasn't an abundance of benchmarks before it's realese yet there was still the acknowledgements of it's ability before sites were granted to reflect its performance IIRC.

 

[Bobthelost]

A paper launch is when the company says it'll be there to buy and it isn't.

It's when a company says "yes we sell this card, isn't it pretty" but in reality there's only seven of them in circulation.

Pushing back a product release date is annoying, but it's not the same thing by a mile. Nor is releasing information about your product before it's sold, that's just sensible marketing and a policy i like that way i don't buy a part and then the next week find out that a better choice is availible, for which i'd have waited. (Happend for the Raptor 150 release )

 

[MBrown]

The first one.