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

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: Ackmed

If the date is already set for when they will have enough cards to launch with mass avail, why wouldnt you want the information a few weeks early?

Because "reference cards" with beta drivers never seem to match up to actual retail cards that you can buy. Launch it and sell it, otherwise it's all just a pretty show.

 

[tuteja1986]

Arr , noobs

X1800XT = horrible dalay
X1900XT = Avaliable at launch

 

[yacoub]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
Day Y is before day X.
.

Then for logic's sake you should have made it Day W instead of Day Y. ;P

 

[Keysplayr]

For me, it can be reviewed anytime. Whether it be 3 days or 3 months ahead of time. I don't early adopt and pay premiums. I wait for prices to drop, which could take an additional few months time. Therefore, I don't feel robbed when I finally do purchase.

So, option #23 = Don't Care.

Example on the CPU/platform side: I want a Conroe rig in the worst way, but excercising patience has already saved me a ton of cash, and I didn't even buy anything yet. LOL.

 

[Avalon]

I voted Option #1. If it's on the shelf and it has a review same day, it doesn't take me more than 5 minutes to decide whether it's the right card for me. I don't plan upgrades, I just do them.

 

[redbox]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: redbox

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: redbox

Originally posted by: Ackmed
Second option, easy choice.

If the date is already set for when they will have enough cards to launch with mass avail, why wouldnt you want the information a few weeks early? I cant think of a single reason. The card is going to be available on the same day, and having reviews out earlier is a good thing to me. Lets me know how I want to plan an upgrade, overhaul, or new build. Having to wait for reviews, when you are trying to do one of those options sucks.

Here is a situation. You have everything planed for your new build all you need now is a GPU so you wait cause you here this new uber card is on the way. The review comes out and the card is beast, a massive beast, and you want it no questions asked, but oh wait you can't buy it can you. In fact you have to wait close to a month. And when you have an itchy trigger finger my friend that sucks. Down with PR stunts.

Edit: I wonder what these companies consider mass availability? I bet Nv thougth they had "mass availability" with the 7800gtx 512. I bet you anything these cards will have availability issues along with price gouging. At least at the begining.

well, with option two, that's 100% your own fault for not timing your rig build right

Yes you are completly right I should never had let the wife sell that magic orb at the garage sell.

Huh? In this situation it was clear when the card would be availiable...so yeah, it would be your own fault

I'm talking about someone who all ready has a build ready to go and are waiting for a GPU right now. Did you know the x1950xtx was coming before everyone else? I think not. It's the same thing that happened with my last build. I had everything except the GPU The 7 series was out and performance was good with them, but I wanted to see what ATI had to counter, it was the x1800xt and from all I heard it was going to be a good card. So I waited ...and waited ... and waited ATI messed that launch up so bad and I got tired of waiting and bought a 7800gt.

In this situation it wasn't clear at all when the card would be availiable that's why the magazines got mad. What happend was ATI wanted to do a hard launch told all the people involved it would be a hard launch, but after looking at production numbers realized they couldn't pull it off with good avilability so they released this PR stunt to try and please everyone.

 

[nib95]

Review first, great availability with launch after

 

[Elfear]

Originally posted by: nib95
Review first, great availability with launch after

100% agree.

I'm very glad there were reviews of the Conroe before the launch date. We saw that that there was a big performance increase and than we could start to plan the new build and where to buy the chip from. The people who jumped on those chips when they first came out were rewarded with an E6600 at a reasonable price (some were mind you) while people who want one now are either playing the waiting game or paying a big price premium.

If the review came out the same day as the launch than a lot of people are stuck waiting for the product because they didn't jump on it right off the bat. I'd much rather read a review a few days/weeks early and than research which places might have the card and at what prices. Wake up during the wee hours of launch day and you have a good chance of getting it.

 

[nitromullet]

Conoe is NOT an example of a hard launch with availability, so I'm not quite sure I understand your point. If Conroe had been, we would've gotten benchmarks and available chips at MSRP all in one day. Not sure why people don't like that idea as much as getting a review and then having to wait...

 

[Elfear]

Originally posted by: nitromullet
Conoe is NOT an example of a hard launch with availability, so I'm not quite sure I understand your point. If Conroe had been, we would've gotten benchmarks and available chips at MSRP all in one day. Not sure why people don't like that idea as much as getting a review and then having to wait...

True, there wasn't much of a hard launch with Intel's new chip, except maybe in the case of the E6300's and E6400's. I guess the point I was trying to make was that there were reviews of the Conroes before availability which made it nice IMO because people can determine whether it's worth the upgrade and than research where they can get one from for a reasonable price.

If a product has a true hard launch, with oodles of availability, than I agree with you. No one has to wait to get the product they want. They read the reviews and than they go buy one if they want it. Problem is that a lot of products release for retail and than supply quickly dwindles. If you want those products you have to jump on it very early which makes having reviews out ahead of time a good thing.

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: Elfear

Originally posted by: nitromullet
Conoe is NOT an example of a hard launch with availability, so I'm not quite sure I understand your point. If Conroe had been, we would've gotten benchmarks and available chips at MSRP all in one day. Not sure why people don't like that idea as much as getting a review and then having to wait...

True, there wasn't much of a hard launch with Intel's new chip, except maybe in the case of the E6300's and E6400's. I guess the point I was trying to make was that there were reviews of the Conroes before availability which made it nice IMO because people can determine whether it's worth the upgrade and than research where they can get one from for a reasonable price.

If a product has a true hard launch, with oodles of availability, than I agree with you. No one has to wait to get the product they want. They read the reviews and than they go buy one if they want it. Problem is that a lot of products release for retail and than supply quickly dwindles. If you want those products you have to jump on it very early which makes having reviews out ahead of time a good thing.

Well, I think regardless of how the launch is conducted, we all agree that ultimately lack of availability sucks.

 

[Elfear]

Originally posted by: nitromullet

Well, I think regardless of how the launch is conducted, we all agree that ultimately lack of availability sucks.

Very true.

 

[redbox]

Originally posted by: Elfear

Originally posted by: nitromullet
Conoe is NOT an example of a hard launch with availability, so I'm not quite sure I understand your point. If Conroe had been, we would've gotten benchmarks and available chips at MSRP all in one day. Not sure why people don't like that idea as much as getting a review and then having to wait...

True, there wasn't much of a hard launch with Intel's new chip, except maybe in the case of the E6300's and E6400's. I guess the point I was trying to make was that there were reviews of the Conroes before availability which made it nice IMO because people can determine whether it's worth the upgrade and than research where they can get one from for a reasonable price.

My deal is that because Conroe wasn't a hard launch many people researched it ahead of time without price info, so everyone had there heart set on the 6600 for $300. Now that the chips are out and very hard to find not to mention the price is higher than what ther previews said they would be, some people are a little disillusioned with the price/performance level of a conroe system. Hard launches give you performance and price information and you need both to be a knowledgable buyer.

If a product has a true hard launch, with oodles of availability, than I agree with you. No one has to wait to get the product they want. They read the reviews and than they go buy one if they want it. Problem is that a lot of products release for retail and than supply quickly dwindles. If you want those products you have to jump on it very early which makes having reviews out ahead of time a good thing.

I agree too that a hard launch with no availability issues would be alot better than a hard launch with availability issues. It just that from what I have seen it doesn't matter what the availability of a card or new chip is the retailers are going to price it higher than msrp just because it is brand new. So it doesn't matter if there is a review out first or if they launch on the same day the price is going to be higher than no matter what. The sooner you get a part out the sooner the price starts to go down after the initial rush.

Not only that but with Conroe the previews and reviews of the chip did more than just educate us to the chips performance, it created a population of crazed C2D fans that all wanted the brand new conroe. This rush created by the reviews caused the availability of conroe to be a little worse than it would have been if it was hard launched.

 

[VIAN]

I like for the cards to be released and then the reviews. However, maybe it's a good idea to do the review first that we consumers don't jump to conclusion. I hate it when the products trickle to market.

 

[nitromullet]

I agree too that a hard launch with no availability issues would be alot better than a hard launch with availability issues

A "hard launch" with availability issues is not a hard launch. I think we need to get some definitions that we all agree on...

IMO, it goes like this (feel free to disagree):

Hard Launch: NDA expires and availablity all in one day on a planned date
Soft Launch: NDA expires, but availabiliy set to a further date
Paper Launch: NDA expires, availability low (or non-existent) with no set date for availability (or date missed)
Availability: able to be purchased at most etailers that usually carry that type of item close to MSRP
"Close to MSRP": MSRP +/- $25 USD

 

[redbox]

Originally posted by: nitromullet

I agree too that a hard launch with no availability issues would be alot better than a hard launch with availability issues

A "hard launch" with availability issues is not a hard launch. I think we need to get some definitions that we all agree on...

IMO, it goes like this (feel free to disagree):

Hard Launch: NDA expires and availablity all in one day on a planned date
Soft Launch: NDA expires, but availabiliy set to a further date
Paper Launch: NDA expires, availability low (or non-existent) with no set date for availability (or date missed)
Availability: able to be purchased at most etailers that usually carry that type of item close to MSRP
"Close to MSRP": MSRP +/- $25 USD

My "definitions" go like this:

Hard Launch: NDA expires and the card is released with availabillity
Soft Launch: NDA expires and the card is released but there is availabiltiy issues
Paper Launch: NDA expires and there is no availability
Availability: able to purchase at all retailers that would care such a product. MSRP or Close to it
"Close to MSRP": +/- $25

I guess it all just depends on how we define different things. All in all if the cards come out in mid september and don't have any availablity issues I am happy. I just wish they could have stuck with their original plan of 8/23. I am a bit worried that this will be another 7800gtx 512 what with the brand spanking new memory. IIRC part of the availability issue with them was that samsung couldn't get them enough memory to meet the demand of the card.

 

[akugami]

Originally posted by: nitromullet

I agree too that a hard launch with no availability issues would be alot better than a hard launch with availability issues

A "hard launch" with availability issues is not a hard launch. I think we need to get some definitions that we all agree on...

IMO, it goes like this (feel free to disagree):

Hard Launch: NDA expires and availablity all in one day on a planned date
Soft Launch: NDA expires, but availabiliy set to a further date
Paper Launch: NDA expires, availability low (or non-existent) with no set date for availability (or date missed)
Availability: Within reason, able to be readily purchased at most etailers that usually carry that type of item close to MSRP
"Close to MSRP": MSRP +/- $25 USD

Fixed it for you. And by readily able to be purchased, I don't mean the initial rush that inevitably sells out but that the card is available at most major retailers and etailers 3 or 4 days out of the week in the first 2-3 weeks of launch.

 

[nitromullet]

I'm in agreement with you on that... The supply needs to remain steady after the first few weeks.

 

[Sc4freak]

Agree with OP. I would very much prefer reviews before the launch. I don't understand why anyone would want #1.

For example, lets say the R600 will be released December 25th. Would you prefer reviews and card availability on the 25th December, as per option #1... or would you prefer reviews December 10th and card availability December 25th as per option #2?

I'd prefer earlier reviews, rather than later.

 

[Dainas]

I like to have a taste of what is to come, but then again if the news is good that means you can forget availability or non gouging on release day....unless its a super pushed off hard launche like the 7800GTX was. ATI is doing the same thing but unfortunetly cept for the few dozen who caught the pre NDA slap reviews....We don't know what were gonna get, althought its predictable. The G80 I fear is gonna be even worse as a unasses-able phantom until release day.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Option 1 is terrible cos theres a mass hysteria to get ahold of a card but no one knows the performance. Option 2 still has the hysteria but this time I know it will be ok/not ok to stay up will midnight with my credit card @ the ready.

 

[Bobthelost]

Option 2 by far.

 

[akugami]

*sigh* All those who aren't interested in this card, please stop with the paper launches crap. And for those extolling the virtues of nVidia over ATI, please STFU because a launch with actual availability on the day they (ATI) say they will have it is much better than nVidia's recent track record of a phantom hard launch where they initially have a very limited supply of cards and then...have a very limited supply of cards for the first 3-8 weeks. I understand some of you are fanboys and must constantly brown nose but stop threadcrapping and spamming "paper launch" in every single damned thread. It's amazing that for people who are suppose to be intellegent some of you are such retards.

I don't see anyone constantly screaming "phantom hard launch" in every thread where nVidia is mentioned, please do us the courtesy and stop spamming "paper launch" every time ATI is mentioned. Especially since both ATI and nVidia sucks as far as video card launches go. The poll (for those who took part in it) showed that people are not opposed to how ATI launches their cards. It seems only the nVidiots keep screaming paper launch, paper launch, paper launch. If I hear any more "paper launch" accusations against ATI, I'm wondering if I should start posting "phantom hard launch with near zero availability for two months" every time an upcoming nVidia card is mentioned.

EDIT: I posted this here because I felt the issue was annoying and didn't want to start a new thread about it since we were already talking about paper launches, hard launches, and phantom launches. Btw, phantom launch seems like a great term to describe the 7900 and 7800GTX 512MB video card launches.

 

[w00t]

I agree with the 2nd choice as I can see the review of the product and is helpful towards my purchase as the first one is on the same day and I would have to read it on the same day as it's relased and barely know any info about it when it's relased.

and the 3rd choice just blows

Edit: I also wanted to say this doesn't just go for Video Cards everything basically.

 

[ForumMaster]

from when is y before x? don't matter to me much cause i rarely buy technology when it just comes out. i like to wait a few revisions. heck, i didn't use XP until SP2. it is better when there are reviews before the product comes out so you know whether to buy or not. just like the PhysX card.