Proof engineers are not involved in marketing products.

[The Bakery]

I think you guys are partially missing the point (the hotpluggable thumbscrews thing was dumb of course). Marketing in many cases is just telling to engineering to build what customers are asking for. The customers are stupid, so they ask for the wrong solution to their problem. You can try to inform them that their solution is wrong, but many of them don't want to hear it, think you're lying to them to try and sell them a crappier version, are pig headed and think you're an idiot, etc. You could refuse to make it, but then some one else will just do it and they'll buy that instead. So, if you're nvidia, you can come out with these garbage cards with tons of ram (and they do, every generation!) or you let ATI have those sales.

Its just business. It isn't about elegant engineering all the time, or the best solution. Its about building what the customers want. And if they want a turd sandwich, you gotta make them a turd sandwich.

That's assuming that consumers actually ASK for solutions to their problems. Instead, they are GIVEN problems, then GIVEN solutions, there is no reciprocal feedback loop for products like this.

There is no small niche market begging a 1gb slow GPU. There is a marketing department who has created the desire for such a card by hyping the importance of RAM, for instance.

Companies play to the lowest common denominator when it comes to products without a specifically saavy market. That means lots of bullshit with lots of pretty packaging.

Which, I think it's safe to say, is not the result of people mistakingly asking for bullshit products. It's because they are too stupid or lazy to educate themselves before making a purchasing decision based on impulse.

Welcome to capitalism in America.

 

[angry hampster]

I wouldn't give more than $50 for that junk.

 

[Modelworks]

Marketing tends to misinform.
I remember a card, can't remember which one it was, but it advertised in bold print.

You can experience the maximum in gaming enjoyment at over 60FPS*

Then at the bottom in small print.

*Testing done on quake3 at 800x600 and recommend specs for title.



Then their is the employees that sell this stuff.
"You see right there it says 1600x1200 @ 85 hz, 85 is fast !"