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Obviously, this Thread has struck a really raw nerve since I started it several weeks ago. Aside from the issues with the failed N680i board, the commentary from many contributing posters seems to exhibit a rather seething discontent about a much bigger issue. The posting above from Mr. Glenn is a clear statement of that larger problem. It is the exhibited corporate mindset of Gigabyte when faced with a real problem - and how Gigabyte has failed (heretofore) to properly deal with righteous complaints concerning its products.
A prime example of that sort of mindlessness is the recent lame proposal that each N680i board owner remove their failed N680i board from its case and ship it back to Gigabyte to be "reworked." Of course, this is a classic example of "The Devil Is In The Details." Nowhere was there any mention by Gigabyte that BIOS revision support, or any other kind of support, would be available for a "reworked" board going forward. And since the N680i boards had already (a number of months ago) been declared to be EOL, to believe that Gigabyte would somehow resurrect meaningful support of an EOL'd board would border on absurd - you'd be better off to believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!
However, Gigabyte now appears to be doing that which it should have done almost a year ago - namely and quite simply stated as: STAND BY ITS CUSTOMERS!! Finally, this may now be the case, but it took months of screaming and bitching, and a recent ground swell of discontent into a FIRESTORM of anger, the likes of which I haven't seen in a long time, to cause it to happen. This sure should have been a learning experience for Gigabyte. Indeed, Gigabyte can turn this into a POSITIVE EXPERIENCE if they choose to do so.
IF Gigabyte truly learns from this fiasco, and causes a corporate-wide examination of just how they found themselves to be in such a position, they will be well on their way to having the knowledge to prevent it from ever happening again.
There is an applicable folklore story from the early frontier times in the USA, when life was very much simpler, and equally simple social pleasures were appreciated. In those early frontier days, the most common form of social interaction was known as a "Barn Dance."
The Barn Dance was very much what it sounds like. A farmer would clean out his large barn and temporarily house his livestock outside for a few hours, and put a fresh layer of straw on the earthen barn floor, and some extra lanterns where placed about. The folks from all around that local farming community would come and bring food and refreshments. Some of the guests were musicians and would likewise bring their musical instruments. Folk tunes were played, people danced, and a good, wholesome time was had by all.
As part of these local festivities, it was not unusual for the teenage son of one farmer to arrive (via horse and carriage) at the house of a neighboring farmer that had a teenage daughter, to escort her to the Barn Dance. And as the story goes, it was quite customary for the mother of that teenage farm girl to instruct her daughter as follows (aside from telling her to keep her knickers ON!), that she must make absolutely sure to "dance with them that brung you!" Meaning, that she was to be sure to dance several dances with the young lad that was good enough to escort her safely to and from the Barn Dance.
And so, it would seem that Gigabyte may have never heard that frontier adage, and therefore never reflected on its wisdom. But it's never too late to learn something. I suggest NOW IS THE TIME Gigabyte - adopt the adage, and NEVER AGAIN FORGET "to dance with them that brung you."
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