One thing that will thankfully change once I'm back in NC will be my involvement in major GPU launches. With Derek in Raleigh, I rarely get to be involved in the final testing of major GPU launches like today's X1900 series release. Sure I'm constantly on the phone with Derek seeing how things are coming along and digesting the numbers, but there's just something special about being there when things like this get tested. It's not another Radeon 9700 Pro for ATI, but it is their first good launch with a high performing product and retail availability.
I really hate that availability has become such a big deal that we must address it in virtually every GPU review we do. I'm not looking to point fingers at who started it, as both ATI and NVIDIA are guilty of paper launching in their combined histories, but I do want it to be over.
Just to give you some insight into how things work behind the scenes, whenever ATI releases a product and it isn't widely available, we'll get tons of emails and phone calls from NVIDIA pointing out the issue. Then when the same happens to NVIDIA, the finger pointing comes from ATI with just as much intensity. For us, we don't like doing manufacturers' dirty work - so we end up taking these companies to task only if you ask us to.
There was a point where ATI felt we were being too harsh on them when it came to criticizing availability, I had to point out that a lot of our readers were demanding that we stop reviewing ATI products altogether if they weren't available for purchase immediately. My point is that we end up doing what you want us to, and with enough work on it, your demands are eventually heard. Although it took them about a year to get right, ATI has definitely launched the X1900 series properly and they have you to thank for that.
At the end of the day, manufacturers rarely care about what anyone at AnandTech thinks, they simply like to use us to get to you. I'm totally fine with that and I do understand our role and duties as a conduit to the millions of you out there, it's just that every now and then I like to remind you that at the end of the day you are the ones who drive change.
I really hate that availability has become such a big deal that we must address it in virtually every GPU review we do. I'm not looking to point fingers at who started it, as both ATI and NVIDIA are guilty of paper launching in their combined histories, but I do want it to be over.
Just to give you some insight into how things work behind the scenes, whenever ATI releases a product and it isn't widely available, we'll get tons of emails and phone calls from NVIDIA pointing out the issue. Then when the same happens to NVIDIA, the finger pointing comes from ATI with just as much intensity. For us, we don't like doing manufacturers' dirty work - so we end up taking these companies to task only if you ask us to.
There was a point where ATI felt we were being too harsh on them when it came to criticizing availability, I had to point out that a lot of our readers were demanding that we stop reviewing ATI products altogether if they weren't available for purchase immediately. My point is that we end up doing what you want us to, and with enough work on it, your demands are eventually heard. Although it took them about a year to get right, ATI has definitely launched the X1900 series properly and they have you to thank for that.
At the end of the day, manufacturers rarely care about what anyone at AnandTech thinks, they simply like to use us to get to you. I'm totally fine with that and I do understand our role and duties as a conduit to the millions of you out there, it's just that every now and then I like to remind you that at the end of the day you are the ones who drive change.
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Furen - Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - link
Hah, I guess I did go overboard about the comment thing. News.com is not a hardware site. It's a technology business news site. The people who visit it are not the kind of people who would demand CNet to bug the video card companies about hard launches. My main point was that we care about these things, which is why Anandtech pushes for them. The other publications probably push for other things that perhaps some of us dont care about but they also listen to their readers.overclockingoodness - Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - link
Possibly so. Now that I think about it, CNET.com's editors are pretty hardcore and stick it to companies, but I just wish that other publications would be more vocal.