Edit:First let me say this isn't a rant as much as it is a recap. I'm not upset with either wbmw or Elmer about this issue but I don't feel the discussion was all apples to apples.
OK for those of you with a short memory that can't understand why your comments are taken the way they are lets follow the thread:
1 Gollem, Re: "Some firms, he reckoned, already have Opteron whizzing along at 2.5GHz"
2 WBMW: "Then why is the launch at 1.8GHz and below?"
3 sgolds: "Who in the right mind would release a brand new processor on a brand new process at the very top speed?"
4 wbmw: "everyone releases a processor at the top speed as soon as it's available and tested"
5 nas: "I suppose all those times INTC went to comdex and/or other events with preproduction silicon being shown to reporters (often times with special cooling) they should have immediately stopped production of all other Pentiums just to sell the few high speed demo machines they could make at that time?"
6 Elmer: "I realize you're being intentionally silly. Production material has to meet strict quality requirements and specifications. Any company will sell the fastest material they can produce that meets the requirements. If they aren't selling it then it's because either they can't produce it, they haven't qualified it or they haven't got the bugs worked out yet."
Ok so lets review the points
1. 2.5 GHz is an unconfirmed rumor afaik. If you just say something simple like "sounds like a rumor to me" instead of implying there is no possibility a 2.5 GHz Opeteron has ever felt the electrons flowing I wouldn't bother to say anything.
2. 1.8 GHz is not final but may be accurate, will have to wait until introduction to be sure. Either way that is AMD's call. Even if they could cherry pick 1 sample at 2.5 GHz you surely don't expect them to sell it to anybody. See quotes 3,5,and 6 as to why.
3. Should stand on it's own but see quote 6 for a reasonable thought on that.
4. Everyone releases a processor at the top speed as soon as it's available and tested does not match well with the disbelief and disdain you appear to show towards the launch speeds of Opteron (which hasn't even launched yet).
5. restated it means if the statements from 3 and 6 are given and you use wording like available and tested why would you stress "everyone" and "top speed"? Releasing at top speed every time results in problems like that seen with the PIII 1.x Ghz that was recalled. Why risk that kind of problem when you are the number two player in a two and a half player race (if Via and transmeta deserve more credit in standing forgive me). Isn't it better to submit as close to flawless a product as you can and deal with lower GHz than to push the envelope and risk reliability concerns on a brand that doesn't have a reputation yet?
6. This comment is sound and pretty accurate. But does it address any part of the thread prior to my statement?
I'm not holding my breath waiting for any specific speed grade. I used to care more about MHz/GHz before the P4 made that completely irrelevant. With "strict quality requirements and specifications" and "Any company will sell the fastest material they can produce that meets the requirements" in mind why would you question what speed it is going to come out at. At some point it will be released. When it is so common that any joe can run benchmarks on it we can argue if it holds up to the competition. Until then why bash it? I'm sure that has been done enough over the last few years that anyone serious about this stock isn't going to gain from that part of the discussion.
Why is it so impossible, in this land where people water cool, peltier cool, etc released processors to achieve insane clock speeds, for the company that designs the processors to test them or demo them at higher than current stock clock speeds? Is it impossible for "some firms" to test at a higher speed than what the processor was set at when they received it? If they did and someone mentions it on web site why should that affect your overall opinion about the companies manufacturing capability?
AI
