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[g_goncalo]

Matrox - 1/11/2002 3:50 am - By: Typedef Enum - Source: B3D

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I've been keeping tabs on some of the Matrox news the last year or so, and it does appear that something is forthcoming.
In case you don't recognize the name (I have mentioned it a few times already), there's an employee/mod @ the Matrox tech. forum by the name of "Haig" who likes to torture the Matrox faithful.

In response to somebody who wanted something from Matrox that would include 700 MHz DDR, Programmable T&L, Vertex/Pixel Shaders, 3D Textures + compression, shadow buffers, and 90-120 MPolygons/sec....



You aren't too demanding



In response to a question about die size...



Can't get into that right now but the die shrink size and and all other info will be up in the near future.



And just one more, for good measure...



Can't comment on any features till they are announced.



Obviously, we're not talking about concrete info...But then again, you will never hear any concrete info from Matrox.

But, the thing that should be VERY clear is the fact that Matrox are, indeed, coming back. Furthermore, it could signal the first time in years where we might actually have bona-fide competition in the high-end.

[Tempest]

I realize that everyone is excited about the new card, but I don't know if hyping it is good or bad. Already I've seen many messages (in various forums) stating (in mature or less mature ways) something like:

pHuKK j00 (insert insultive fanbase nickname here), M4tr0x g0nn4 KiK j00r A$$!!!!111½

which I, needless to say, find quite unnecessary since we even don't know the card's specs yet.

So is it better to "overhype" the product (so potential buyers will be aware of it and stick with their old cards for now) or underhype it (have faith in that the card's specs will "speak for themselves" and catch the competitors (almost) off guard?

[VJ]

Perhaps it's best to just stay quiet and then silently stump the competition and fans by saying : "we have a new card...".

Overhyping is not such a good thing, although it will draw attention to the product. People might be disappointed ("is that it ?"), but when the product is very good, it will prove so in time. At least, they will wait to make a purchase, and will compare it to other products. Then it will have to stand out...

Underhyping is IMHO a bad thing to do : people will buy other equipment in the mean time, and even if your own product is better, they'd have no immediate need/use for it.

Jörg

[Ant]

What is fact is that Matrox have a high performance, high quality product in their R&D pipeline. That does not mean it will see the light of day on retail shelves as that same product (can you say G800?) or in fact ever see light of day at all (can you say Matrox Graphics going out of business?). The fact of the matter is that Matrox Graphics are in bad shape, seemingly both financially and in the state of their workforce (it's no big secret about their loss of key people to rival companies and their general staff reductions).

There was word here some months back from an ex Matrox employee that the next gen card code named Parhelia was to be announced in August 2001 and this I feel safe to say from information I have received from other sources was accurate at that time, but it didn't happen and the word on the street now is that the announcement won't happen until Spring 2002 so the earliest we could expect to actually see hardware is late summer. Don't get your hopes up yet again, Matrox Graphics at this point in time are not the company they once were and it will take some major work to get them back there. They are in need of leadership, someone who understands todays market, best thing they could possibly do right now is put Haig in charge, he is the perfect candidate, he knows the market and the customers inside out and the way he turned around the Matrox TS department speaks volumes!

[MetalCartman]

Haig for president!

[KeiFront]

Two friends are walking across the African plains. They see a lion heading their way. One friend stops to put on a pair of running shoes. The other says, "You can’t outrun a lion!" The first says, "No, but all I need to do is outrun you." (funnier version of the bear race story )

It's like a bear race the graphics industrie it seems NVidia has some Nike's on, ATI has a pair of Adidas shoes. I guess 3Dfx tripped over a rock and got eaten. But with which kind of shoes are Matrox running. Sandals? Our do they have some spikes in their backsack?


Haig for president

[Ant]

At present they are wearing a pair of oversized clogs but have a high quality pair of running shoes in their backpack!

Haig for president

[Maggi]

Haig for president !!!

[Tempest]

The problem with such fine running shoes is that they wear out very quickly even when they're not used. And without some running action once in a while the runner will get bored, lose his awareness (maybe even fall asleep) - and get eaten...
Edit: Not to mention that this runner has had a recent back injury. No one can be sure if he will recover, or if he'll even be able to put on those fancy running shoes.

Haig for president! (USA, Finland, Matrox... I don't care. Haig for president )

[MK]

Where can I sign ?

MK

[[GDI]Raptor]

Haig for president !!!

[Elie]

Ant,

Matrox is not in bad shape, they are doing quite well thank you very much
Every company has a slow period but that doesn't mean a disaster is about to strike.
Matrox is a strong company with the ability to compete with the best out there, in fact I think Matrox still provides the highest quality boards to date, in terms of manufactering standards and quality components.

Egineers dime a dozon out there!


Elie

[Ant]

Matrox has a whole are in good shape, I'm talking specifcally about Matrox Graphics who aren't and that must hurt Matrox has a whole. I don't agree that Matrox Graphics have been able to compete with the best of them for quite some time, I believe they have superb R&D and have the potential to but those products aren't coming through, prime example being the G800 ending up as a poor shadow of its former self in the guise of the G550. The Matrox Video Products Group are a different story, they are successful and produce market leading high quality products.

Engineers may be a dime a dozen, but engineers with suitable experience and quality? When you lose key people as Matrox Graphics did it is going to hurt. Matrox Graphics need leadership at the moment above and beyond most other things to pull them through, they have the potential to pull through with the Parhelia in the pipeline it's whether or not they get lost again en route.

[Snake-Eyes]

That's strange. I was under the impression that they were in a hot-air balloon that is rapidly losing its lift. So they weren't concerned with racing to keep away from the lion, but they see that they will have to be soon enough..

BTW, I'd rather they bring an ATV. Much quicker than running shoes and doesn't run out of go juice as soon.

[DukeP]

Ehm ...
<b> Haig for president!</b>


~~DukeP~~