Originally posted by: Rollo
Are you disagreeing that many here considered the launch of the 6800U and X800XT PE paper launches last year because the cards were given to reviewers long before retail availability? And that they were pretty scarce at first even when they did arrive? Like the X1800XT?
Ah Rollo, you are confused once again.
"cards were given to reviewers long before retail availability" = product preview
"pretty scarce at first even when they did arrive" = supply issue
If the cards were physically available for sale then it is a hard launch. If no cards are available to anyone then it's a paper launch.
I seem to recall that the X800XT was only available at launch to Dell and that if a member of the public wanted one they needed to purchase a Dell computer and either use it or strip the card out of it.
From the public's point of view, that would be a paper launch. The 6800U was likewise non-existant for purchase by the public which would also make it a paper launch.
Originally posted by: CaiNaM
so the x1800xl was a paper launch? i didn't see it that way....
Even though the X1800XL was available a few days after the official launch date, I would say that would
technically make it a paper launch although a minor one in comparison to the X800XT/6800U paper launches.