For the win
As well as not wanting to alienate partners with an erratic product launch schedule, AMD doesn't seem to think there's any great hurry to jump on the DDR3 bandwagon, especially considering the state of the global economy.
"From what we're hearing in the industry, the widespread adoption of next generation DDR3 memory technology, and specifically price parity with DDR2, is expected to be delayed by a few months, if not longer," said Lensing. "However we're excited that our motherboard partners also are preparing for the industry shift to DDR3 memory infrastructure."
One other apparent anomaly of this launch is the decision to keep the Phenom II X4 910 and 805 out of the channel by launching them as tray only parts, as opposed to 'processor in a box (PIB)'. "We have two markets that have different needs - channel and OEM. OEMs seem to want a larger number of products in each family, whereas the channel prefers a simpler selection."
There were no prices announced for these two parts, but if they had been launched as PIBs we imagine the 910 would have cost around $185 and the 805 around $160. We'd like to hear your opinions on whether processors at these price points would have been welcome or whether you think AMD made the right decision in keeping them out of the channel.
To conclude, Lansing reiterated the thinking behind today's launches. "AMD is not just taking one shot at the market; we're filling out the mainstream with high volume, high value parts and we intend to win," he said.
