I thought it was an ANNOYING Q&A session.
Well, maybe I am just cranky today, but answers like that get on my nerves. Most readers understand that some questions can't be directly answered or some information can't be given away. But executive double-speak like Dave Orton gave get's ridiculous. Hey Dave: straight truth is best, and if you can't or choose not to answer something, just say so. You aren't fooling anybody with your tangential answers. Examples (points of interest have been bolded by me):
Q. <font color=red> We have heard ATI's stance on Windows 2000 drivers <b> time and time again. What is preventing ATI </b> from releasing drivers that perform properly under Windows 2000? </font color=red>
A. <font color=green> ATI is dedicated to providing solid drivers under Windows® 2000. We have made great strides in closing the performance gap between Windows® 2000 and Windows® 98. We will continue to focus on product performance with further optimizations to the Windows® 2000 RADEON™ driver. </font color=green>
Where did he answer <b> WHAT IS PREVENTING ATI? </b>
THE TRUTH: "We were barely able to release Win 98 drivers (such as they were) when the Radeon came out, much less Windows 2000 drivers. Now that we have received huge amounts of public backlash from it, we have been scrambling to get some good W2K drivers out the door, but with our underpowered driver team this is quite a challenge."
THE POLISHED VERSION HE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN: "We regret that we did not have the resources to develop good W2K drivers for release with the card. We have since rectified this situation by enlarging our driver dev team, and have made W2K drivers a top priority. We will release them as soon as they are up to the high standards that Radeon owners demand."
Q. <font color=red> What is ATI's current schedule for public beta driver releases? </font color=red>
A. <font color=green> <b> ATI is committed to delivering great products for our customers. </b> We will move to a more regular schedule for public beta driver releases. We will be announcing this schedule over the next couple of months. </font color=green>
THE TRUTH: "Our beta schedule is undergoing some changes right now (probably because we're scrambling again.) We will be announcing the schedule over the next couple months."
WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE SAID: The truth (minus the scrambling part.) No big issues on this answer really except why did he have to add in that ATI is committed to greatness crap? *Gag* Take off the phony PR hat and talk to us like we are real people. I promise we won't all rush over to buy NVIDIA stuff because you forgot to mention the commitment of ATI to its customers in at least every other sentence. I don't understand why executives keep thinking that kind of nauseatingly butt-kissing verbosity will placate the masses.
Q. <font color=red> <b> Public perception </b> in the online gaming communities <b> is still low due to the lack of public feedback from ATI </b> on a number of user issues. Are there any plans to allow a <b> public forum on ATI's Website</b>, or to provide <b> more rapid updates to the online FAQs and Guides </b> to address user comments. </font color=red>
A. <font color=green> We do offer a feedback form on our current website and <b>we do post FAQs and guides </b> to address user comments. There are several excellent public forums available today on sites such as <b> Rage3D.com and Radeonic.com. </b></font color=green>
THE TRUTH: "Well the truth is, Anand, that I obviously don't have a clue what you mean. I am going to contradict your facts that you got from the public by saying that we DO update our FAQs often enough to provide good feedback, though I obviously haven't talked to the public myself in years due to our lack of feedback. I am going to tell you that the same facilities that lead to the current feedback problem, like our feedback form on our website, are the answer to the problem. Basically, as a solution to your complaints, I am going to repeat the causes of those complaints back to you, insulting your intelligence by assuming you will think they actually explain something. Then to add insult to injury I am going to say that the public forums on other websites, which ATi neither responds to nor has an interest in, should provide more than enough information from my company for you puny customers." (After all, he mentions Rage3D.com and Radeonic.com AGAIN in his next answer...)
OK so I kinda went off on that one...
WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE SAID: He should have recognized the need for better feedback and agreed to implement it, or at least look into it.
As a closer I will print a question that he actually answered well:
Q. <font color=red> When will there be a (specific) use for that untapped 3rd texture unit? </font color=red>
A.<font color=green> There has been positive feedback from the development community with respect to the 3rd texture unit. There are currently <b> many top game titles </b> under development that will take advantage of the 3rd texture unit. Expect to see them available by the <b> Christmas 2001 </b> timeframe. </font color=green>
While some specific titles would have been nice, I can understand that he probably couldn't release that, and he did give a specific date. A good answer overall, which makes me wonder why he couldn't have done much better on the others. [/rant]
Cheers,
Warden