Steve - re: Compaq will ship the very first 1 GHz AMD systems to customers part way thru next week
Looks to me like they will be shipping Thursday March 9 which is day after tomorrow... DELL has not shown availability but for sure will be days or weeks on shipment at a minimum - they just got below 30 days on 800MHz PIII and initial shipments were 45 days... CPQ has had the 1 gig Athlon samples for months, with production parts in manufacturing for several weeks, according to a CPQ spokesperson. now how many might be a good question - 2 samples, 1 production??? still..
I think this is kind of a tempest in a teapot until we see what performance of these machines is like. But the notion that this is smoke and mirrors on AMD's part just does not fit with CPQ's model for the consumer business, which requires a fairly long supply pipeline... we'll have to see if Intel has also been feeding some OEMs reasonable quantities of 1 GHz parts.
Compaq Launches Presario Internet PCs with 1GHz Processors: A New Speed Threshold for the New Millennium
The Presario 5900Z PC with 1GHz AMD Athlon Processor Begins Shipping This
Week
HOUSTON, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ - news), a global
leader in consumer computing solutions, today announced the first Internet PC featuring the 1GHz AMD
Athlon, the fastest processor in the consumer market. These systems will be available via Compaq's
``At Home' Web site and through Compaq's ``Built For You' kiosks located in thousands of popular
retail stores across the United States. Customers will be able to place orders beginning on Thursday,
March 9, 2000.
The award-winning Presario 5900Z Series with the 1GHz AMD Athlon processor is the perfect
multimedia tool for the extreme power user and ultimate gamer. The 1GHz AMD Athlon processor
makes it possible for consumers to fully take advantage of numerous power-hungry applications,
including digital content creation, imaging and graphics development. Additionally, when properly
configured, the Presario 5900Z will offer crisp, clear visual images and premium audio sound never
before experienced with a consumer PC. The rich combination of incredibly fast microprocessor
technology, combined with a diverse set of configurable options, makes the Presario 5900Z an ideal
consumer platform for digital video editing, Web site development and advanced gaming possibilities.
``Compaq is committed to developing breakthrough, leading-edge technology solutions that offers a
superior computing experience,' said Compaq's Mike Larson, Senior Vice President and General
Manager, Consumer Products Group. ``From the beginning, our close alliance with AMD allowed us to
utilize an engineering design which quickly delivered a 1GHz platform that is a smart investment for
power users seeking premium performance at a great price.'
The Ultimate PC for the Digital Power User and Gamer
The Presario 5900Z Series PC equipped with a 1GHz AMD Athlon processor delivers the ultimate
Internet, home theater and gaming experience. With the growing interest in digital video editing, users
can use the Presario 5900Z Series PC to easily copy, record and edit both audio and video to any
media. The Digital Creativity Imaging Center (DCIC), a standard feature of the Presario 5900Z Series,
offers 2 IEEE-1394 ports that allow users to easily and effortlessly attach a variety of popular digital
devices to the system, including digital camcorders, scanners, digital cameras and VCRs. With MGI
VideoWave IIII software, which is bundled with the Presario 5900Z, consumers can capture, edit and
publish high-quality digital movies and still images with a level of professionalism and sophistication
virtually unheard of just a few years ago.
``Partnering with a visionary technology company like Compaq helps us bring revolutionary processor
performance to consumers,' said Rob Herb, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at AMD.
``It is exciting to be able to offer the advanced Internet technologies of the Presario 5900Z Series PCs
with our high performance 1GHz AMD Athlon processor.'
Pricing for a typical configuration, including 17`` (16.0' VIA) monitor, starts at $2,499. This configuration
includes 128MB SDRAM, a 30GB(a) hard disk drive, a 40X Max CD-ROM(b), a 56K/V.90 modem(c), a
Diamond Stealth 16MB S540 Video Card, JBL Pro Speakers and a 17`` (16.0' VIA) CV715 Monitor.
(a) For hard drives, GB = billion bytes.
(b) 40X Max CD-ROM drive data transfer rates may vary
from 2550 to 6000Kbps.
(c) V.90 modems are designed to allow faster downloads from V.90 compliant
digital sources. Maximum achievable download transmission rates are
currently unknown, may not reach 56 Kbps, and will vary with line
conditions.
Unprecedented Power with Personalization
Because performance-driven customers tend to have unique customization and personalization
requirements, the Presario 5900Z featuring the 1GHz AMD Athlon processor will be sold via Compaq's
``At Home' Web site and through Compaq's ``Built For You' kiosk program. These programs offer
ultimate configuration customization for consumers by offering a diverse array of popular technologies,
including video graphics cards, DVD and CD-RW drives, networking, broadband modems and many
other options. Customers will also have the option of conveniently purchasing a Presario 5900Z Series
PC by telephoning Compaq's toll-free number, 1-800-888-0220.
For additional information on Compaq's new Presario 5900Z 1GHz PCs or other consumer products,
please call 1-800-AT-COMPAQ. For online information, please visit Compaq's Web site at
athome.compaq.com. |
