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Technology Stocks : 3DFX -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Chip Anderson who wrote (8005)	10/8/1998 4:16:00 AM
From: Patrick Grinsell	Respond to of 16960

Chip, beg to differ. "On time" is what 3dfx predicts in their 10Q's. This ain't marketing, it's just fact. From a product cycle standpoint 3dfx is getting their butt whipped unless you compare them to S3. And no, I shouldn't have to "get used to it". It shows that 3dfx management doesn't have a grip on realistic timelines and could impact future timelines. This is something we all should be concerned with. Hey, I think Banshee is a great part with great 2d, but everything you just said hasn't assured me that 3dfx can make a buck next year. Management promised OEM Banshee deals "soon" after last conference call. Guess what? Three months of nuthin'. I don't know what this means but "good" isn't a word I'd use to describe it. I think we can all say that Nvidia has been quite successful in the OEM market, but would you be surprised to learn that they have gotten nowhere near the 58M in revenues that 3dfx made? Do you think the retail market will have 58M quarterly in add-in opportunities next year? The October 12th thing? If you disagree with 3dfx fanning the flames of speculation then say so, but don't blame us for speculating. 3dfx has obviously seen fit to taunt us with tidbits. I personally doubt it's the launch of an add campaign but anything less than a brand new product will be probably be disappointing to both customers and investors. Chip, I'm not losing it. I'm putting everything in perspective. Are you? Pat P.S. Chip I have the utmost respect of your opinions and this isn't meant as a flame. The bottom line is that even with rose colored glasses I don't see easy street any time soon for 3dfx and I will continue to point out what I see as flaws in 3dfx's fundamentals.

To: Chip Anderson who wrote (8005)	10/8/1998 4:33:00 AM
From: Patrick Grinsell	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 16960

Chip, one last thing... One of the main reasons I'm still in is that Ballard insists that their roadmap will keep them on top. I'm taking that comment at face value contrary to what my investing experience has taught me. (AMD has been saying the same thing for years.) Good luck to us all and I hope Ballard isn't just blowing smoke. Pat

To: Chip Anderson who wrote (8005)	10/8/1998 11:50:00 AM
From: UCLAlumnus	Respond to of 16960

Chip, I am PRAYING you are right because right now it looks like we're f-ed. Yes, its been a while since I posted but I couldn't say much watching my shares plummet in value over the past several months. Someone, ANYONE prove me wrong. I'll go back in my hole now and wait to die. ;)

To: Chip Anderson who wrote (8005)	10/8/1998 12:04:00 PM
From: David Rosenthal	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 16960

Chip, Just a couple of comments: the entire industry was predicting TNT would be out at the end of this year as a .25u 125Mhz part. nVidia cut corners and shipped TNT 4 months ahead of schedule by switching to 35u and 90Mhz at the last minute. 4.) Re: Shipping on time - 4a.) No one in the technology area _EVER_ ships "on time." Get used to it. 4b.) Average product life cycles are now much shorter than design cycles for the entire technology industry. Get used to it. 4c.) "On time" is defined by the press/web/street. 3Dfx's public statements always included lots of disclaimers which everyone immediately forgot. TNT was released at the end of the summer. This was what Nvidia had stated when announcing the card in the Spring. It was one year after the release of the Riva128, also on time. The .35 decision could not have been a last minute decision though the final clock speed reduction to 90 was. The drivers were not quite ready but most problems were resolved within four weeks of release. I don't consider this a rush to market. The reality is that they could get away with the decreased performance (still a good part) but not a late delivery date and so they made the necessary decisions to deliver. I think this is execution as a company. Everyone's forgotten about Banshee's 2D speed. This is what's critical for OEMs. Banshee for the OEM business market? This has been a non-starter so far. What is there about the Banshee that would make it displace Matrox, ATI and Nvidia? 2D speeds are effectively the same and image quality is worse. AGP 1x and lack of WHQL will not help. Additionally, product branding backfires here because 3DFX has associated themselves mainly with games. If you remember: Amiga computers suffered from this stigma and were never able to break into the business market. No bash, just feedback.:) Dave