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Tuesday, September 07, 2004, 01:00 pm
Report: Nvidia at root of 30-inch Apple Cinema Display delays
It's just another delay in Cupertino, or is it? Surprisingly, industry sources aren't beating on Apple over its latest display woes.Following reports that Apple Computer has delayed its new 30-inch high-definition Cinema display into October, The Inquirer is reporting that the company's third party graphics card supplier Nvidia may be to blame.
According to the report, Apple is "raring to go" forth with the new displays, but Nvidia is unable to produce stable versions of its new GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL card, which are required to power the 2560x1600 pixel mammoths.
"With 6800 Ultras in short supply on the PC, and the marketing machine telling everyone to buy 6800GTs, this special edition 6800 Ultra must be a niche of a niche of a niche - and possibly even less viable to produce."
The report also notes the massive size of the graphics card, suggesting that it is neither cheap nor easy to manufacture.
Based on a statement published on the Apple online store, customers who plan to use the card must automatically surrender an additional PCI slot. "Due to size of this advanced graphics card, the adjacent PCI or PCI-X slot will be blocked and cannot be used. This reduces the number of available PCI or PCI-X slots from three to two."
Apple recently informed customers that it now hopes to ship its 30-inch display, along with the Nvidia graphics card, on or before October 25th.
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Previous Comments View All
That story is obviously somewhat Bull sh*t because it contends that Nvidia manufacturers, and supplies graphics cards. Nvidia does not manufacturer graphics cards.
IBM manufacturers the GPU for nvidia now, and the cards are manufactured by someone different. Nvidia designs the GPU which is working so I don't see Nvidia as to blame here. I wonder who designed the card itself? Apple, and Gainward maybe?
True!
NVidia designs chipsets, which it licenses to board makers.
As I've always understood it, Apple is responsible for designing and manufacturing the actual board, as well as writing and maintaining the necessary drivers.
So, Apple itself is probably the culprit.
Wrong fellas.
Nvidia does make OEM boards that the many manufacturers can use. If they want to add specific functions then they must do the work themselves and writer the drivers but Nvidia does make boards. The 6800 Ultras are constrained everywhere. Apple has nothing to do with this.
Funny how people love taking swipes at Apple. Why don't we just blame terrorism on Apple and shut them down 
\
That still does not prove for fact that NVidia is to blame. Gainward used to supply Apple with their Geforce cards in previous years, and I still don't think that nvidia has the facilities to manufacture a full product line of graphics cards. But if you say so. 
I will search and see if I can get confirmation later. I believe the lowend cards are mainly OEM desings from Nvidia. However I doubt they have an OEM for the Dual Link DVI cards .
Die Nvidia, DIE!
Lemon BOn BOn
Well everybody, to guess the NVIDIA card was the problem is not new. Way not new. 1. I give Apple credit for holding off shipping the 30" displays. Good move. And a very interesting No.2. On the Apple boards there are now people reporting that their G5 WITH THE 6800's have been rescheduled from 10/25 BACK TO 9/17! I have been unable to confirm this with my own order BUT ...... I believe Apple moved this out to 10/25 for insurance. Insurance that they wouldn't have to move it out yet again. They'd have the time to fix what ever it is. If, if Apple was able to start shipping the 6800's before 10/25 their customers, including myself, would be most pleased.
Does Apple have a problem with the 6800's and therefore the 30" display's? YUP! At $3,900.00 a pop for the 6800 & 30" display don't think for a second that over and above making their customers happy that Apple doesn't want to make their stock holders happy with big numbers for this quarter which ends on Sept. 30. They, I believe, are sitting on a big number of 30" displays waiting for this kink to be fixed. That my friends will also hurt their bottom line this quarter.
Then let us look at NVIDIA. these people were behind the tech curve for a long time. The 6800 brought them back to the top. Then, just imagine the effect on their bottom line to have a customer like Apple using their boards! Requiring their boards!
NVIDIA or Apple or both, who cares! Why is it necessary to find someone to blame? Anyone who doesn't understand that this is far more than just the 6800 needs a dose of reality. You can believe the best minds at NVIDIA and Apple are 100% devoted to fixing this what ever it is! There are careers depending on this working and with NVIDIA quite possibly the entire company becoming an "also ran" for many, many years.
I am not pleased by having to wait for delivery on my system but I am pleased with Apple for having the courage to step back and be honest, the 10/25 date. They gave themselves enough time at risk of real anger by going out another month to insure they'd find the problem rather than break another promise and that takes balls.
You can also bet if they do fix this kink even the cleaning people will be helping to ship these out the door before Sept. 30! The reschedule from 10/25 to 9/17 above might be "imaginary" BUT there's got to be enough pressure within Apple and NVIDIA to ship prior to 9/30 that it just might, just might be true. I'll be the first to admit I want to believe it is!
The blame game is a waiste of time. Apple is doing very well handling a very serious problem.
As someone who ordered a G5 with this card, three weeks ago, I wish they would sort out whatever probs they are facing and just fix the FVCKER!!!! It is panful to have to wait three months for something I have paid in full for.
iDunno.
As someone who ordered a G5 with this card, three weeks ago, I wish they would sort out whatever probs they are facing and just fix the FVCKER!!!! It is panful to have to wait three months for something I have paid in full for.
iDunno.
iDunno, I don't know that the language was necessary, kind of childish I think. You and I are frustrated waiting but I believe the people at Apple who have their careers tied up in this or at NVIDIA who know this failure could damage the entire company have a lot more than some cash at risk. I don't want to be the guy at Apple or NVIDIA that gave the go ahead for announcing and production of this. There is no one more interested in getting this resolved more than them! No one! You have to believe that iDunno.
I'm thinking once this is resolved you will see your new Mac in much less than 3 months. It's raining G5's without the 6800's now. It'll rain G5's with the 6800 the minute this snag is fixed. Believe it!
My ship date for just the 6800 is still:
On or before
09/17/2004
Order Date
07/08/2004
08:10 AM PST
Of course 2 minutes after I post this it'll probably get pushed back...
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That story is obviously somewhat Bull sh*t because it contends that Nvidia manufacturers, and supplies graphics cards. Nvidia does not manufacturer graphics cards.
IBM manufacturers the GPU for nvidia now, and the cards are manufactured by someone different. Nvidia designs the GPU which is working so I don't see Nvidia as to blame here. I wonder who designed the card itself? Apple, and Gainward maybe?