Plextor 8x DVD Writer at newegg

[aviationwiz]

Time is currently 11:49 CAT (Central African Time)

I see the new PX-708A at newegg, should be in on the 12th of august. 260 USD.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.a ... 6827131310

$5 for shipping as well.

[dodecahedron]

Time is currently 11:49 CAT (Central African Time)

LOL
where are you at, aviationwiz, Africa or Minnesota?

[aviationwiz]

Right now, South Africa.

[VEFF]

Time is currently 11:49 CAT (Central African Time)

I see the new PX-708A at newegg, should be in on the 12th of august. 260 USD.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.a ... 6827131310

$5 for shipping as well.

Actually that is at least the 3rd time they have changed the ETA, which is why I wasn't holding my breath .
A few days ago it showed an ETA of August 7th (which was yesterday), which has now been changed yet again to the 12th, as you pointed out.

[jase]

The question I find myself asking, is where are the media to use on these contraptions?

How are you supposed to know which 8x writer is best when the media to test it with is rarer than hens' teeth??

[VEFF]

The question I find myself asking, is where are the media to use on these contraptions?

How are you supposed to know which 8x writer is best when the media to test it with is rarer than hens' teeth??

Well, anyone who buys the drive early (like I will have to, since I just sold my three DVD burners) is taking a chance I suppose, since he or she won't know how good the drive will be, as you stated.
They will also be paying full price (which isn't too bad at newegg, although it will drop of course).

That being said, if you're going to take a chance with anything, Plextor is
not a bad bet

I would personally recommend that people wait a bit, if they can, to get into 8X, since there will be more choices, and prices will surely drop, in the 4th quarter.

I am only doing so because I have no more DVD burners - I wanted to sell my 4X drives before their prices drop even more...

[aviationwiz]

I plan on ordering it sometime this month. The jump to 4x with everything except -RW, 2x there, and being able to do -R will be nice. Even though I don't expect to use -R once I get my hands on some 8x +R Media.

As soon as I get enough money for it, it's mine. Although if the release date has changed several times on newegg already, I might have the money before the drive actually comes out.

[aviationwiz]

The drive is availible for pre-order at:

http://www.plextorshop.com

It is $300 there, + shipping.

[VEFF]

Today is the day (again; feels like the movie 'Groundhog Day')
that the Plex 708A might come in (ETA = today), but once again it is starting to look like another wind-up...


Provantage.com is showing it, although their price is $30 higher than newegg.
I am also not sure that they actually have it in stock...

[Ian]

I'm still waiting for media.

[VEFF]

I'm still waiting for media.

I'll use my 4X media supply. That should last me a while anyway.

I think anyone who doesn't need a (new) DVD burner now may as well wait for prices to drop and/or 8X media to become readily available.

I'm only buying an 8X drive right now because I sold all my 4X drives.

[tazdevl]

No drive yet today... who's going to be the first to call Yeti?

[aviationwiz]

Not today I guess. Well, any week now, they should get it. Probably in the begining of September.

[aviationwiz]

Provantage.com is showing it, although their price is $30 higher than newegg.
I am also not sure that they actually have it in stock...

Says right here:

PX-708A 4x/2x/12x DVD+R/RW 289.29


Availability Backordered
Note Stock expected on Monday, August 18, 2003 (in 6 days).

[aviationwiz]

It now says 8/17, Next Monday. Is that what newegg automatically does? Delay it by 5 days if they don't have it in.

[VEFF]

I don't understand their ETA system at all...

1) They made it sound reliable on the phone, but it obviously isn't
2) it is obviously automated, because they wait till the dayof
the ETA has finished to change it again - this has happened the last two times. If it weren't automated, they would have posted sooner that the ETA had changed, because they know that it isn't going to be in at least a few days before the ETA, and not as soon as the ETA has expired.

[Halc]

They are at the mercy of importers. Importers are at the mercy of the OEMS/manufacturers (or major international wholesalers).

When one link the chain fails, everybody after that link fails (at least for some time).

And just like in real life, things can go wrong, because atoms don't travel as easily as electrons. They don't always router around problems like bits might :)

So, they give you their best estimate. Sometimes they don't know that estimate was bad, until they experience it firsthand themselves. This is how consumer goods trade usually happen with product introductions.

[tazdevl]

They are at the mercy of importers. Importers are at the mercy of the OEMS/manufacturers (or major international wholesalers).

When one link the chain fails, everybody after that link fails (at least for some time).

And just like in real life, things can go wrong, because atoms don't travel as easily as electrons. They don't always router around problems like bits might

So, they give you their best estimate. Sometimes they don't know that estimate was bad, until they experience it firsthand themselves. This is how consumer goods trade usually happen with product introductions.

Disagree. Given the level of supply chain integration these days in addition to plain old tracking technologies... ETAs shouldn't change the day of.

[VEFF]

They are at the mercy of importers. Importers are at the mercy of the OEMS/manufacturers (or major international wholesalers).

When one link the chain fails, everybody after that link fails (at least for some time).

And just like in real life, things can go wrong, because atoms don't travel as easily as electrons. They don't always router around problems like bits might

So, they give you their best estimate. Sometimes they don't know that estimate was bad, until they experience it firsthand themselves. This is how consumer goods trade usually happen with product introductions.

Thanks for all the information!
I know it is sometimes tricky and things can, and do, obviously go wrong, but changing an ETA four or even five times in less than two weeks doesn't make much sense to me
I have never seen that before, and assume it is an anomaly, since newegg is a great vendor that I respect.
Their service was impeccable when I last ordered through them.

[Halc]

I don't know in which field you have worked at. In industrial goods and manufacturing supply chains that are tightly interwoven (like at Nokia and it's suppliers, Dell and it's suppliers, etc), things work with really tight tolerances and hectic schedules.

But in consumer goods things are different and I experience delays almost every month. Alway somebody stalls, makes a mistake, forgets, doesn't get goods, an accident happens or somebody just gives a too hopeful estimate, which turns out to be wrong. This happens all the time with product launches, whereas normal production run materials/equipment are much more prone to be on schedule. Remember, this *is* a product launch.

BTW, did you know that for example in canned consumer goods, the big local buyers will always buy the stuff 1,5 - 2 years in advance and strengthen their buying portfolio with futures, derivatives and insurances (like peanut futures, pineapple crop insurances, etc). And they STILL can't guarantee they'll get enough stuff on consumer grocers' shelves after two years. Funny world that, isn't it :)

regards,
Halc

[VEFF]

I have never worked in retail, industrial or consumer goods etc.
Thanks a lot for the detailed information.
I always realized that was a lot of potential for delay,
and I fully understand delays, but I suppose what I couldn't understand is why the Newegg ETA has been changed (not exaggerating) five times for one product, in only two weeks - that seemed somwhat silly.
I mean maybe, knowing the delays for a new product launch, they should be a little more conservative in their estimates. I suppose it is automated,
in which case maybe the parameters and formulae being used should be changed.
I don't know the process they use, but I assume it is the best they currently have at their disposal.
Also, as I mentioned, this Plextor situation might simply be an anomaly. I have monitored their ETAs for other products too much.

[Kennyshin]

I always run into such problems. I had to wait for my NEC ND-1300A for half a year at least. I am still waiting for 10 sample units of Pioneer DVR-106.

Too many variables.

NewEgg may be reliable and large but NewEgg cannot control all manufacturers, impoters, and distributors on the market.

[Kennyshin]

US$260 is too high.

The OEM cost must be under US$200.

Everyone who buys Plextor 8x first should know in advance that it is going to be very difficult to get 8x media affordably and the unit prices are going to drop very fast in the coming months.

[tazdevl]

US$260 is too high.

The OEM cost must be under US$200.

Everyone who buys Plextor 8x first should know in advance that it is going to be very difficult to get 8x media affordably and the unit prices are going to drop very fast in the coming months.

I think this time you're close on the price prediction now Ken. Your prior predictions were a off by about 6 months.

It sounds like there's another component shortage on the horizon. Whether it's aritificial or not remains to be seen, but we know how it will impact prices.

[aviationwiz]

Once again, the day has passed, and the "release date" has been pushed back 5 days to the 22nd.