Nvidia changes GT200 NDA date

NVIDIA SURE KNOWS how to screw the press, they are masters at it. Thanks to several memos that tipped up, you too can know how they operate.

These are from Philip Scholz, Consumer Marketing Specialist at Nvidia and are of very 'high' importance. Phil is a new one in the Memogate series, so hi Phil, welcome to the club. The first one points out the embargo dates for D10U, the code name for the GTX260/280. If you needed any more direct data that the 260 is the salvage part, you have it in their words.

The first one moves the NDA date from the 18th to the 17th, the second gives a list of what will be available at that time. So far so good, right?

Well, the problem is that June 3 is the first day of Computex. I may be crazy, but that says to me anyone who went to the 'pyramid slide' show is NDAd till the 17th, but anyone who didn't will get all the info at Computex. Since they aren't encumbered, they can write it up. So, basically take their expensive junket and lose by two weeks, or don't and get the story first, see here and here.

Meanwhile, NV doesn't lose any sleep, and probably gets a sadistic chuckle or three out of it. They are the only company out there where playing fair with them guarantees you will lose.

All this said, we present you the two memos. They are replete with blue, red and black text, underlined, occasionally in a different color. Phil, you make my head hurt, HTML emails on this scale should be a war crime. That said, I edited it all out to spare you, the gentle reader.

On the off chance that it may not be rhetorical when Phil says, "If you have any questions about these Marketing materials, launch dates and embargos, or anything else relating to the new products, please contact me directly.", I will do so. Phil, why do you start the first email with bullets 3 and 4 and the second one a week later with 1 and 2?µ

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From: Philip Scholz [mailto:PScholz@nvidia.com]

Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 1:33 PM

Subject: IMPORTANT - Revised launch date: D10U (GeForce GTX 280 & 260)

Importance: High

All,

Please note the new launch date (pulled in by 1 day to align with additional Corporate Marketing initiatives): June 17th.

There are no other changes to this launch –just the 1-day date change.

Please note there are ***2 embargo dates*** for this part:

1) Channel Customer Embargo: June 3rd, 2008 (06:00 PST |14:00 GMT)*

2) Consumer/Press Embargo: June 17th, 2008 (06:00 PST |14:00 GMT)

* Channel Customer Embargo (June 3rd, 2008): To ensure there is no disruption of your current products in the channel, we are imposing an embargo for discussing these new products with your other etail, distributor and retail Channel Partners; this is the date NVIDIA will begin discussing with these Channel Partners.

PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THIS NEW DATE AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

Thank you

Phil

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From: Philip Scholz

Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 1:27 PM

Subject: IMPORTANT: D10U (GeForce GTX 280 & 260) Marketing Materials now available

Importance: High

***********************************************************************************

CONFIDENTIAL AND UNDER NVIDIA NDA

DO NOT DISCUSS THESE PRODUCTS OR MATERIALS EXTERNALLY UNTIL AFTER THE EMBARGO DATES BELOW:

3) Channel Customer Embargo: June 3rd, 2008 (06:00 PST |14:00 GMT)*

4) Consumer/Press Embargo: June 18th, 2008 (06:00 PST |14:00 GMT)

***********************************************************************************

Hello,

The following items are available NOW on NVONLINE (Partners.nvidia.com) for you to download:

· AIC Spec Document (to be updated with final clock specs next week; most needed information is currently available in this version)

· Box Templates with guidelines

These additional items will be available on NVONLINE starting next week (we will communicate to you when these are available):

· User Documentation (QSG and User Manual)

· Key Visual Assets

· Product Photography

· Final clocks/specs for AIC Spec Document

• Email Template

• Ad Template

• Landing Page

• Web banners

Note, that all items on NVONLINE are secured using the Adobe Policy Server – you will need your company’s respective log in information and a PC running Adobe Acrobat Reader version 7 or higher to access these files. IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to security policies within NVIDIA, ".zip" some files attached to certain Adobe PDFs have been renamed with a ".zipp" file ending. To successfully open these ".zip" files, be sure to rename them to end in ".zip" (instead of ".zipp" ) when saving to your machine.

* Channel Customer Embargo (June 3rd, 2008): To ensure there is no disruption of your current products in the channel, we are imposing an embargo for discussing these new products with your other etail, distributor and retail Channel Partners; this is the date NVIDIA will begin discussing with these Channel Partners.

If you have any questions about these Marketing materials, launch dates and embargos, or anything else relating to the new products, please contact me directly.

Thanks,

Phil

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[You are welcome - Ed]