It's terrible as it is but NV has to find out that they can't continue to sell their junk for so much. When the g200b GTX280 or whatever comes out it'll probably cost just as much as the 65nm GTX280. The performance will be improved but it will still cost too much. Mix that in with UMAP & I can see why distros have a problem with them. When it comes down to it, do ppl realy buy overpriced, undervalued cards, especially when there's something out there that costs $100 less & beats it. An e-penis can only get so big.
I guess you still either don't get it, or won't admit it, that the 280 offers something that no other card on the market can (which will probably include the 4870X2), and that is, virtually no texture loading stuttering, and consistenty solid minimum frame rates.
It's the first GPU to actually make proper 100% real time use of it's 1GB texture RAM.
For too long, people have had components in their systems that are top of the line, high end, and in some cases overkill for the applications they are attempting to run. Yet the GPU is the thing that holds them back, with it's hitching, bottoming-out RAMDAC, and instabilities.
The 4870 might be on par with top-end potential frame rates, but 80 fps is not what I need to 'get my game on.' I don't need 60, 50 or even 40 frames for that matter. What I need, what we all need, is a card they lets us stay consistent as much as possible. To take whatever the game throws at it, chew it up, and spit it back out while grinning the whole time.
Nvidia knows that consumers in 'the know,' will pay the premium price just for this aspect alone.
The problem is, that the general consumer isn't aware of these issues; or rather they notice them, yet cannot define or comprehend them - thus not being able to realise that the GTX 280 resolves said issues.
THAT part of it, will hurt Nvidia, yet again, with the amount of money and resources they have, they probably don't care.
They'll drag out the price on the 280 as long as they can, and for good reason.
Which leads us back to square one : People on a budget need to stop bitching that they can't have high-end products at a non-budget price.
On a lighter note, consider that there's plenty of cards already on the market (pre 4800/200) that can handle a lot of 3d applications without a problem; and now, they're becoming cheaper.
If anything, rejoice that your budget can accomodate a nice piece of hardware, and let those people who are fortunate enough to have lots of money, be able to enjoy the 'best of the best,'
rather than crying and bitching about it.
Life.... deal with it.
