The exchange-to-PCIe pricelist is up now.

[GL]

The only problem I have with any of this is is that, on DIGI's info page, it's called a CROSSGRADE. And for those of us for which it is truly a crossgrade, i.e, where we're simply exchanging our PCI-X for PCIe without UPGRADING our performance, then I feel the price should be very minimal. Even some at DIGI that I spoke with after the crossgrade was announced speculated that for a simple exchange of formats like this, it wouldn't be very much money.

Of course Apple's move to PCIe surprised DIGI and forced them to accommodate, interrupting their progress on whatever new high-horsepower systems they had in the works. I'd think they really don't care whether or not we pass on this update phase; it's not important to them in the bigger picture. In their minds they are doing us a favor by jumping on the PCIe bandwagon so quickly, and for that I am grateful, but for the true crossgrade crowd, it's not the right deal.

[Jeff D.]

I just ordered an "old" PCI-X G5 2.5 gig today. My 1Ghz G4 is getting long in the tooth, but I can't see spending almost $6k to go PCIe and THEN another $3k for the computer. And the chassis scares me a little with the RTAS latency disclaimer...

I wish the facts were more known about all this, but with PCI-X machines disappearing from the stores I felt that it was now or never so I spent the $2k.

Jeff D.

[tech_head]

It's a rip.
First the Digi specific chips on the Accel and HD are the TDM II chips.
The development ROI was paid a while ago.
The difference in cost between two identical cards, one PCI and one PCIe is not much more than the bridge chip on the card.

Also the cost of a core card and process card are the same, at least for HD and Mix.
The difference was firmware installed on the card.
Also part of the core system is the software license. There wasn't a whole lot of R&D for the PCIe stuff if the features haven't changed.

The only thing that might be different is some aspects of PCIe configuration and even that is a stretch because PCIe just serializes the PCI bus.

$3400 for a card cross grade is a rip considering they will be selling refurbished HD systems or your trade in card will join the repair pool when other folks cards break.

What a rip.

tech

[georgia]

I'm sorry.. I have to chime in here. and note, I'n the first on the list to get pissy when customer service sucks, or I feel i'm getting the short end of the stick... but

*flame on*

WAIT ONE SECOND:

You bought a perfectly good DAW.. and it works, you earn money or have fun with it....
The company comes out with a newer model... You want to get an upgrade to the new model... free.
Go jump in a lake!

Car dealers don't offer you a great deal to upgrade your 2 or 3 year old car for a new one.
Your blender company doesn't offer you an upgrade free just 'cause you bought a blender last week and there's a new one out today.

Your favorite band doesn't offer you a deal to turn in your copy of their last album for a new album.

You can't go back to the boat builder and demand a new model free just because its 2006 and you bought a 2005 model...

Does APPLE offer to give you a free G5 becuase you bought a G4 last week?


GET OVER IT... Coming up with new, imporved hardware and software costs a HUGE anount of money, time and resources... If you NEED an upgraded rig and there is a business reason for it. Then buy the darn upgrade... Or don't. Stop whinning. I'm still running 2 TDM MIX+ systems along with my newer Protool rigs becuase they still work just fine. When I NEED the latest and greatest I'll buy it..

.. anf guess what!!!! the company actually offers to buy back and trade in my old system for a percentage of the new one! HOLY COW!!!! COOL! Man, I wish my Guitar company would do that, and my keyboard company, and my PC company, and my Printer company, and my Car Dealer, and my Furniture maker, and my etc etc etc....

Maybe YOUR clients should come back demanding better mixes for free, since you mixed their last album on older gear and now you have newer gear that sounds even better.... That makes sense right?


*flame off"


cheers
geo

[PTGuy]

The company comes out with a newer model... You want to get an upgrade to the new model... free.
Go jump in a lake!

geo

Geo,

No one here is asking for "free". If that is what you are thinking then you didn't read any post in this thread. Do you sell PT systems or did you at one time????

[georgia]

although I said Free.. I was attempting to make a point. And no. never. I have never been employeed or contracted by AVID or DIGIDESIGN and I've never sold Digidesign anything. In fact, you can ask the guys at Digi.. I'm one of their worst nightmares on occassion. But I do think that a lot of people want their newest upgrades to be paid in a large amount by anybody but themselves.


cheers
geo

ps: Wow, so I come off as a Digidesign sales person?

[GL]

Like I said, it's OK for those going from say, HD2 to to HD2 Accel PCIe. BUT, for those going from HD2 Accel to HD2 Accel PCIe, it's not a fair price. There's no upgrade in performance to speak of, and you can't run any Accel plugs on the "Accel PCIe core." I confirmed this with Digi Tech Support today.

[Dutchmuzik]

and you can't run any Accel plugs on the "Accel PCIe core." I confirmed this with Digi Tech Support today.

Wow, I really thought that was a possibilty, why would it be named Accel Core ? When I spoke to someone at Digidesign last week he wasn't sure but I assumed it would. From what I was told Digi had to make the PCIe Core Card more powerfull to match the PCIX card. The Accel PCIe Cards are supposedly less powerful than Accel PCIX Cards and the Core Card had to be bumped up so that a HD3 Accel PCIe equals the same power as a PCIX HD3 Accel. Hope Digideisgn can release some more info on these PCIe Cards.

[NK]

Georgia,
We the customers have real problems with just having spent thousands of dollars to upgrade our hardware in good faith. PCI has been discontinued, the cards in question have been ported to PCI-E, all we want as customers who JUST upgraded recently is a fair upgrade price. We should not be spending the same amount as someone who has a 7 year old product (i.e. Mix) now per your post you are still working on Mix hardware that is great, I am glad you are still able to work well on that system. But please do not brush aside our rightful grievances to the company as customers. We have a point we want to get across to the company that we as customers are not being treated in the manner consistent with our brand loyalty and financial expenditures. We are not looking for any handouts we are just looking to get a fair deal on a card which has been released in a different card format after being sold a system with a card that format that was going to be very soon discontinued. Do not forget many of us have been screwed over many times in these upgrade pricing schemes most recently when we purchased the process cards only to have them re-released as Accell a few months later. This is not meant to incite a flame war between you who are a very helpful contributor to this group although for this particular post I would please ask that you let us get our points across as new HD-PCI owners venting our grievances in the upgrade pricing scheme from HD PCI to PCI-E.

Thanks,
NK

[Vaphoron]

Hope Digideisgn can release some more info on these PCIe Cards.

I'll second that...