# S3: "Real soon now"



## btwyx (Jan 16, 2003)

I just bumped into a TiVo employee and in response to the obvious question "when's the S3 due out" his response was "real soon now". I aksed him if he wasn't supposed to say "second half", but he seemed to think that he could say "real soon now".

So take that for what its worth.


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## pkscout (Jan 11, 2003)

Only three words? How are we supposed to generate a 16 page thread on this if all we have to dissect is three words?


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## Budget_HT (Jan 2, 2001)

5.3 pages per word will do!


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## slacker9876 (Sep 1, 2004)

Does anyone know what the price point for this unit will be? I know I am getting one, so I need to see how much poker money I need to stash!


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

btwyx said:


> I just bumped into a TiVo employee...


There are a couple of TiVo employees *I'd* like to "bump into."


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## k2ue (May 9, 2002)

btwyx said:


> I just bumped into a TiVo employee and in response to the obvious question "when's the S3 due out" his response was "real soon now". I aksed him if he wasn't supposed to say "second half", but he seemed to think that he could say "real soon now".
> 
> So take that for what its worth.


Jeez, you kids. . . "Real Soon Now", abbreviated "RSN" was what Jerry Pournelle used to joke was the delivery time for the faboulous software every garage software company was going to deliver in the 80's. It was an obfuscation then, and now. . .


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## CCourtney (Mar 28, 2006)

slacker9876 said:


> Does anyone know what the price point for this unit will be? I know I am getting one, so I need to see how much poker money I need to stash!


That will be release real soon now, LOL.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. The statement 'it will be released real soon now' is generally a marketing statement for. Our timeline is slipping, I don't know when the hell the thing is comming out, but I keep everybody happy by saying 'Real Soon Now'

If they had a date that they were confident on, then they would state it.

-CCourtney


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

CCourtney said:


> ...If they had a date that they were confident on, then they would state it....


I disagree. I've never seen a software/hardware company issue a release *DATE*...usually a date range or a season (e.g., Apple yesterday announcing that Leopard will be available spring '07).


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

By "bump in to" you mean "waited outside tivo headquarters"

and by "his response" you mean "When I released him from the headlock"

Correct?

-smak-


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

smak said:


> By "bump in to" you mean "waited outside tivo headquarters"
> 
> and by "his response" you mean "When I released him from the headlock"
> 
> ...


ROFLMAO!


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## btwyx (Jan 16, 2003)

smak said:


> By "bump in to" you mean "waited outside tivo headquarters"


I'm not saying anything, just so I don't incriminate anyone if they weren't supposed to say that.


> and by "his response" you mean "When I released him from the headlock"


No headlock, but I'd already hit him with another question which seemed to be almost as painful.


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## gastrof (Oct 31, 2003)

pkscout said:


> Only three words? How are we supposed to generate a 16 page thread on this if all we have to dissect is three words?


For a start, we could count letters, not just words!


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## oldskoolboarder (Jul 8, 2003)

My source from Tivo said September, indicating some special date. All I could find were these references to Sept milestones.

http://www.bsu.edu/web/KMANDERSON3/history.html


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## dylanursula (Jan 5, 2005)

OK; so I need a S3; on Sept 1 at $199....... (with tax).... 

Now if I keep saying that I am sure it will happen  hehehehe


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## GTO40 (Jul 25, 2005)

I stopped planning on the S3 last May for this football season.


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## mattdb (Jan 24, 2002)

I bet before 6.3.


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## cstelter (Mar 18, 2002)

oldskoolboarder said:


> My source from Tivo said September, indicating some special date. All I could find were these references to Sept milestones.
> 
> http://www.bsu.edu/web/KMANDERSON3/history.html


S3... Sept 3... Well, we could wish. Sept 30 anniv of their public offereing seems more likely.


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## ihatecable (Apr 16, 2003)

I've been told in October from their sales department


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

cstelter said:


> S3... Sept 3... Well, we could wish. Sept 30 anniv of their public offereing seems more likely.


That's EXACTLY what I was thinking....quite appropriate to release the S3 on S3.


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## stoli412 (Nov 22, 2003)

I'm gonna guess Tuesday, October 3. It's a "3", during the week, close to the IPO anniv, and in line with predictions.


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## ReikiBoy (Mar 23, 2006)

How do release dates work? They do a press release announcing S3 is being released? Then it takes 1 or 2 months for the units to get to the stores? Stores that could only order only 3 units? Where customers have pre-paid? So I can't get one for at least 6 months? And in one year when sales have slacked off the price comes down 50%? Is that how it works?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Actually with the S2DT unit they announced it only a week before it's retail release and started taking orders via TiVo.com immediately. People who ordered via the website started getting them by Thursday/Friday of that week, then on Monday of the next week they were available in quantity at most of the major retailers. (i.e. BestBuy, Circuit City and even Amazon.com)

Provided they follow suit, and don't have a supply shortage, we should be just fine.

Dan


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## drewj (Feb 21, 2002)

Can't wait to place that order!


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## bidger (Mar 30, 2001)

I guess. Registered 4 and 1/2 years ago and that's the first thing you've commented on.


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## btwyx (Jan 16, 2003)

Release dates can be managed in a variety of ways, some better than others. This is a question for OPs to get right. It takes a while for production to ramp up to expected levels to satisfy continuing demand, and you can build up stock on hand to handle the initial surge in demand, or not, depending on how you want to manage it.

There may be a particular date you want to release something for whatever reason. If this date is in advance of the reality of the situation you have dissapointed customers who want to give you money but can't. If its to far behind reality, you can have stock sitting on hand which is not a good thing from an accountant's perspective.

I'm glad of Dan's comments about the DT release, that sounds like OPs has got things sorted out and marketing didn't decide to announce too early. We can only hope for a smooth release for the S3.

Previous releases I've been through (for DirecTiVos) have been pretty much in the announce too soon and have dissapointed customers style.


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## drewj (Feb 21, 2002)

bidger said:


> I guess. Registered 4 and 1/2 years ago and that's the first thing you've commented on.


So, my comment isn't valid? 

Yeah, I haven't been that active, but it's because I've been happy with my DirecTivo for the last 4 years. Now that I'm on Comcast, I'm VERY interested in seeing what's going to happen!


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

Most experts believe that it is irresponsible to release products, such as software, on a specific date in the future. It's not like a motion picture, where the post-production work involved is well-understood beforehand. Testing is intended to find problems, and there is no science that can be applied to know, definitively, _in advance_, how many bugs will be found, how severe they'll be, and how long it will take to resolve them. A date can be arrived at once testing indicates that the product, as it currently is, is ready for release. Then you can announce a date, in anticipation of how long it takes for production, packaging and distribution, activities that you can know, in advance, how long they'll take.


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## CCourtney (Mar 28, 2006)

Bierboy said:


> I disagree. I've never seen a software/hardware company issue a release *DATE*...usually a date range or a season (e.g., Apple yesterday announcing that Leopard will be available spring '07).


Errr, No crap. When a company is refering to something that's in the distance.

Firm dates when you're within a month or two of the release are often set. The reason is they're actually mass producing the boxes at that point and they're ready to start distribution.

'Real Soon' doesn't mean a damn thing. Give me a date or at least a range narrower than 2H06. All that means to me is 'We're going to try really hard to make the X-mas '06 market'

CCourtney


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