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Thread: AMD Promotion: Don't be a sucker

  1. #1
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    AMD Promotion: Don't be a sucker

    Dear fellow pc enthusiasts,

    Perhaps many of you are aware of the AMD promotion in which AMD travels to select US cities and "gives" 200 Athlon XP/MSI Mobo combos away. RobRich has a post further down the page with links etc.

    Yesterday, i found out they were coming to Boston, so I set my alarm for 4:30 am, eager to get my hands on one of these processors. The walk to Kendall Square was long and cold, but I was warmed by the fact that I might be returning home with a little treat. As I rounded the corner, I was met by a mob of ~600 people, many of whom had been there since 4:30. I saw the AMD truck and heard the up-talking of a marketing lackey over a cheap sound system, and before I new it, the crowed rushed the truck almost knocking over the registration table.

    I stood there in the dark for awhile, casually listening in on a few conversations. Many of the folks who showed up were just like anyone on these boards: they loved computers, they were AMD fans and were hoping for a free processor to give them an excuse to build another machine (as if anyone here needs an excuse). However, the spirit of the event was disturbing.

    After waiting there for nearly 40 minutes, and having moved nowhere in the "line", the marketing lackey announced that there was 10 minutes left to register for the giveaway. People started to freak; I was pushed from behind by some twitching moron who was so eager to get something for free that he had forgotten any concept he previously had that resembled self-resepect and dignity. I walked, and I didn't look back.

    I don't know how it turned out. I heard some folks whispering that if they didn't get to register they would rush the truck. Even if they didn't, it demonstrates the attitude of many in the mob. I certainly didn't stick around to find out. The lights on the paddy wagon was a significant factor in my decision to move on. That, and fear for my bodily safety.

    I must say, I felt like poor Elmer Fud when he turns into a lolly pop. Yes, I started my day today as a sucker. Am I disappointed I didn't get a CPU/Mobo? Yes. Would I have attended that event had I known the spirit of the crowd? No. Am I disappointed in AMD? A little. It's typical marketing hype. I blame myself mostly; I naively thought I would be 1 of 200 folks who would happily attend the event. I thought that AMD would share a little bit of technical information on the difference between the Athlon and the Athlon XP. I thought that there would be coffee and doughnuts, and maybe a converstation with an AMD tech. And if I didn't get a CPU/Mobo, I thought I'd at least go home with a freaking t-shirt. I'm not hard to please.

    AMD would have done better to give 200 processors to lucky public school computer clubs, not seething geeks who will push you from behind to get a piece of the pie.

    But what do I know...I'm a sucker.

    On the up side, I got the chance to walk across the Charles as the sun rose over Boston. That was certainly worth my early rise. I love this town...

    r.

  2. #2
    Ultimate Member SPEEDO's Avatar
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    Well I guess I didn't miss anything then!
    I left Lynn at 5:45 am to go to this event it should be about a half hour drive!
    At 7:00am I still wasn't there!
    It has been a while since I have ventured into Boston!
    People that drive there everyday really suprized me because they drive like they have no idea where they are going zigging back and forth from lane to lane!
    They are either all on drugs or are all nuts!
    Also they are digging up all of the roads so there were detours a plenty!
    It would be a cold day in hell before I would do that kind of driving on a day to day basis!
    Needless to say I have no motherboard, no cpu, no fan, no heatsink and I really don't care!
    Because I am soon going to be an Intel kinda guy!

    SPEEDO

  3. #3
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    Oh well

    Sorry to hear of your bad experience.

    I decided not to drive in for several reasons:

    1. I was not getting up at 3:30 am to drive from Maine
    2. No guarantees.... it is a drawing.
    3. I knew it was going to be mobbed.

    I'm not sure why you are mad at AMD. Either their marketing dept. (not stellar, as we all have said) or a marketing firm probably came up with the idea to generate some buzz. Anytime anyone gives anything of value away for free, you are going to have a feeding frenzy. Thinking otherwise is a little foolish.
    It was a drawing, meaning you are gambling on maybe coming away with something. I think turnout in SF was lower (someone said around 300?) because word had not spread too widely yet, so the odds were probably artificially low.

    Also, the fourth reason I avoided the Boston (Cambridge area) even was because I figured it would be overrun with students (college and high school). Tons of schools and colleges in the area. This lowers your chances of winning. It also raises the "jerk quotient" due to the immaturity level so rampant in this age group. Note that I am not labeling all students, as I am not too far removed from that group (not even 30 yet), but no one can deny this is the case. (At least realistically deny, anyhow.)

    I think this was probably the reason you had the experience you did. Most mature adults would never even think of "rushing the truck". That's just ignorant. Now that word is spreading farther and faster of these giveaways, it will only get worse in the other cities.

    Note that the same thing would have happened if it had been Intel PIII's or P4's, free video cards, etc. Free stuff is free stuff. I don't have hard data, but I think also AMD has more of a following with a younger crowd, so it would be more likely to happen with AMD products, IMHO.

    (AMD fans do seem a bit overzealous at times... almost like Ford vs Chevy freaks. )

  4. #4
    Ultimate Member SPEEDO's Avatar
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    I am not mad at AMD for the giveaway promo!

    I am mad because when I was installing a new heatsink on my 1.2 gig. cpu it chipped the core and rendered the cpu useless!

    To me this should not happen especially when you are being very careful about what your doing!

    From what I have seen I you accomplish this without any problem you have reason to be jubilant!

    Also If the heatsink were to come of for some strange reason you would be out a cpu instantly!

    I read tests where they took the heatsink off of a Pentium 4 while gaming and the machine just kept on trucking!

    That's for me.

    SPEEDO

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    I only heard about it this morning. I think you would have to gotten there at 3 or 4am to be sure. It's awfully dark, cold and desolate down there!

    But after hearing what you guys went through, I am glad I didn't drive down Rt. 28!

  6. #6
    Ultimate Member thekingofpain's Avatar
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    Wait till they bring their little promotion to the L.A. area---from your experience id say that truck will be looted, flipped and burning in about 30 seconds...

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    Speedo, hehehe, I wasn't referring to you.

    FYI, Boston drivers are BOTH nuts and on drugs. That has to be the reason they drive that way. It's unreal.

    I agree on the heat part... AMD needs to get on the ball with the thermal protection.

  8. #8
    Member shahani's Avatar
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    Sorry to hear of your experience, Rowan. But you did the right thing. These events always turn out to be chaotic and mob oriented.

    They have them at odd hours to reduce the attendance. Imagine if it was for 3pm.....

    Interesting observations, though, on mob behaviour. Perfectly normal civil people (like you and me) become frenzied animals in a crowd. Its the MOB MENTALITY in us, I guess.


  9. #9
    Ultimate Member Imperion1's Avatar
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    KOP, their slowing down eh?
    Closest one that will be coming to me will be in either Houston or Dallas, I forget. But, I'm not even gonna attempt to drive down their either. For 1: What software or game requires anything over a 1G processor? And 2: The price will drop in a few months as usual. Maybe by then I'll have another job that pays well.

    Sorry to hear about everyones problems with this promo.

  10. #10
    Ultimate Member Sweeper's Avatar
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    What's up with them skipping OHIO..... What ever.

  11. #11
    Member Potlicker's Avatar
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    Sweeper, AMD heard that you, me, and newbie~won would show up and they were afraid to take the risk.

  12. #12
    Ultimate Member GroundZero3's Avatar
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    so caddmannq whatever you win for now on can i have it?!


    JaYsin

  13. #13
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    Aw, come on, you spelled my name wrong. If that was the case, AMD shouldn't have worried about me. I'm in physical therapy for pectoral tendonitis.......I wasn't kickin anyone's ***.

  14. #14
    Member shahani's Avatar
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    Appreciate your strong stand and high standard of ethics, caddmannq . If all of us were like that this would be a better world.

    Meanwhile, put me down after GroundZero3 if you win a $24million lottery or something!!

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