Precision 7670 & 7770 pre-release discussion (Alder Lake)

[Aaron44126]

1 hour ago, operator said:

Understood. My quote is valid for 30 days. So I hope it is still valid when "ready to order" comes to reality.

 

Does yours have an option to order at the top, or are you supposed to call in when launch day comes?

[ZN_lucky]

Hi! I'm also considering buying a 7670. Some questions:

 

1. Is there finally a Geforce option or not for 7670? (I guess it requires a perf. chassis)
2. What's the pro/con for going with camm or SODIMM for the same memory size? (64GB for me)
3. Do you think the keyboard layout of the 7x40 ever comes back? (in the next generation) Full sized arrow keys, home/end, pageup/pagedown?
4. What are the pros/cons compared to Lenovo P16? That has a proper keyboard and probably better linux support (I've found Dell's linux support to be extremely weak - their support guys are simply clueless about linux and many hardware components, eg fingerprint reader are simply not supported - maybe I was unlucky but that's my first-hand experience. Oh, and if you order with Windows, they won't support you with linux!)
5. What are uses-replaceable parts? Eg keyboard/SSD/RAM?

 

Thanks everyone!

 

[__starrify__]

Hmm looks like Dell's own sales reps may be confused by their product naming conversion as well.

 

Earlier I reached out to a Dell sales rep (Ireland/UK region) for information on the new Precision 7670/7770 models and possible dates to order. Without actual firm confirmation from my side (e.g. I didn't even specify the CPU / RAM / etc. hardware options) they sent to me a preview quote[1] earlier this week on 7770.

 

[1]: Saying "preview" because I don't think their intention was to let me make an order -- the quote had a valid period for only one day.

 

That was better than nothing after all, thus I felt happy. I responded to the sales rep, asking for a few changes including that they quote me for the 7670 model, since I'm more interested in this than 7770.

 

It didn't took the sales rep too long to come back with a new quote (still valid for only 1 day if you wonder), reflecting all other changes I asked and was for Precision 7760. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[Aaron44126]

1 hour ago, ZN_lucky said:

Hi! I'm also considering buying a 7670. Some questions:

1. You can order Precision 7670 with GeForce RTX 3080 Ti.  It will require the performance chassis.  This option will likely not be available from the web site.  You'll have to go through a sales rep to get the GeForce card.  (A rep told me that the GeForce option costs around $900 less than the RTX A5500.)
2. Here is an article that describes the potential advantages of CAMM.  If you want the system immediately, you'll have to get CAMM.  Going for SODIMM will allow you more flexibility if you think that you might want to swap out the memory modules later, or if you'd like to possibly save money by ordering the system with a small amount of memory and then sourcing your 64GB from elsewhere.  If you're planning to start with 64GB, it doesn't seem like lack of upgrade options will be a worry if you select CAMM (since the SODIMM configurations top out at 64GB anyway).  If you order the system with CAMM, you will not be able to install SODIMM modules later unless you source the CAMM/SODIMM adapter/interposer card.  It doesn't look like Dell will be selling this standalone so you'd have to rely on third-party markets like eBay and hope it shows up.  ...It's possible that Dell's efforts to turn CAMM into a standard will be successful and then in the future third-party CAMM modules will be more readily available.
3. One can hope that they make improvements to the keyboard layout, but I suspect we'll be waiting a while yet.  7X70 is getting a new chassis so next year's 7X80 will likely keep the same chassis and keyboard.
4. I heard that support for the Precision 7000-series fingerprint reader is coming to Linux.  I haven't tried it myself.  (XPS/Precision 5000 has had support for a while now.)  @Ionising_Radiation could be a guy to ask about Linux support (he uses it on the Precision 7560).  My impression is that Dell has generally decent Linux support from the setup/driver side.  No surprise that reps are not as comfortable with it.  I suspect you'll find the same thing at Lenovo, but who knows.  I think if you're going with Linux you have to be prepared to figure stuff out yourself to some degree.
5. When you open the bottom panel you have easy access to RAM, SSDs, and the WWAN card slot.  There's not much else that's super easy to get at.  Replacing the keyboard requires removing the heatsink, inner frame, and motherboard to take it out from the bottom.  (I was complaining about the other day on the previous page...)

Dell seems to have revoked access to the service manuals.  I'm getting an access denied error now.

[serpro69]

3 hours ago, ZN_lucky said:

4. What are the pros/cons compared to Lenovo P16? That has a proper keyboard and probably better linux support (I've found Dell's linux support to be extremely weak - their support guys are simply clueless about linux and many hardware components, eg fingerprint reader are simply not supported - maybe I was unlucky but that's my first-hand experience. Oh, and if you order with Windows, they won't support you with linux!)

 

I've also been considering P16, but it only has 2 SSD slots...

When you say "linux support" , do you mean "how well the laptop itself supports linux" or "how proficient are support guys with linux"?

To the former, I haven't owned 7xxx precision series previously, so this one will be my first. But I've had several 5xxx ones and I didn't experience any major or even medium problems when it comes to "hardware supporting linux" (I don't have/use fingreprint reader, so can't say about that, but as @Aaron44126 mentioned, it seems to be coming)

When it comes to "dell's support peeps providing guidance to installing/operating/troubleshooting linux" ...I haven't really wondered about that before. I always thought of linux as "figure it out on your own" kind of thing. The question is, is it really better with Lenovo? Do they give you good support assistance in this regard? And does Lenovo's hardware support Linux at least as good as Dell's?

[Aaron44126]

Man, this phone tree thing...

Like yesterday, it's still disconnecting me if I try to get to small business sales.  So, rather than "speaking" to the automatic phone bot thing, I tried waiting it out until it finally gave me numbers to choose from.  Press 2 for business sales?  OK.

...After pressing 2, it told me that the department that I am calling is closed and to call back on the next business day...

 

I filled out the web form to request a sales callback.  We'll see if that does anything.  How hard is it to just talk to somebody 😛

 

[Edit]

Managed to find a number to call that got me through on the phone to an actual U.S. small business rep, and it seems they they are not able to quote these at the moment either, but at least I have a contact point for when these actually go live then.  (I'd be pretty frustrated if launch day came around and I was having issues even getting someone on the phone...)

 

(I did also try reaching a rep from previous a engagement, ordered some XPS systems through him late last year, but he's not there anymore.  Not really surprised, sales seems like it would have reasonably high turnover.)

 

[Edit 2]

I wonder if the small business sales arm can't do quotes but bigger ones (medium/large business) can.  Not going to try to go up the chain any higher, though.

[operator]

20 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

 

Does yours have an option to order at the top, or are you supposed to call in when launch day comes?

 

Yes, I could do so through Dell Premier (which I have not used ever), but since I know actual orders are not possible, I agreed with my Dell Sales Rep that he will activate my order once "ready to order" is active.

 

[ZN_lucky]

8 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

1. You can order Precision 7670 with GeForce RTX 3080 Ti.  It will require the performance chassis.  This option will likely not be available from the web site.  You'll have to go through a sales rep to get the GeForce card.  (A rep told me that the GeForce option costs around $900 less than the RTX A5500.)
2. Here is an article that describes the potential advantages of CAMM.  If you want the system immediately, you'll have to get CAMM.  Going for SODIMM will allow you more flexibility if you think that you might want to swap out the memory modules later, or if you'd like to possibly save money by ordering the system with a small amount of memory and then sourcing your 64GB from elsewhere.  If you're planning to start with 64GB, it doesn't seem like lack of upgrade options will be a worry if you select CAMM (since the SODIMM configurations top out at 64GB anyway).  If you order the system with CAMM, you will not be able to install SODIMM modules later unless you source the CAMM/SODIMM adapter/interposer card.  It doesn't look like Dell will be selling this standalone so you'd have to rely on third-party markets like eBay and hope it shows up.  ...It's possible that Dell's efforts to turn CAMM into a standard will be successful and then in the future third-party CAMM modules will be more readily available.
3. One can hope that they make improvements to the keyboard layout, but I suspect we'll be waiting a while yet.  7X70 is getting a new chassis so next year's 7X80 will likely keep the same chassis and keyboard.
4. I heard that support for the Precision 7000-series fingerprint reader is coming to Linux.  I haven't tried it myself.  (XPS/Precision 5000 has had support for a while now.)  @Ionising_Radiation could be a guy to ask about Linux support (he uses it on the Precision 7560).  My impression is that Dell has generally decent Linux support from the setup/driver side.  No surprise that reps are not as comfortable with it.  I suspect you'll find the same thing at Lenovo, but who knows.  I think if you're going with Linux you have to be prepared to figure stuff out yourself to some degree.
5. When you open the bottom panel you have easy access to RAM, SSDs, and the WWAN card slot.  There's not much else that's super easy to get at.  Replacing the keyboard requires removing the heatsink, inner frame, and motherboard to take it out from the bottom.  (I was complaining about the other day on the previous page...)

Dell seems to have revoked access to the service manuals.  I'm getting an access denied error now.

Hi,

 

Thanks for reflecting on each point. Just some replies:

 

3. Yeah, it seems 😞 I find these improvised keyboard changes mind-blowing. Home/End/PgUp/PgDown/F11/F12 is basic functionality, even for someone who is just doing word processing, but even specialty applications use them. Also, why the heck mess up the numeric keyboard's calculator buttons and wire them together with F6 and such? I guess this could have been solved in software, so everyone using Windows' calculator is happy, while everyone using something else can use buttons for whatever. Could be a BIOS setting as well to switch between these modes of operation.

4. Yeah I have no doubt that Lenovo support staff is also not knowledgable, but at least for Thinkpads these used to be quite good WIKI pages and community support. For example, when Dell ships a notebook with Ubuntu, they install some custom Dell packages, that "make things work". For example make sure that the display brightness buttons work. However, if you install another distribution or just re-install ubuntu, these are no more available and there is no technical description anywhere, how it is working technically or where to get the custom Dell package. There are a lot of messy details like display brightness, Nvidia Optimus to switch between integrated and dedicated GPU, fingerprint reader, webcam, etc. I have no hands-on experience with recent Thinkpads, but the P16 may be better in this regard. Also the keyboard layout is way better, all the keys are present and located where god himself has put originally. I guess less SSD slots in the P16 is a downside, and also no CAMM (It says "Up to 128GB DDR5 4800MHz (4800MHz native, 4000MHz actual)" on the website). Also I have 3-4 Dell chargers which would go obsolete with the P16. I also wonder, if P16 gives a better docking experience or not. The recent Dell docking stations were not really supported by Linux (it worked for an hour, then shut off the external display).

5. It seems there is less and less we can replace, which was the main selling point for enterprise-class notebooks. The RAM we most likely won't replace due to CAMM, WWAN you just have or not have. Keyboard/Fan maybe interesting later on when there is no warranty any more, but these I guess harder to replace now. So it's basically the SSD which is left..

 

 

[ZN_lucky]

6 hours ago, serpro69 said:

 

I've also been considering P16, but it only has 2 SSD slots...

When you say "linux support" , do you mean "how well the laptop itself supports linux" or "how proficient are support guys with linux"?

To the former, I haven't owned 7xxx precision series previously, so this one will be my first. But I've had several 5xxx ones and I didn't experience any major or even medium problems when it comes to "hardware supporting linux" (I don't have/use fingreprint reader, so can't say about that, but as @Aaron44126 mentioned, it seems to be coming)

When it comes to "dell's support peeps providing guidance to installing/operating/troubleshooting linux" ...I haven't really wondered about that before. I always thought of linux as "figure it out on your own" kind of thing. The question is, is it really better with Lenovo? Do they give you good support assistance in this regard? And does Lenovo's hardware support Linux at least as good as Dell's?

 

Most likely the support is on the same level as Dell's, but there were/are good WIKI pages about how things work. Eg how to change display brightness, how to access various registers that show the battery levels, and many small things. Also, it would be good if you could just install a stock Ubuntu and configure a Dell repository to make things work. If that's too hard, at least make the technical details available, so everyone can configure stuff on his/her own. Also, I do not expect level-1 support to be proficient at Linux, but if you have a real problem, I'd expect that level-1 can put you into contact with a Dell engineer that is knowledgable and can give specific info (or even better, document it for everyone else).

[Aaron44126]

12 minutes ago, ZN_lucky said:

However, if you install another distribution or just re-install ubuntu, these are no more available and there is no technical description anywhere, how it is working technically or where to get the custom Dell package.

 

Dell does have a page with details on where the package repos are and stuff.  (https://linux.dell.com/)  I feel like I stumbled across another page that was more useful than this one, I'll see if I can dig it up...

 

Not sure about this yet but Dell has been moving towards being able to remove the fans without having to remove the whole heatsink, so that's nice.  But keyboard will be an issue for sure.  Dell will be making CAMM modules available separately to use as upgrades (but as long as they are the only source, I can't imagine prices being "competitive").

[ZN_lucky]

37 minutes ago, Aaron44126 said:

 

Dell does have a page with details on where the package repos are and stuff.  (https://linux.dell.com/)  I feel like I stumbled across another page that was more useful than this one, I'll see if I can dig it up...

 

Not sure about this yet but Dell has been moving towards being able to remove the fans without having to remove the whole heatsink, so that's nice.  But keyboard will be an issue for sure.  Dell will be making CAMM modules available separately to use as upgrades (but as long as they are the only source, I can't imagine prices being "competitive").

 

Yes, there is a Dell repo, but in practice I was not able to use it, because the packages are strangely named, you don't really know what is for what, run into dependency issues, etc. There are also Dell WIKI pages for Ubuntu if you search inside the Dell support pages, which is somewhat helpful, but again not up-to-date, may not apply to your model, etc.

A good resource is Arch linux Dell pages with some details on what works and what not (eg see the Precision 7760 to see what "magic" issues I'm talking about).

[Ionising_Radiation]

5 hours ago, ZN_lucky said:

A good resource is Arch linux Dell pages with some details on what works and what not (eg see the Precision 7760 to see what "magic" issues I'm talking about).

I saw this and immediately wanted to address these issues, because I'm actually running Arch with KDE Plasma on my notebook right now. 

1. The`ibt=off` kernel parameter is a kernel-driver interop bug; it has nothing to do with Dell Precisions specifically and was widely reported several days ago (Reddit, GitHub). 
    
2. Fn-key support requires something like PowerDevil (comes with KDE Plasma) to be installed. Fn-key brightness control, volume controls, display controls, and the keyboard backlight controls all work without intervention on both my old 7530 and my current 7560. The only keys that don't work are the three calculator shortcut keys, but that's because they're basically aliases for other keys on the keyboard (damn it, Dell). On my 7530, they were media control keys, which also worked fine). 
    
3. The hybrid GPU works great in Arch, but there is a modicum of configuration required: the NVIDIA and i915 modules need to be loaded with early KMS. 
   
   In fact, I'd argue that Optimus works even better on Linux than it does on Windows (despite the warning in the firmware), because the NVIDIA driver has properly implemented runtime D3 power management without any configuration, and Linux programs don't wake the discrete GPU willy-nilly like they tend to do on Windows. As a result, I can achieve a whopping 12-13 hours of productive battery life out of Linux, whereas on Windows it's 8 hours if I'm lucky. 
   
   Furthermore, the other aspect of Optimus, dynamic source/sink switching (implemented with PRIME) works with zero configuration. There were bugs in X.Org last year (dGPU/iGPU display and frame synchronisation, 1 FPS if only external display is enabled, etc etc), but as of writing most of them have been fixed. Even so, these are bugs with upstream software, rather than any firmware/drivers with the Precision itself.
    
4. There are other things that don't work on Linux as well as they do on Windows, like precise trackpad gestures, colour management, and the fingerprint sensor. As @Aaron44126 linked earlier, libfprint-tod is a branch of the libfprint and fprint driver which works with modern touch-based sensors like on the Precision 7560; it is available on the AUR as libfprint-tod-git. 

All in all, if you want to get Linux on your Precision 7670, I am betting that it will be (mostly) smooth-sailing. The largest vendors (Intel, NVIDIA, even Dell) now treat Linux as a first-class citizen, and frequently release support and updates for their devices almost as soon as the devices are in public use. 

[Aaron44126]

16 hours ago, ZN_lucky said:

I find these improvised keyboard changes mind-blowing. Home/End/PgUp/PgDown/F11/F12 is basic functionality, even for someone who is just doing word processing, but even specialty applications use them. Also, why the heck mess up the numeric keyboard's calculator buttons and wire them together with F6 and such? I guess this could have been solved in software, so everyone using Windows' calculator is happy, while everyone using something else can use buttons for whatever. Could be a BIOS setting as well to switch between these modes of operation.

 

7 hours ago, Ionising_Radiation said:

The only keys that don't work are the three calculator shortcut keys, but that's because they're basically aliases for other keys on the keyboard (damn it, Dell).

 

I'll note that while CE and +/- are "aliased" keys, the actual calculator key is an actual distinct "application key" which can be remapped without messing up any other keys.  (Kind of surprised if most Linux DEs don't already recognize it to bring up the calculator...)

 

I am definitely not defending Dell's keyboard layout, but I have found it to be workable with some remapping and I suspect others will as well.  (I'm writing this from a Precision 7560, which has the same troubled layout.)  I'm going to write up a detailed post on this at some point with some options and illustrations, but basically what I have settled on is:

 

Fn lock off (F1-F12 keys work without pressing Fn; Fn required for secondary functions like volume control)

 

F11 → Home

F12 → End

This allows me to use the "Home" and "End" keys as labeled, but F11 and F12 become unavailable.

 

Insert → F11

Calc → F12

...Restoring access to F11 and F12 keys in sort of the same position.

 

Home → Calc

End → Insert

This allows accessing Calc and Insert key functions with Fn+F11 and Fn+F12 ("just in case" I need them).

 

Right alt → PgUp

Right ctrl → PgDn

I found that I never use the right alt and ctrl keys, and past (good) Precision keyboard layouts had the PgUp and PgDn keys right next to the arrow keys, so this was actually really easy to get used to.

 

On Windows you can do remaps with SharpKeys or MS PowerToys.  Each has some pros and cons.  PowerToys is better if you are going to switch between the built-in keyboard and an external keyboard, as you can quickly switch the remappings on and off.  (I would assume that there are remapping functions available on Linux too but I have no idea what they are.)

 

 

...Also, you have the option of just turning off "num lock" and then all of the problem keys are available right on the numpad.  (I wonder if this is what Dell is assuming that people will do if they need these keys...)

[serpro69]

7 hours ago, Ionising_Radiation said:

I saw this and immediately wanted to address these issues, because I'm actually running Arch with KDE Plasma on my notebook right now. 

 

Have you tried other DEs, like Gnome? I like KDE Plasma better, but I found that Gnome on average gives me less troubles. I think last time I tried KDE was when Ubuntu 20.04 came out, but I stumbled upon issues with getting openvpn client to work in network-manager properly and eventually gave up and moved back to Gnome.

 

1 minute ago, Aaron44126 said:

On Windows you can do remaps with SharpKeys or MS PowerToys.

Another one worth mentioning is AutoHotKey , although it requires some "scripting" and might not be as user-friendly as the ones you mention. But it's been my go-to on Windows to both remap keys and assign custom shortcuts to actions.

[superframboise]

On 6/16/2022 at 2:09 PM, Aaron44126 said:

1. You can order Precision 7670 with GeForce RTX 3080 Ti.  It will require the performance chassis.  This option will likely not be available from the web site.  You'll have to go through a sales rep to get the GeForce card.  (A rep told me that the GeForce option costs around $900 less than the RTX A5500.)

 

Hi,

I am disgusted I just ordered the Precision 7670 with the A3000 12GB graphics card because I didn't know. I had read on the documentation that GeForce were available but as I did not see it on the product sheet...

I know that the 7560 includes a SATA slot to mount an extra HDD but unfortunately this would not be the case for the 7670... do you have any info on that? 

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Aaron44126]

51 minutes ago, superframboise said:

I am disgusted I just ordered the Precision 7670 with the A3000 12GB graphics card because I didn't know. I had read on the documentation that GeForce were available but as I did not see it on the product sheet..

 

If you ordered a Precision 7670, the order will be canceled and you will have to re-order.  (My own order was canceled about four days after I placed it.)  There have been multiple (private/directed-to-individual) communications from Dell about this.  The systems are not ready to order yet and any orders going through are an error on Dell's part.  The current tentative ready-to-order date is June 21.

 

At least you'll be able to get GeForce now if you want it 🙂.  It's a "semi-secret" configuration option for some reason.

 

No SATA support in this system at all.  Even SATA M.2 drives will not work.  I guess this is not fully confirmed until someone actually tries it, but I would be very surprised to find SATA support, and there will definitely not be an option to install a 2.5" SATA drive.  Dell has been consistently moving these systems away from SATA.  The last system that supported 2.5" SATA was Precision 7X40 (2019) and it required selecting a smaller battery.  Precision 7X50 (2020) supports M.2 SATA in some slots (for M.2 SSDs) but did not have a 2.5" drive bay option to mount a HDD; Precision 7X60 (2021) does not support SATA at all.

 

4 hours ago, serpro69 said:

Another one worth mentioning is AutoHotKey

 

Thanks.  I understand that this is a pretty robust tool but I have never used it.  I need to take the time to figure it out at some point...

 

...

Also I realized that I didn't check to see how different-looking the DGFF GPU cards are between the 7670 and 7770 while the service manual pages were available.  (I focused solely on the 7770.)  They could potentially be interchangeable (but I doubt it).  We'll have to wait a few more days to find out.

[operator]

I heard just today that "ready to order" is postponed again for another week to the 28th.  Can anyone confirm?

[Aaron44126]

24 minutes ago, operator said:

I heard just today that "ready to order" is postponed again for another week to the 28th.  Can anyone confirm?

 

First I've heard of this but it does not surprise me at all.  I'll touch base with a couple of reps and see what they say.  But, if the launch is happening tomorrow, we'd probably be seeing signs within the next few hours, like the actual support page going live.

[AL123]

3 hours ago, operator said:

I heard just today that "ready to order" is postponed again for another week to the 28th.  Can anyone confirm?

Yeh I heard similar, 7770 might be a little earlier but I was even told 28th for the Precision 7670 is an earliest date so it could slip further.

[Aaron44126]

Sent a message to two different reps that I have been working with (one U.S. and one not), haven't heard anything back yet.

 

Dell just posted an NVIDIA driver update, version 512.36, for Precision 7X10-7X60 — every model that features an NVIDIA GPU which is still supported (Maxwell and up).  Looking at the nvdm.inf file in the driver package, the Precision 7X70 GPUs (A5500, 3080Ti, etc.) are also supported by this driver.  They released version 512.18 on May 18, 33 days ago, which also supports the 7X70 GPUs.  Not sure if this "means anything" necessarily but a one-month turnaround for an NVIDIA driver update from Dell is unusual.  (Drivers from NVIDIA's website still do not support the 7X70 GPUs.)

 

1 hour ago, AL123 said:

7770 might be a little earlier

 

Dell seems to be fond of Tuesday/Thursday product launches so the 23rd is likely the only likely chance for an "earlier" 7770 launch.

 

I'm going to be traveling for a bit in August so I'll have to have packages held, I didn't think the Precision 7770 was in danger of arriving during that timeframe but now we are getting there.  😛  (Doesn't matter to be anyone else, but I'll just be bummed if the laptop delivery is pushed out even more because of my own travel timing.)  If the system does launch on/by June 28, then I think receipt around the end of July would be possible.

[Aaron44126]

Looking at the Precision 7670 service manual, which seems to be available to browse again.

 

Let's compare 7670 and 7770 GPU cards!

 

 

Clearly they are different, but it looks like there is potential that you could install a 7670 GPU card in a 7770.  The screw positions and DGFF connector positions appear to be the same.  The heatsink attachment points are not the same, though... so there would have to be a version of the 7770 heatsink that accepts the smaller GPU card.

 

Also.  It looks like the reason that you lose an NVMe slot in the Precision 7670 "thin chassis" is because the battery actually takes up the space of one of the NVMe slots on the bottom.  (The NVMe connector is still present on the board, you just can't fit a drive there.)

[Aaron44126]

One of my reps just wrote me back and says that the Precision 7770 launch is still set for tomorrow, June 21.  (I have not asked anyone about 7670.)

 

Hmmmmmm.  "I'll believe it when I see it" is what I want to say at this point, but tentative "good news" I suppose.

 

@operator You are looking at Precision 7670, right?  (I saw your post earlier about trying to configure it with WWAN+OLED.)  We may well be looking at the systems launching on two different days.

[operator]

47 minutes ago, Aaron44126 said:

One of my reps just wrote me back and says that the Precision 7770 launch is still set for tomorrow, June 21.  (I have not asked anyone about 7670.)

Hmm would be interesting if he had a different date for the 7670.

Yes I am going for that model. And also agree for the release date of the 7770 tomorrow: "I'll believe it when I see it" 🙂

[Aaron44126]

I went to chat with a Japanese rep (...because Japan is the "earliest" time zone I could think of, it's already June 21 business hours over there).  I got this update on Precision 7770 availability.

 

 

大変お待たせいたしました。Precision 7770は本日発売予定でしたが、大変申し訳ございませんが延期となり、6/24に発売開始となります。

Sorry to keep you waiting. Precision 7770 was scheduled to be released today, but we are very sorry but it has been postponed and will be released on June 24th.

 

 

Friday release?  Interesting.  (Not a sure thing that it will release on exactly the same day in every market.)

[Reciever]

11 minutes ago, Aaron44126 said:

I went to chat with a Japanese chat rep (...because Japan is the "earliest" time zone I could think of, it's already June 21 there).  I got this update on Precision 7770 availability.

 

 

大変お待たせいたしました。Precision 7770は本日発売予定でしたが、大変申し訳ございませんが延期となり、6/24に発売開始となります。

Sorry to keep you waiting. Precision 7770 was scheduled to be released today, but we are very sorry but it has been postponed and will be released on June 24th.

 

 

Friday release?  Interesting.  (Not a sure thing that it will release on exactly the same day in every market.)

A lot of my clients fiscal years end around the end of the month, in fact Dell has already begun trying to encourage us to encourage our clients to clear out their inventory to make new purchases. I understand the mindset but last time they tried this nearly half our clients went to hp or threatened to cut orders with Dell entirely and begin order through us instead. 

 

The view of the "markets" hasn't been ideal, so in my uneducated opinion they are trying to leverage the new release into a new fiscal year / quarter.