New Antec cases being shown at CES on pcmag.com

mattek · Post by **mattek** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:24 am

Great news! Nice work.

May/June, hmm, thats not even close to febuary. But this doesn't bother me too much since thats when AMDs dual core processor are coming out.
However, I think they have lost quite a few customers that didn't like the lack of information on the street date. Keepin your customers in the know is keeping them buying your products.
Poor PR on Antecs part, even if all they got to say is "We are working as hard as we can to ship this product and are aiming for a pre-summer release" that is better than nothing.

This case is number one on my shortlist for my next system. Sweet.

/matte

Talz · Post by **Talz** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:57 am

Missing an announced deadline generally results in more unhappy potential customers than missing an internal deadline. Either is frustrating to people waiting but more people will be waiting for an official date.

mattek · Post by **mattek** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:16 am

True. But the point I tried to make was rather about the lack of communication. Even if you dont want to set offical release dates in fear of disapointing people if those should not be met you can still keep people updated on whats going on.

If Antec had kept people updated on what was going on with their new line of products more people might have been inclined to wait for the eventual release. Even if they didn't publish a release date, just knowing that the products are on the way and what stage in the design process they are goes a long way in keeping customers happy and waiting.

This case is, by far, the best solution I've seen. That goes both for silent computing as well as for gamers who put airflow and cooling as their top priorities. I'm very impressed and looking forward to when I finally can my little mittens on one of these fridge-like cases.

/matte

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:03 pm

mattek wrote:more people might have been inclined to wait for the eventual release.

There are brands that don't exist anymore. People stopped buying the current model, because they were waiting for the announced new model. No income, high inventory costs -> company bankrupt.

Yggdrasill · Post by **Yggdrasill** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:05 pm

How soon can one expect a proper review by spcr?

It will be very interesting to see if the case is as good as the specs suggest.

Maybe within a couple of weeks if it's supposed to be available in europe in one to one and a half months...

lenny · Post by **lenny** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 1:11 pm

Tibors wrote:
mattek wrote:more people might have been inclined to wait for the eventual release.
There are brands that don't exist anymore. People stopped buying the current model, because they were waiting for the announced new model. No income, high inventory costs -> company bankrupt.

Very true. But it seems like what Antec did - show off a new product that gets many people excited, then don't provide any more information about it - is one of the worst things marketing-wise that a company can do.

mattek · Post by **mattek** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 3:02 pm

Yes, my point exactly lenny.

There more competitive the business gets, the more uncertain R&D and product cycles become the greater the need for good PR strategies.

Actively involving your future customers in the design and research of a product is going to get more and more importnant, hopefully. Kinda like what bestbytes is doing with their fan-construction thread on these forums. I hope we get to see more of that. It is a win win situation for everyone involved.

/mattek

veryevilmike · Post by **veryevilmike** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:18 pm

mattek wrote: Actively involving your future customers in the design and research of a product is going to get more and more importnant, hopefully. Kinda like what bestbytes is doing with their fan-construction thread on these forums. I hope we get to see more of that. It is a win win situation for everyone involved.

/mattek

It is a sad fact that most people are extremely impatient, particularly when it comes to something cool that they want. I was recently part of a groupbuy for a dell 24" lcd and the nastiness that ensued everytime there was a couple of days without some updated information was ridiculous, despite everyone being told repeatedly they'd take several weeks to arrive (which they did)

Full credit to bestbytes for trying to involve their customers, although to be fair a fan seems pretty obvious as far as design objectives go
-minimise noise
-maximise airflow
-minimise cost
(realistically you can chose any two) Its then up to the engineers to go away and fight the laws of physics to come up with an acceptable compromise of the three objectives.

A problem I can see for best bytes is that having alerted people at the beginning of the whole process people now have to wait the full length of the product cycle until they can have it, and sadly the impatient majority will undeservedly get annoyed at bestbytes for the length of the wait.

Antec demonstrated something rather impressive when it was almost ready. I read somewhere that this design had been in the works for several years since its inception, and on this thread the antec rep mentions that (to paraphrase) "its being finished up now and will be ready when its ready - no more dates as they're always wrong" . Sure Feb has passed, and its missed its "initial date" but I'd prefer to just wait until its ready rather than be told a series of dates that in all likelihood will be wrong, given the false expectations that would come with them.

Gxcad · Post by **Gxcad** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:16 pm

forgive me if I missed the answer but I know in this thread people complained about the gaping hole from which sound can escape; the top spoiler/blowhole. However, to me it looks like this can actually be a mesh/clear sealed top with the air exiting the rear of the spoiler thing. Anyone know for sure or at least see what I mean? The top kinda looks like it might be sealed.

-Ken

mattek · Post by **mattek** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:17 am

To me it looks like some kind of dust filter thing to prevent dust from getting into the case while its turned off...
I wouldn't be surprised if that area of the case goes through a change before launch though.

/mattek

Raymond · Post by **Raymond** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 1:45 am

I contacted Antec europe in February, and then they informed me that it would be March.

I just called Antec Europe, and now they informed me that it will be June

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 2:11 am

Welcome to SPCR, Raymond!

Raymond · Post by **Raymond** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 2:26 am

Thanks

I registered specifically for this topic, I check it almost daily to see if there's any news

mattek · Post by **mattek** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 3:34 am

Hehe. This thread is also what got me to sign up for the forums.

Thanks for the update on the release. I've contacted several retailers on the issue as well but they have no information on the p180 or the Phantom 500.

/matte

Shadowknight · Post by **Shadowknight** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 4:06 am

veryevilmike posted exactly my thoughts.

Look, if you need a case THAT badly, go ahead and spend 50 bucks on one of the recommended cases. Ironing out kinks in the design takes time. Setting up the production equipment and giving details to the workers takes time. Finding out what retailers would be interested in ordering the case, and how many they will commit to buying on launch takes time.

They've given out a date of "when it's done." Don't EXPECT anything less to 6-12 months. Will it be out sooner? Maybe. But I've seen bitching/obsessing over this at ocforums and hardforums.

Remember, there are MANY cases out there you can buy RIGHT NOW. The only real (major) things about this case are: Al/plastic/Al panels, and a separate PSU cage. With careful management of airflow, this isn't necessary, PLUS with a fanless airsupply, you'll have to add an additional fan to cool it off anyway in the P180. The alminum/plastic combo may be up to normal steel in handling resonance, it maybe slightly better than plain aluminum, who knows? I'm not dissing the cases design, but KEEP IN MIND it is not the perfect case, regardless of features you like, and it is NOT WORTH OBSESSING OVER.

Being excited is one things, obsessing over it is something else. Would you rather they pull a Valve, promise a specific ship date, then delay release by a full year? i wouldn't.

jermaink · Post by **jermaink** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:09 am

Let me clear some things up.

Originally PD wanted to get the P180 out by the end of February. However some testing done in house produced some changes to the design (notably the duct system picture was changed because the 120mm fans worked better then we thought, and the whole duct was not needed). This then required changes to the manual, box etc etc etc.

As it stands the ballpark date (ie not firm) is late May/June.

AntecRep

mattek · Post by **mattek** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:16 am

Good news!

This kind of communication is exactly what I wanted, keeping me in the know is keeping me patient and waiting happily. I don't want nor expect any "next week" street dates just updates on the status on the product so I know what to expect from it. Otherwise it just feels like I'm wasting time. Now I know that I am not.

Interesting that they took out the duct system, my plan was to remove it the first thing I did as it would not serve any purpose in my future system.

/mattek

blunden · Post by **blunden** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 4:33 pm

It seems there is no new info on this one?

veryevilmike · Post by **veryevilmike** » Sun May 01, 2005 4:13 pm

blunden wrote:It seems there is no new info on this one?

was there not just new info a whole 3 days ago? its tentatively scheduled for late May/June as mentiond by the AntecRep. What more do you need - a millenium style countdown clock?

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Sun May 01, 2005 4:31 pm

veryevilmike wrote:What more do you need - a millenium style countdown clock?

<sarcasm>
A life feed from a webcam following the first produced, consumer packaged sample from the start of the production process all to the delivery to the first customer. Modern day consumers want nothing less than total information.
</sarcasm>

AntecRep · Post by **AntecRep** » Mon May 02, 2005 7:03 am

veryevilmike wrote:
blunden wrote:It seems there is no new info on this one?
was there not just new info a whole 3 days ago? its tentatively scheduled for late May/June as mentiond by the AntecRep. What more do you need - a millenium style countdown clock?

For a second there I thought I hadn't updated you guys.

PS · Post by PS » Mon May 02, 2005 9:27 pm

Folks up there missed their opportunity to say,

Welcome to SPCR, blunden!

and yes, the last word any of US have seen, YOU have also seen, assuming that you read that last few posts before your own.

Pgh · Post by **Pgh** » Thu May 05, 2005 9:18 am

Maybe, to give people an outlet for their frustration while they’re waiting for Antec to actually make these available, someone could start a poll:

- The first sighting on the Antec site
- The first sighting on a web retailer (in stock)
- The first sighting at a retail store (in stock)
- The first date anyone actually receives one
- Etc

ky · Post by ky » Fri May 06, 2005 2:54 pm

Should we expect the same time frame for the Sonata-II?

AntecRep wrote:
veryevilmike wrote:
blunden wrote:It seems there is no new info on this one?
was there not just new info a whole 3 days ago? its tentatively scheduled for late May/June as mentiond by the AntecRep. What more do you need - a millenium style countdown clock?
For a second there I thought I hadn't updated you guys.

E M F · Post by **E M F** » Tue May 10, 2005 8:57 am

Pgh wrote: - The first sighting on the Antec site
- The first sighting on a web retailer (in stock)
- The first sighting at a retail store (in stock)
- The first date anyone actually receives one
- Etc

My thoughts:
Antec site: 1st full week of June (5th-11th)
WebRetailer: Two days before, because some retailer's going to goof up preorders (June 3rd)
RetailStore: Don't know; never seen anything but the SX series in retail stores near me.
Receipt: TomsHardware and HardOCP already have them... don't they? ;D (Kidding... just seems that they always get the toys before we do.)
First Implementation with full testing specs posted on SPCR: If I have my way, an hour after I get the case. :p I've already built the rest of the unit open-air.
First "knockoff"/"co-production": July 4th weekend. Chieftec or someone similar.

LazyAzN · Post by **LazyAzN** » Tue May 10, 2005 9:23 pm

Heh, since we don't have any reviews of the p180, I'm beginning to wonder the best fan placements of the fans...

Sure, you can keep the fan near the PSU since its in its own isolated chamber... But everything above it. Would it just be better to have 2 exhaust fans and no intake? Cause then there wouldn't be a limited amount of air being sucked in, and since the 120mm fans are located on the top-rear of the case, sucks heat air out easily.

PS · Post by PS » Wed May 11, 2005 12:05 am

Lazy... there are a number of posts about which is better: positive air pressure or negative air pressure. I do see your point about expelling hot air from the top, but many people tend to feel that having more intake than exhaust (i.e. positive air pressure) aids in reducing dust in their case. My understanding is that this is because you can put a filter over your fan(s), so then you know that all air coming into your case is filtered. If you have more exhaust than intake (i.e. negative pressure), then you will be pulling air into your case anywhere that it can get in, which would indicate that some would be unfiltered, bringing a bunch of dust which would clog up your heatsinks, raising temperatures and annoying you to no end.

Then again, I've said this before and I'll say it again... the "blowhole" or "spoiler" in the top of the P180 presents a perfectly good direct path from a fan (or two or three, depending on the setup: two in the top back plus a HSF), which effectively ruins all the other quiet features of the case. Sure one could seal that hole up, but there's two problems with that: (1) will your seal be as nice as the Al/Plastic/Al of the rest of the case, or will it look (and be) bootleg? (2) With a case as expensive as the P180, should it really be necessary to make such a mod in the name of silence??

One could buy any ol' case and mod it till it's quiet... but part of why you're paying so much for the P180 is that it's supposed to be optimized for silence right out of the box. Think about the fact that you could probably purchase one of those modded cases that come with acoustipak pre-cut (or pre-installed?) for the more or less the same price (eg AcoustiCase) of the P180, and then tell me whether or not you still think it's worth it.

Really I hate to rain on the parade... but seriously... they're talkin >$150 here! And no PSU, no AcoustiPak-type-material, plus a big hole in the top so you can listen to your computer better. We're talkin bout a BOX to put your computer in.

LazyAzN · Post by **LazyAzN** » Wed May 11, 2005 5:52 am

That blowhole on top when I first saw it, I was also pondering on how the antec p180 was meant to be silent besides the fact it is al/plastic/al...l

But you don't really need postive pressure, due to the fact
1)Already fan filters installed I believe, behind that big gray front door.
2)Since the antec p180 is like the evercase 4252's front bezel with air flowing from the sides, there's no reason why the 120mm fans would not be able to suck any air in. Course then you'd have to seal every other place first heh.

dodecahedron · Post by **dodecahedron** » Thu May 12, 2005 3:52 pm

hi.
just joined up so i can "Watch this topic for replies"

well, hopefully the P180 is on it's way, so i'm way to late to throw any suggestions/hopes for the case, features, design etc..
but i'd like to point out something that i don't think i've seen noted in the thread.
the concerns about the duct intake (if the duct still exists) right above the PS exhaust at the back:
the few replies to the concerns over this issue (including one from AntecRep) have been unconvincing at best.
but look at the Lian-Li V series.
the V1000 and V1100 had a duct/air guide mounted externally on the rear exhuast to move the air downwards. look at pics (courtesy of AnandTech):
small picture
big picture
here's from SPCR's V2000 article:

in the newer V1000/V1100/V1200 Plus with the new air ducts etc. doesn't have this, but they have instead something very similar to the P180 - a CPU intake cooling duct right above the PS exhaust, and now there's a kind of air-guide on the PS exhaust moving the air sideways.
look at the Flash on this page:
http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Chassis/ ... 00plus.htm

it's interesting that the V Plus is radically different from the V in terms of air-flow design. and it's very similar to what (we think) the P180 has.
did Antec copy this from Lian-Li ?
i hope the Antec has such an air-redirecting-duct for the PSU exhaust as well.

come to think of it, will SPCR reivew the new Lian-Li V-Plus line? have'nt seen a reveiw anywhere (probably since it's very similar to the V that has been reviewed).

bobalooza · Post by **bobalooza** » Tue May 17, 2005 8:47 am

http://www.antec.com/pdf/flyers/P180.pdf

Notice that the duct is now described slightly differently, i.e., graphics card only.

New Antec cases being shown at CES on pcmag.com

Wow!

Sighting