Gah!! Only 2 mini-dp to single link DVI? Awwww I need 4 to start. Oh well, atleast I know I need to order another 2 cables now atleast.
When Dave was talking about "wait until you see what's in the package", I thought about the possibility of more than 2 DAC's on board, and considered yet again if I should wish for more patience. I realized that I am happy enough with my DisplayPort monitors (P2310H) even if I could have bought cheaper options, and I've been enjoying two of them at a time while I wait for the 5870E6.
If true, I am disappointed that they're pushing for vendors to include anything. While it doesn't impact cost greatly, if it's a good idea vendors could include the adapters they want, without forcing one size on all. Just like there are a couple of the cables that you won't use, I won't use any as I've already bought a miniDP to DP adapter for each monitor I have (I picked up 10ft cables) Allowing vendors to offer different bundles for different users would potentially allow both OzHuski and I to get the adapters we want without wasting money on ones we don't. This is especially true for those who might CrossFire these cards.
They're a waste of cost for the vendor and retail price for me. Monoprice lists the 5 items AnandTech mentions as about $35 retail. Even at their rates, it's adding a decent unneeded amount to the final retail price on the card for me. Hopefully, AnandTech is wrong.
Overall, I hope that there's some pushback internally to allow more nontechnical details to leak out earlier. It'd be nice if nothing was demo-ed that wasn't coming within x months without warning the consumer (and a comment given in the case of slippage). Apparently x = 6 or so, which seems a bit high to me. We've known that this card is coming since last fall. Maybe I was unrealistic, but given when the 5870E6 was demoed, I was expecting it in time for Christmas or an announcement at CES.
Something like "We want to broaden the 5xxx line to the budget end of the market, give some time to stabalize Eyefinity drivers, and have some new software features to roll out before we feel comfortable releasing the 5870E6. It's likely going to be longer than either ATI or you would like." would have been great to reduce undue expectations. In retrospect, I understand why it's waited, I just wish that I had known so I could have been more patient.