The Vikings store (european reseller of RaptorCS products) is open again

[MPC7500]

After ages the store is open again
https://store.vikings.net/en/
https://twitter.com/vikingslibre/status/1496581577211584520

3y warranty included

[tle]

Great news. I wish there is one in Australia.

[mparnaudeau]

Good news! I often checked in the last months, view each time new delays ... I hope that will allow more people to acquire a machine. I am still thinking about buying a Talos workstation.

[Itndev]

still waiting untill price goes normal again

[DKnoto]

From the perspective of a Polish customer, the price of the equipment increased by 6.5% in a month
At the beginning of February, I was determined to buy, but now I'm seriously considering it.

[vikings.thum]

the price of the equipment increased by 6.5% in a month

Yes, this sucks! We are currently seeing the biggest inflation rates in decades, worldwide. Small manufacturers are not only the first to feel this, but also the first to go down if they do not act in time. Broken supply chains are the next problem that play into this. Even without covid and a full on war going on, the inflation would've been around 4% p.a. (instead of the ~8% we can except right now). For some categories, e.g. energy, inflation is expected to be more than 30% in 2022. Right now, things are looking really bleak, but we all have to accept the new reality and that it won't be over anytime soon and that waiting for prices to improve could be a bad decision: it's been a while since there's been deflation

That's what you get for hijacking a thread; another rant 

[SiteAdmin]

vikings.thum is spot on here.

Something to think about: why is Intel/AMD hardware pricing staying stable, in a high inflation environment...at the same time Pluton and other "final lockdown" strategies are starting to be enforced?

The consumer is going to pay one way or another for inflation, whether it's in the form of increased purchase price or reduced functionality / increased data extraction and sale.  Obviously we can only pass cost on through the former means, whereas our signed binary requiring competitors have all options on the table. 

If you (and others) want to truly own computing hardware in the future, this is the time to be voting with your wallet.  Once owner controlled computing is gone, it will not come back for many generations if at all.

[Borley]

still waiting untill price goes normal again

What is the threshold for "normal"? I don't think that Talos/Blackbird prices will ever decline back down to 2019 levels.

the price of the equipment increased by 6.5% in a month

Yes, this sucks! We are currently seeing the biggest inflation rates in decades, worldwide. Small manufacturers are not only the first to feel this, but also the first to go down if they do not act in time. Broken supply chains are the next problem that play into this. Even without covid and a full on war going on, the inflation would've been around 4% p.a. (instead of the ~8% we can except right now). For some categories, e.g. energy, inflation is expected to be more than 30% in 2022. Right now, things are looking really bleak, but we all have to accept the new reality and that it won't be over anytime soon and that waiting for prices to improve could be a bad decision: it's been a while since there's been deflation

That's what you get for hijacking a thread; another rant 

I really only want to talk tech and Power when I come here, but on inflation I think what we are seeing was inevitable ever since so much new USD was minted in 2020. As that funnels down into the active economy we begin to see the dollar value decline. Conflict and supply crisis arrived in perfect timing for bureaucrats to blame for inflation.

vikings.thum is spot on here.

Something to think about: why is Intel/AMD hardware pricing staying stable, in a high inflation environment...at the same time Pluton and other "final lockdown" strategies are starting to be enforced?

The consumer is going to pay one way or another for inflation, whether it's in the form of increased purchase price or reduced functionality / increased data extraction and sale.  Obviously we can only pass cost on through the former means, whereas our signed binary requiring competitors have all options on the table. 

If you (and others) want to truly own computing hardware in the future, this is the time to be voting with your wallet.  Once owner controlled computing is gone, it will not come back for many generations if at all.

Could it just be industry size and inertia providing them padding? Or if one wants to put a tinfoil hat on, is there a vested interest in seeing through an agenda of destroying user control in all consumer electronics? It would be very interesting to do a deep dive into Intel/AMD connections to certain special groups or funding.

[SiteAdmin]

Could it just be industry size and inertia providing them padding?

We can state for certain this is not the case.

Or if one wants to put a tinfoil hat on, is there a vested interest in seeing through an agenda of destroying user control in all consumer electronics? It would be very interesting to do a deep dive into Intel/AMD connections to certain special groups or funding.

There is indeed a vested interest, the same vested interest that forced the DMCA and (effectively) perpetual copyright through the US legislative process.  Whether they are the sole interest or not is in question, but there is no doubt (through public information, no tinfoil required) they are a major driver to this end.

[MPC7500]

... Or if one wants to put a tinfoil hat on, is there a vested interest in seeing through an agenda of destroying user control in all consumer electronics? ...

Not only that, in the future you will own nothing and love it. Also prices will go skyrocket across all products.

[Itndev]

I agree that the price wont go down as when it was in 2019

[Borley]

I agree that the price wont go down as when it was in 2019

Yes, I remember when the Blackbird announcement had it at about 700 USD. Good thing Raptor CS accept BTC. The prices in fiat only go up.