J/K :-)

On a more serious note, am I the only one waiting on this thing that thinks a more regular communication from Outlaw on the status of the 998 and its projected delivery date would be a good thing?

Throw us a bone, please!

I purchased a 7700 power amp and 990 pre/processor over a year ago with the expectation that the 997 pre/processor would be available shortly.....like June 2009! I am still patiently waiting...now for the 998 pre/processor. I have lost respect for Outlaws "transparent" honesty on this matter. The end of this year for the 998 ???? I will believe it when I see it. Outlaw's announcements are like airline company's announcemnts about flight delays.

Working in the airline business for some time I realized that no matter what you tell the consumer..the truth..they the consumer want what they want no matter what the reasons. I have seen airline employees spat upon when flights were canceled due to in-climate weather. No matter what the weather conditions were like irate consumers chanted "I want to go to Aruba"..NOW! In as much blaming the weather conditions on the airline.
I myself was very excited when I saw that Outlaw was releasing a new processor (997)however the 997 was still in the pipeline at the time Outlaw let the cat of the bag. Perhaps way to soon. I think that Outlaw did no see the internal problems that Sherwood was having with the release of their new receiver just about coinciding with the 997.
Reading posts from some people who feel let down by the Outlaws reminds me of the an old TV commercial. The kid on the "Mapo" TV ad of long ago. "I want my Mapo".
Things happen and happen for a reason. I still have faith in the Outlaw organization and believe the 998 will surpass our expectations. The 998 may even have a few surprises.
Myself, having the 990/7700 combo which is amazing and working without a hitch rings my bells every time I watch a movie or listen to my music collection.
The 998 is another toy, which if you are like myself and I think other Outlaws you have to ask the question do I really need to buy the 998. It does not matter what bells or whistles the 998 employs. What matters is whether or not you need another, bigger, better toy.
I will admit.
I have that dilemma. I also feel blessed that I am in a situation where I can afford the 998 and give up a perfectly good piece of equipment.

only the olds on this forum got that one. And if anyone is in a hurry its the olds, each day is closer to when their hearing goes and the fixed income stops them from buying anything.

Its a tough market out there kids, Outlaws needs to make a move before they are in the past tense. If I were them I would at least be baiting waiting customers with some info.

There was an earlier post on this forum (sorry, don't remember where) that suggested 'end of the year' timeframe.

In the "Announcements" is the post about the 998.

Baiting is dangerous - there's a reason the term tends to have negative connotations when dealing with marketing. They need to find a careful balance between saying too little and saying too much. Saying too little can cost you some business, but history tells us that saying too much is more likely to cause problems in the long run so it's probably safer to err on the side of silence.

"On a more serious note, am I the only one waiting on this thing that thinks a more regular communication from Outlaw on the status of the 998 and its projected delivery date would be a good thing?"
"Saying too little can cost you some business, but history tells us that saying too much is more likely to cause problems in the long run so it's probably safer to err on the side of silence."

Being in the high tech electronics business, I can empathize with OA, but I must give a +1 to the first quote above, while acknowledging that the second quote's wisdom is obvious. There are a few of us original purchasers who are interested in the 998, but some of us may not be able to wait another year. OUTLAW, will it be this year?

If you need a new processor, why wait at all? There are other brands/models with similar feature sets at a wide variety of prices that are available TODAY. It doesn't really give me the warm and fuzzies to have something with a faceplate that sorta matches my Outlaw amp, but perhaps some people will wait longer and pay more for the comfort of dealing with a familiar vendor.

Best,

I'm not asking which month or quarter it will be available - just which year.