I'm quite glad that ATI is finally able to fire back salvos at nVidia. I only wish that there wasn't a half decade period of suck in between this and the old 9700 Pro.
Furthermore, I wish that ATI was able to make cards outstanding enough that they don't have to rely on nVidia imploding itself every time ATI releases a monster card (GeForce FX series and the 9xxx series) for it to be noticed. And that ATI drivers didn't suck so hard, for that matter.
Unfortunately, however, the price of the cheapest 3870s will get you some nicely overclocked 9600GTs, and the lead the 3870 has in this case vanishes against the cheaper 3870s. To Linux users it doesn't matter, but Windows users may as well stay clear of ATI until the HD 4x00 series comes out.
Edited at Sat May 3, 2008 2:16:55 AM
Michael: Jodie, how's my schedule look for today? Jodie: You've got a conference and dinner party at the Japanese Embassy regarding wildlife protection. Michael: Oh, yeah...sorry, but I'll have to cancel that. I'm heading out to save America!