Can Alpha Technology build an ASIC for LTC ?

[crocko]

Manchester, UK-based Alpha Technology has announced it will start developing the first purpose-built ASIC mining hardware for LTC, signing a partnership deal with Indian designer and manufacturer Dexcel Designs.
The company announced it would begin taking pre-orders for affordable and efficient litecoin ASICs in December, for shipping in early/mid 2014.
Alpha Technology is providing its mining and cryptocurrency expertise while Dexcel Designs will handle hardware development, production, and quality assurance.

What do you know about this company: is legit or another scammer ?

[Stinky_Pete]

Links?

I don't think it can become a scammer until it takes peoples' money

[kfactor]

I'm watching these guys --> http://www.coindesk.com/asic-miners-litecoin-soon/

[jamesc760]

They can't even get their website to run. I seriously doubt they can produce a litecoin mining asic at all. Litecoin protocol is designed from ground up to be resistant to FPGA and ASIC. Even if someone can come up with an ASIC design, it won't be competitive. It's just the way it is.

[xephyr]

They can't even get their website to run. I seriously doubt they can produce a litecoin mining asic at all. Litecoin protocol is designed from ground up to be resistant to FPGA and ASIC. Even if someone can come up with an ASIC design, it won't be competitive. It's just the way it is.

Website is fine, news update at https://alpha-t.net/news/development-update-17122013/

[nikom00]

Here is the report about how asic will work:

https://alpha-t.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Scrypt_ASIC_Prototyping_Design_Document.pdf

Anyone have read this? Any comments?

[jamesc760]

Finally, their website came back up. I still don't have any confidence they will have a product any time soon. You have to be a fool to place a pre-order with an outfit as shady as this one.

[vadoff]

Maybe, but even after preorders end on early Jan, you'll have to wait 5 months before shipments actually roll out.
That's a long time for someone to hold onto your money.
You'll probably get a much higher return just buying LTC and holding.

[cinnamon_carter]

Can it be done ? Certainly but the cost of development is very high and the company doing so had better have experienced engineers.  At the current price of litecoin & other scrypt coins it is really not cost effective.  Not saying they are scammers. Let's just say overoptimistic.

If litecoin / other scrypt coins sustain 2-300$ usd trade price I think it more likely to happen.

Again the first people who build such a working device would need an experienced team.

Also if I was running their company and had a working prototype I would 'invite' well known people in the community to test drive my product at a public show.
Once they see it was for real & can touch it, start it, stop it, try it on their own pool mining accounts ect. it would cause the word to get around quick & the laws of supply & demand would take over.

One last thing. In my hypothetical example where I let people test drive my product to amaze them I would
make sure they were sitting in a comfortable chair before telling them the cost of the unit.

:-)