If BFL customers consider that Avalon is upgradable (to what extent remains a question), then they may take a second look.
Assuming all modules in an Avalon case are exactly identical to each other. Then I can start mining at 65Gh/s~70Gh/s.
When the upgrades are released by Avalon, I'll have an upgrade path. With BFL none, except buying a very expensive second unit by comparison.
Are you forgetting that BFL offers a 100% trade-up program for FPGA to ASICs? And they've said that they will prolly do another similar trade-up program for 2nd gen ASICs? So how exactly does BFL have an inferior upgrade path?
Avalon: I get to buy more hardware and manually swap out the ASIC chips myself. Lucky me!
BFL: I get to mail them my old miner for a massive discount towards a new miner. Lucky me!
Well that just means Gen 2 is going to be a helluva lot more expensive, doesn't it?
What happens if the dillute the cost of each GH/s so rapidly that Gen 2 has to be uber powered in order for them to sell it as an upgrade (even with a trade in).
It is complicated game of fumbling with numbers. I would hate to be Josh's calculator right now.