R P Herrold wrote:
>
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2001, Frank Roberts - SOTL wrote:
>
> > > > There is about a 50% improvement in the RH 7.1 drivers to the Nvidia
> > > > drivers and about a 200% from the RH 6.1 system. I must admit though the
> > > > latter is not a fair comparison since it is different hardware.
>
> Nvidia drivers are not free -0- they won't release drivers as
> Open Source, they have lagged in releaseing support, and so
> have lagged. By supporting them in the market, by buying
> their hardware, you reward this 'closed source mentality'
> behaviour.
>
Actually, much of the reason that they don't release the specs is
because they use products from other companies within their cards. They
don't do all their own stuff. As such they're not allowed to release
their specs unless all their vendors allow it as well. This,
unfortunatelly, applies to drivers as well. It is these vendors that are
the problem.
> There is no technical reason NOT to open them -- the hardware
> is not directly replicable by other vendors. If they have
> used libraries which are not re-releasible in source, this too
> bneeds to be discouraged.
Or you could make the argument that the best reason for the existence of
Open Sourced technology is to guarantee competition, which discourages
monopolistic behaviour, including all the baggage that comes with it,
such as stifling innovation and the lessening quality of products (ie.
Windows 95 and "better" - term used loosely). Provided that no
commercial comapnies are in the field of making closed source drivers
for Linux cards, you could say that Open SOurce has a monopoly in this
sector, which explains why I still can't get good 3D graphix out of the
box with my ATI cards (one I bought when I still used Windows, the other
just came with my laptop). A closed source alternative might, ironically
enough, provide a better alternative for the end consumer. In short, if
you swing the pendelum too far in any direction, you get the same result
(refferencing "DragonLance"). It's that balance between the two
(Open/Closed source) that is the catalyst for the greatest innovation
and possibly even cooperation and quality. And isn't that the point of
Open Source, to create this kind of environment?
Norb
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