Bryan J. Smith wrote:
>On Sat, 2004-09-25 at 19:50, Pete S. wrote:
>
>
>>http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=18664
>>
>>
>
>Yep. ATI learned, as nVidia did, that it's better to work with Intel
>than against them. Hence why ATI has withheld specs on _all_ newer
>architectures -- R300+ (Radeon 9500 on-ward).
>
>Intel considers AGP a trade secret, as well as its new PCI-Express
>chipsets -- although PCI-Express _is_ a PCI Standards Group standard
>(AGP was not). Microsoft also licenses a lot of patents they have been
>granted in contracts (even on OpenGL). When nVidia released its
>"unified" drivers as open source for XFree86 3.3.3, Microsoft and Intel
>threatened to sue, and that was that.
>
>Since then, nVidia and ATI have taken diverging paths. nVidia has
>continued to produce their "unified" GDI/Win32-Cocoa/BSD-X11/UNIX driver
>base. ATI developed "clean room" drivers. Now ATI has come around to
>nVidia's way of thinking, because it's virtually impossible for them to
>support their product lines as well as nVidia.
>
>At least the API is open. That's why I call Intel-nVidia's drivers
>"Standardware" -- because they conform to an open standard, GLX (OpenGL
>on X11). GLX is much better than DRI IMHO -- especially for people used
>to UNIX workstations. DRI is nice for gaming, but it can't keep up with
>something that is "out-of-date" in 9 months, let alone more professional
>graphics.
>
>Without nVidia, engineering would have stuck with UNIX or, worse yet,
>moved to NT. But because we have nVidia, we have have had Linux
>proliferation as an engineering desktop over the last 5 years. ATI is
>merely joining the party.
>
>
>
>
Good insite.
Thanks, Pete
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