"Dell knows it won't happen overnight, but along side wanting to ship audio/video codecs, Intel Wireless 80.211n support for Linux, Broadcom Wireless for Linux, and being able to ship notebooks and desktops with Compiz Fusion enabled, Dell would like to see improved ATI Linux drivers."
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Member since:2005-07-06
They've had well over 6 months to do something about it. Their Windows drivers are horrid, their Linux drivers are even worse, and heck, they're not even willing to support Solaris - Sun was one of the first businesses willing to give Opteron a shot in the server market.
I mean, I'm sorry, but I tend to operate on a 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' basis. If I was AMD, as payback for the support by Sun, I would in return dedicate resources to developing drivers for Solaris - heck, it might even allow FireGL hardware to become an option on Sun's own Opteron hardware.
Again, what I see from AMD's management is nothing more than clueless arrogance in the face of the titanic - they're ignoring the fact that they're declining, they're refusing to acknowledge that their refusal to support those outside the 'Windows world' is harming their relationship with those who make decisions within large organisations; don't underestimate how personal prejudices can impact on decisions made for large corporations. If the CIO is unhappy with ATI's support for his Linux laptop, I can assure you that individual isn't going to be purchase a fleet of computers with AMD components anytime soon.
I say punish the whole damn company - simply fobbing off the responsibility to some other 'department' is a technique used by management when they don't want to take responsibility for decisions made. If these managers don't want to take responsibility for the decisions they made, then maybe they should hand in their resignation letter declaring they don't want the responsibility that comes with the job.
Member since:2005-10-13
They've had well over 6 months to do something about it.
I guess I just don't think 6 months is all that long, given that this is a huge multi million dollar company and they're bound to be still working on getting integrated into AMD. Especially since AMD is fighting for their lives right now in the CPU sector and I doubt they're paying nearly as much attention to the GPUs.
Their Windows drivers are horrid
I hear that a lot, but I don't have any problem with their Windows drivers. In fact I think I prefer them to the competitions. I'm not sure if it is just a matter of being different than NVIDIA or what?
If I was AMD, as payback for the support by Sun, I would in return dedicate resources to developing drivers for Solaris
Since I'm not a Solaris user, I have to honestly say I don't care that much, although it would be nice. What I really want are some good open source drivers, though. Then they'd work on every OS that had a decent number of users.
Again, what I see from AMD's management is nothing more than clueless arrogance in the face of the titanic - they're ignoring the fact that they're declining, they're refusing to acknowledge
That's where we differ, I think. You see them as specifically ignoring the problem, whereas I see them as being too busy fighting for their lives in another sector to really get off their asses and fix this. IOW, lazy and distracted rather than just plain arrogant. Anyway, as I said, my patience isn't infinite. I'm giving them 12 months, and not a day more.
I say punish the whole damn company - simply fobbing off the responsibility to some other 'department' is a technique used by...
Yes, I know, but I like supporting "alternative" companies like AMD is to Intel. So I have some mixed feelings about them...
Member since:2005-07-08
I'm still willing to give them a little more time.
Given enough time, Intel will wipe the floor with AMD in mainstream graphics, and they will do it with free software drivers. I used to be quite the AMD fan in the Athlon T-bird era. But they look so inadequate compared to Intel going forward. They're never going to have another match-up as favorable than K7/K8 vs. NetBurst. Intel is the consummate platform vendor in an era where it's no longer OK to be just a CPU vendor.
AMD is so screwed on so many levels. Even the process gap is widening from 6 months to a year and beyond. They're hitched to the IBM process wagon, which is not nearly as sensitive to die size as the desktop and entry server markets. It's hard to find the bright spot in AMD's outlook.
Against this backdrop, it's hard to imagine AMD prioritizing graphics drivers for alternative platforms. This is a company that can't afford to look forward to a future where free software can empower innovative hardware features where proprietary software is more restrictive. This is a company that's fighting for its life. They need to focus on their core competencies in semiconductor and platform design.
Maybe this makes them more likely to throw the code over the wall, or at least publish specifications. Dying companies like to try open-source as a last resort. But I don't think this will happen. I think they'll move uphill into the midrange server market, in between Xeon and POWER, a commodity alternative to SPARC. Graphics will become more of an HPC vector computing strategy, where proprietary licensing is less of an issue.
Member since:2006-07-15
heh , you dont have an ati card for long , do you ?
let me translate in true english what they mean with dates and when do they actually release :
now = 3 months
one month = one year
6 months = 2 years and 6-9 months
one year = never
by the way , i now have and intel 945 card on my laptop ... damn sweet stuff , in linux makes my ati 9800 run for its money
Member since:
2005-10-13
Sorry to say but I gave up on ATI long ago; AMD had the chance of actually fixing things up; if AMD management isn't willing fire those who refuse to tow the party line, it speaks volumes for the weak management in place.
I'm still willing to give them a little more time. I never expected AMD to suddenly change everything in ATI overnight, especially given their current problems competing with Intel. Supposedly they're going to have a redesigned driver out sometime before the end of the year, and I have hope that it will be as good as the NVIDIA drivers. They're not really that great on Linux either, but I've given up on either manufacturer doing better than that.
If the situation is still the same in January, then I'll be moving to your position and start ignoring all ATI products. Probably still consider their CPU's, though.
Edited 2007-07-27 01:49