Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 6th Dec 2005 13:23 UTC, submitted by Michael Larabel
Thread beginning with comment 69474
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
--------------Theres are no need for OSS drivers. My Windows Nvidia and Ati drivers work very well-----------
You said the key word. Windows.
Linux/OSS progresses and evolves in a different way, and also evolves/progresses faster than windows.
Having OSS drivers means that as the OS progresses, the drivers progress with them, and when your shiny new linux comes out your hardware just works. With the binaries it requires a wait time from the companies to add in compatibility first.
Whatever driver version you are using right now, try using it in vista. Chances are it won't work.
You get new windows versions every few years, I get a new linux every 6 months.




Member since:
2005-11-16
IMHO the problem isn't patents or support, but it's consumers. If no-one bought a video card unless it had OSS drivers then video card manufacturers wouldn't have much choice but to release documentation.
Consumers are a bit too thick though. A theoretically fast video card with a crappy driver doesn't perform as well as a slower card with full 2D/3D accelerator and bit blit support.
Anyway, three cheers for Intel (who do release full documentation for their video, including 2D and 3D accelerators and everything else, for everyone in the world to download)...