*BSD News Article 4815


Return to BSD News archive

Xref: sserve comp.unix.sysv386:23569 comp.windows.x:45004 comp.os.linux:9730 comp.os.mach:2103 comp.unix.bsd:4863 comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc:21396 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware:30873
Path: sserve!manuel!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!olivea!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnewsk!cbnewsj!dwex
From: dwex@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (david.e.wexelblat)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386,comp.windows.x,comp.os.linux,comp.os.mach,comp.unix.bsd,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Free software and the future of support for Diamond products
Keywords: Diamond, free-software
Message-ID: <1992Sep10.131535.25380@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>
Date: 10 Sep 92 13:15:35 GMT
References: <1992Sep7.133347.4433@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> <1992Sep08.093300.898@kithrup.COM> <d0sncm+.harp@netcom.com>
Organization: AT&T
Lines: 49

In article <d0sncm+.harp@netcom.com> harp@netcom.com (Gregory O. Harp) writes:
> sef@kithrup.COM (Sean Eric Fagan) writes:
> 
> >In article <1992Sep7.133347.4433@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> dwex@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (david.e.wexelblat) writes:
> >>1) Calling BIOS from a multitasking OS is trick, dangerous, and impossible
> >>   for those of us running SVR3/4
> 
> >An interesting way to get around all of those:  set up a v86 process that
> >calls the BIOS routines for you.  It can be done, and I've seen it (not for
> >the card in question, however), although I don't recall enough to make any
> >claims about performance.
> 
> Yuck. ;)
> 
> However, that does allow for compatibility with several boards.  For
> example, a VESA version of the X server could be released (I think.
> Perhaps that's pushing it a bit far...).
> 

If somebody wants to write that and contribute it, fine.  We will NOT
be examining that alternative.

> So, how's the hate-mail campaign going with Diamond? ;)

It's not a hate-mail campaign (yes, I see the smiley).  Some people seem
to think it is.  I see it as data collection to be used as evidence to
support our contention that Diamond is cutting themselves out of a 
significant market.

That said, thing are going well.  Our mailbox is over 170kb long.  We
have reports of several thousand board sales lost (pushing 10000).  We
have been contacted by several universities and several consulting
firms of varying size.  We have been contacted by SCO and by S3.

I'll be on vacation next week.  When I get back (after wading though
a huge mailbox), I will tabulate the results and send them to Diamond.
Then we wait and see.

> -- 
> -----------------Greg-Harp----------------harp@netcom.com------------------
>   Love me, love my ferrets.               "Break out of the mold before
>   Or at least love my ferrets. ;)          the mold sets in" -- B52's


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
David Wexelblat             | dwex@mtgzfs3.att.com  | Somebody get me a
AT&T Bell Laboratories      | ...!att!mtgzfs3!dwex  |   cheeseburger!
200 Laurel Ave - 4B-421     |                       |      
Middletown, NJ  07748       | (908) 957-5871        | --Steve Miller Band