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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!newshost.telstra.net!act.news.telstra.net!psgrain!newsfeed.internetmci.com!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!not-for-mail From: pmcdermo@cs.utexas.edu (Peter F. McDermott) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.os.linux.x,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Why to not buy Matrox Millennium Date: 23 Mar 1996 17:34:09 -0600 Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin Lines: 78 Message-ID: <4j21ph$crr@slappy.cs.utexas.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: slappy.cs.utexas.edu Summary: Matrox just doesn't get it Keywords: Matrox Millennium X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.apps:13574 comp.os.linux.development.system:19890 comp.os.linux.x:27424 comp.os.linux.hardware:34133 comp.os.linux.setup:46852 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:275 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:2744 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:2528 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:15890 Some companies just don't get it. Valdimir Vukicevic on the XFree86-3D list requested information on Matrox's card (first message) and received the second message as a reply. Unless Matrox changes their mind on release of information, I suggest no one interested in running a free Unix system buy their products. -Peter McDermott pmcdermo@cs.utexas.edu From Vladimir Vukicevic to Matrox: Hi, I recently purchased a Matrox Millennium and am very happy with its performance. However, I would like to be able to take advantage of its hardware 3D rendering functionality. Unfortunately, the majority of my work is done using OpenGL under Linux, and currently there are no implementations of OpenGL that utilize the Millennium's hardware acceleration under Linux. Moving to Windows NT is a possibility, but it would probably be more trouble than it's worth for our project. I am interested in writing a Matrox hardware-accelerated implementation of an OpenGL-compatible API under Linux. Please let me know the conditions under which it would be possible for me to receive developers' information on the MGA-2064W chip. It would also be preferable to have the resulting work be available in the public domain. Currently, there is much interest in 3D acceleration under Linux and the BSD derivatives on the intel platform; the Millennium would be an ideal platform because of its low cost and excellent performance. Work is already underway on utilising 3Dlabs' GLiNT chip; work will soon begin on the Diamond EDGE 3D and Creative Labs' 3D Blaster cards, as well as a preliminary release of Cirrus Logic's Davinci board. Please let me know if this is a possibility. Thanks in advance, -- Vladimir Vukicevic -- vladimir@intrepid.com --------------- This is a response I got from matrox to my message, attached below. Their attitude is one of complete arrogance, and I would urge everyone to boycott matrox products until they decide to open up their hardware docs. (Sheesh, it's not like we're asking them for the chip fab designs, just what bits to stuff where!) I have unfortunately bought a Millennium that I can't return -- but I will probably be buying a real 3D card sometime in the future. -- Vladimir Vukicevic -- vladimir@intrepid.com ------- Forwarded Message Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 14:36:32 -0500 To: Vladimir Vukicevic <vladimir@Intrepid.COM From: Graphics.Techsupport@Matrox.COM (rs) Subject: Re: Development information for Matrox Millennium Unix/Linux drivers & support for all our boards are available from X-Inside at 303-384-9999. We have a closed architecture chip set. We have the fastest board on the market. The reason for this is our chip set. We did not create our own chip set, in which we spent millions of dollars, so that our competitors can steal our designs. We are not like Cirrus or Diamond that uses a Generic S3 chip set which every one has the source code. The company policy is that we can not give any information on our chip sets under a non disclosure agreement. We have nothing to do with unix/linux. We do not create the drivers, we do not support the drivers, most of us have never even seen unix/linux let alone the drivers. If you have any problems with the drivers, contact X-inside. They do the Drivers, Support. X-Inside can be reached at 303-384-9999. RS