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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 Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!newshost.telstra.net!asstdc.scgt.oz.au!metro!metro!news.nsw.CSIRO.AU!mel.dit.csiro.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.eng.convex.com!newshost.convex.com!news.duke.edu!news.mathworks.com!uunet!in1.uu.net!mail2news.alias.net!myriad!mylinuxbox!suck!netcom.com!stephenk From: stephenk@netcom.com (Stephen Knilans) Subject: Re: Why to not buy Matrox Millennium Message-ID: <stephenkDp7o1M.4vK@netcom.com> Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) References: <4jn4qp$6p@darkstar.my.lan> <stephenkDp5xr1.69v@netcom.com> <4jp0qa$6q@darkstar.my.lan> Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 01:27:21 GMT Lines: 66 Sender: stephenk@netcom.netcom.com Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.apps:14083 comp.os.linux.development.system:20602 comp.os.linux.x:28456 comp.os.linux.hardware:35327 comp.os.linux.setup:48844 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:431 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:2967 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:2732 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:16586 In article <4jp0qa$6q@darkstar.my.lan> alex@darkstar.ping.at (Alexander Sanda) writes: >In article <stephenkDp5xr1.69v@netcom.com> >Stephen Knilans (stephenk@netcom.com) wrote: >> >> How do YOU know that the DOS/WIN/OS/2 users are getting drivers for free? >> How do you know they CAN get them? What of WIN 96, 97,98? What of dos 8? >> What of OS/2 4.0? They don't exist yet, you say? THAT is the POINT! And >> what of TODAYS DOS game or CAD program that may not work? >> >> It ISN'T cut and dry! > >For this point - it is. _My_ millenium came with a lot of drivers for >Win3.x, Win95, NT, OS/2 (2.11, Warp), AutoCad etc. DOS Games are >causing no troubles with this board. > >Believe me, I know it, because I know a lot of people not using linux, >and they are all very happy with the millenium. I DARE you to find a drievr for DOS 8 or for WIN 97! > >> >Let's assume, that 10% of all linux users think about getting a matrox >> >card. Now assume, that _all_ those people boycott matrox (which won't >> >happen), because there is no free driver support. Even this scenario >> >won't be a great loss for matrox. >> > >> >This sounds disappointing, but it's reality :-( > >> AH, the LIBERAL way of thinking! NOW, let's add a little REALITY, shall we? >> Let's assume that many of those linux users are high end users(likely, given >> the nature of the beast), and that they have friends/acquaintances/business >> associates/bosses/people under them. ALL the above groups may decide NOT to >> buy matrox! Also assume that they may spread the word through some means. >> Let's take an off the wall example, shall we? maybe the INTERNET, and spread >> the word about MATROXes bad support. I GUARANTEE, that if linux users were 10% >> of the market, that at LEAST 50% of the market will hear of it! > >Maybe, but you forgot, that even 50% of your 50% will ignore it, >because they'll never use an unsupported system. If you want a really >fast and powerful graphics board, then it's hard to ignore matrox >products. Frankly, in MY case, I don't think it will be that high! Also, what of linux users that are PURCASERS? Just ONE person in one company can mean a loss of the sale of THOUSANDS of cards! >If somebody (who is a typical Win-user) asks me about a cool graphics >card, and I respond with: "The matrox is the fastest board, it's >rather cheap, but please don't buy It, because you'll get no >linux-drivers", what do you think, he will answer ? I speak in more general terms. I would say the WHOLE truth, as I stated HERE! They are NOT fully VGA compatible, and DON'T provide open support, and you MAY have trouble down the road. If they go out of business, you may need to buy a new card. I couldn't care LESS about their not supporting Linux. I don't have their card, and now won't buy it! They made it incompatible, and go out of their way to make things hard. THAT is what makes me angry. If I buy a card that says it can do 16.7Million colors 800x640, then I expect to be able to do that. If I can't, and they basically say get lost, I consider that FRAUD!