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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mira.net.au!yarrina.connect.com.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!nntp.coast.net!news.kei.com!news.mathworks.com!fu-berlin.de!cs.tu-berlin.de!informatik.uni-bremen.de!nordwest.pop.de!uniol!news From: Thomas.Weihrich@Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE (Thomas Weihrich) 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: Re: Why to not buy Matrox Millennium Date: 1 Apr 96 12:05:15 GMT Organization: C. v. Ossietzky Universitaet Oldenburg - Fachbereich Informatik Lines: 81 Message-ID: <4joi3n$bvb@news.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE> References: <4j6msk$ho@darkstar.my.lan> <DovMp4.765@cogsci.ed.ac.uk> <4jn4qp$6p@darkstar.my.lan> <stephenkDp5xr1.69v@netcom.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: korund.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #2 (NOV) Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.apps:14204 comp.os.linux.development.system:20769 comp.os.linux.x:28684 comp.os.linux.hardware:35560 comp.os.linux.setup:49195 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:477 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:3023 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:2790 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:16741 stephenk@netcom.com (Stephen Knilans) writes: >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! *I*, for >example, bought no such card, yet heard of it HERE!!! Even if I DIDN'T use >LINUX, I wouldn't touch their card! You still don't get it ... Linux is by no means a commercially usable product. It has too many flaws to be of good use for businesses let alone ISPs. It is meant for the home unix beginner who wants to learn how to hack. This is btw reflected in the quality of the code (especially the kernel code). Linux reflects an attitude though:" I can get something that appears to be working for free. So why should I fork out even a dime for something that works more stable, faster, is easier to install, etc ? " People are so eager to spend most of their money for faster hardware - not because they really need it, but mostly because they need to pamper their ego and impress their friends. Get the social acknowledgement they could not get otherwise. Sad, but true in too many cases. The answer to this ios very easy though. In a certain environment the cost of the operating system (or the hardware) don't matter. If I have to spend even 2 hours to track down a Linux problem (or an XFree problem) I lose money. Lots of. More than a working product that is easier to install and configure would ever cost me. If the commercial product does not work as advertised I can get the manufacturer to fix it. And fix it fast. And do something else during the time it takes him to fix problems (i.e. do something productive). It's the very same thing with Matrox graphics boards and Xaccel. Why should I use XFree if there is a commercially supported XServer available that is inexpensive (I consider $125 - $150 inexpensive), works faster, is easier to install and gets the most out of my hardware ? Matrox cards do work with Xaccel. They work exceptionally well; the server is very stable and can be installed in a flash. So why should I use a product (XFree) that is slower than Xaccel, more time consuming to install, etc ? Just to save a couple of $$s ? BTW the whole discussion is brain dead. Matrox owns the rights to their drivers AND their graphics chips. It is their intellectual property. Ripping them apart just because some hotheads think they own the right to reengineer everything they have a right-to-use-license for sounds like theft of intellectual property to me. If Matrox decided to release the driver information, fine. If not it's their decision. If you decide that you don't want to buy such a product, that's fine. But don't go ahead and steal their property, even if you think you may be on the safe side. Anyway, I'll continue to buy Matrox graphic boards. They are fast, reliable and relatively inexpensive. I am using the Xinside server. I am glad it's out there and supported: It took Thomas Roell just a couple of seconds to figure out good timing values for my monitor (Nokia 102 kHz) and he solved my problem in a matter of minutes. I think no further comment is necessary. Thomas Weihrich -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thomas Weihrich | NIC-Handle TW166 Thomas.Weihrich@Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE | _ Thomas.Weihrich@WWWA.ORG | /_/__ _ | (_/(__)==== \ ------------------------------------------------| ,-,\%=] ,-,\[ | ( O )## ( O ) Ban |--------'-'-----'-'---------- Solaris, | Dude | Steed = '90 K100 LT | #include <std_disclaimer.h> ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------