*BSD News Article 67023


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From: Micha=?iso-8859-1?Q?=EB?=l Moerman <mike@irisoft.be>
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: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 12:35:15 +0200
Organization: IRISoft Research
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References: <31785BB6.99F81FD@lambert.org> <stephenkDq62u3.7En@netcom.com> <31796B47.5E7DCA65@lambert.org> <stephenkDq791n.KuA@netcom.com> <317ABAFF.5F0DAAAA@lambert.org> <slrn4nlfam.2lm.root@marsgrp.tamu.edu>
	     <4lh1q9$kt@leasion.demon.co.uk> <4ljjfd$nn4@murrow.corp.sgi.com> <199604251631.RAA01572@kythera.demon.co.uk>
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> So, now what ? To get anything like the nice screen shots in the mag
> he needs to take his credit card shopping on the net and spend $50 -
> $100 plus shipping (probably international) just to _evaluate_ Linux.
>
> [ Yes, he might download the XInside demo - to find it is client (and
> time?) limited. This is fine _if_ you already know X and just want to
> compare servers, it's useless if you want to "see what Linux can do".]
> 
> More likely he'll head down to his local store and buy some nice new
> Win95 software instead.
> 
> I don't think this is good for (free) unix, and I also think it is
> losing potential customers for XInside so I don't think that it is
> good for them either.

What I think on all this is that as soon as some other company like for instance 
Diamond or ATI develops a card that is better and for which the technical specs 
are available and which will be able to run with Linux or any other Win or 
whatever platform then Matrox will loose the market it has just acquired.
Or maybe they'll get smart then and publish the specs. I think Matrox's policy is 
only good as long as it is the fastest Video card available which (history has 
shown) won't be true for much longer!

----------------------------------------------
Michael Moerman         Email: mike@irisoft.be
IRISOFT Research SA/NV  Tel: +32 16 23 23 01
13 Stapelhuistraat      Fax: +32 16 23 88 44
3000 Leuven
Belgium                 http://www.irisoft.be