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From: vanevery@blarg.net (Brandon J. Van Every)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.api.misc,comp.graphics.algorithms,comp.windows.x.i386unix,gnu.misc.discuss,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.development.apps
Subject: Re: Freeware community needs 3d library NOW
Date: 27 Jun 1996 05:35:18 GMT
Organization: Blarg! Online Services 206/441-9109
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Message-ID: <4qt6im$ne9@guysmiley.blarg.net>
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Ken Edwards (edwards@thor.xon.cuug.ab.ca) wrote:
: Brandon J. Van Every (vanevery@blarg.net) wrote:
: [...]
: : Microsoft's umbrella allows 3d accelerator vendors to hide their board
: : specs behind the Direct3d API. Because Direct3d will be popular,
: : there is no market incentive for 3d vendors to seek an alternative.
: : Put simply, the freeware community is about to be completely locked
: : out of any access to 3d accelerator technology.
: Great, this will undoubtably place 3d accelerators in the commodity market
: and cause the price to plummet to the point that Linux users will be able
: to afford them.
True, but what's the point of affording them, if you can't get the
specs for them, and therefore nobody can write drivers for them, and
therefore they do not work under Linux?
I suppose one strategy in this regard, could be to "wait a year and
see." After 1 year, maybe nobody will care about the specs for the
1st generation cards anymore. But personally, I want 3d freeware
libraries now, not 1 year from now. For my own personal needs, it
would make much more sense to capitulate to Microsoft and switch to
Windows, than to wait a year for the freeware world to "come up with
something."
Also, in terms of infrastructure, giving Microsoft an additional 1
year advantage over the freeware community is not a pretty sight.
Especially considering how much farther they're already ahead. I
won't argue this point in *.advocacy style with people, I've already
done enough of that. Suffice it to say that people who are really
interested in 3d, aren't going to wait very long for the freeware
universe to get its act together.
Cheers,
--
Brandon J. Van Every | Check out Free3d, my 100% efficient, 100% portable
| 3d lib, at <http://www.blarg.net/~vanevery>.
3d Computer Graphics |
C++ UNIX X11 WinNT | E-mail: vanevery@blarg.net