Mark Kent <mark.kent@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> begin oe_protect.scr
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>> Introducing the Open Graphics Project
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>| One project that I've been following quite closely lately is a
>>| project started by chip-designer Timothy Miller, called the Open
>>| Graphics Project. His goal, along with the rest of the project, known as
>>| the "Open Graphics Foundation" is to make a 3D accelerated video card
>>| which is fully documented, free-licensed, and open source.
>> `----
>>
>> http://linux.wordpress.com/2006/07/19/introducing-the-open-graphics-project/
>>
>> There is already a chip design (CPU) from Sun which is GPL'd.
>
> Presumably this is the kind of pressure that would, in the end,
> encourage nVidia to open up their drivers. It is a great frustration
> that they choose not to do so, and I remain quite unconvinced that
> keeping the drivers closed provides any genuine competitive advantage.
>
Like any other proprietary software house, secret keeping is an end of itself
with nVidia. I think the push-come-to-shove point is going to be when
proprietary 3D drivers seriously start to hinder the Linux desktop (at this
point, all 3D really gets you is a few ported games and some useless still-
in-alpha eye candy). I think at that point, either something like the above
(or maybe even Intel or Matrox, seeing as how they're really the only options
for a free software 3D solution at this point) will step in to fill the void,
or the FSF's reverse engineering project for ATI (or a similar nVidia one)
will start getting a LOT more attention. Even now, though, nVidia and ATI's
actions hold a malevolent kind of control over the future of X/OpenGL.
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