[plug] new linux user

[Beau Kuiper]

On Mon, 04 Oct 1999, you wrote:
> On Mon, 4 Oct 1999, Beau Kuiper wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, 04 Oct 1999, you wrote:
> 
> > ha, the i740 is one of the earliest cards supported by the xfree 4.0 betas.
> > Source code support for it is in Xfree 3.3.4+. Please don't post
> > misinformation to this list. The i740 may not be the best performing 3d (or 2d)
> > card on the planet, but it is far from dead or useless. I am very happy with
> > the operation of my i740.
> 
> Quoted from xgree.org's pages
> 
> ' Red Hat and Precision Insight are providing Linux binary-only X servers
> for some new video hardware (this currently includes
> the Intel i740 and a range of NeoMagic chipsets). Where possible these
> servers will be integrated into the next XFree86 source
> release. The NeoMagic driver is the first of these to be integrated, and
> it is available (with source) in XFree86 3.3.3. Information
> about these servers can be found at: '

Well that was old news. Intel finally allowed the specs (for the 2d engine at
least) to be public domain and now the i740 has a normal source server (like it
says above). See www.xfree.org and the documentation for 3.3.5. 

> Im not sure about you but the provision of binary only servers i thought 
> was a bit ridiculous.

Well, the world isn't a perfect or an idealistic place.

> 
> Also the card was out, with only a non free binary license for quite some
> time if i remember correctly, hence i wouldnt reccomend it to anyone
> however it does appear that there is continued development on the card and
> i cant find any confimation from what i was reading about the lack of
> continued development.
>

Huh, so you wouldn't recommend a TNT card to anyone either, because of the
obusifcated source code Nivida provided at first. BTW, where were you reading
about lack of continued development? 

 > Perhaps that was what was happening but they changed the licensing on it? 

> > I will, and so will just about everyone, and more fool you if you want nothing
> > to do with them.
> 
> No, i really thought the performance on these was pretty terrible, i think
> calling me a fool for not accepting such such crappy performance pretty
> laughable. Ok, sure it appears i was wrong about continued development and
> current licensing, i was never wrong about the lack of performance, there
> are now merely less reasons why i wouldnt reccomend them.

I am not calling you a fool. I am using a cliche :) Remember high school
english?

Well, what are you doing complaining about the i740 when you already
obviously have such powerful (and expensive) hardware. The i740 may not perform
greatly, but it is more than enough for regular users (like me). And if you
think the i740 is terrible, then you haven't seen SiS cards or S3 Trio/Virge
cards :) (working with educational institutions, you see much of this kind of
crappy hardware)

BTW, 2d acceration with the i740 under windows 95 is really, really terrible.
If you are going to use it with windows 95 a lot, don't buy it! Windows NT 4.0
acceleration is much better though :)

I was offering a cheap option for a card that works ok under linux. If I had
more money, I would buy something more powerful. So would most people.
If you can afford a TNT2 or a Matrox card, get it!

You can have two of three things, good, cheap, or fast.

Beau Kuiper
ekuiperba at cc.curtin.edu.au

> Jamie