Re: [OT] Stupid consumers and inferior hardware

[<briand@aracnet.com>]

On Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:08:27 -0500
Doug <dmcgarrett@optonline.net> wrote:

> On 12/31/2010 12:50 PM, briand@aracnet.com wrote:
> > On Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:03:24 -0500 (EST)
> > Stephen Powell<zlinuxman@wowway.com>  wrote:
> >
> >> Manufacturers are not doing this because the consumer wants it.
> >> They are doing it to cut costs.
> /snip/
> > they get away with it because most people run windows, the mfr
> > provides the driver, and when it breaks, people expect it because
> > it's windows.
> >
> /snip/
> > You will always be in trouble with hardware under Linux because of
> > the lack of mfr's drivers, and when they do provide drivers they are
> > generally binary objects, e.g. NVIDIA.
> >
> > It's very frustrating, so I for one appreciate your rant :-)
> >
> > Brian
> >
> >
> Why does it bother you that the driver is a binary?  Are you
> qualified to modify it if you had the source code?  Certainly 99% of
> us are not, nor would we want to if we could.  In the immortal words
> of Anne Landers, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
> 
> (I, for one, am very happy that NVIDIA provides the driver.  I just
> installed a card with their GeForce code in it, and I needed the
> driver.)
> 

Having NVIDIA supply the driver, especially the accelerated 3D driver
is, of course, better than nothing.

yes i am capable of modifying drivers, and have done so, although
not for video.  however, making the source accessible speeds the fixing
of bugs and generally makes the driver more robust.

having source means not (necessarily) having to wait on nvidia to apply
a patch.  sometimes patches to fix a problem are very simple and even
somebody not that familiar with the subsystem in question can fix it.
when the graphic card, or any other hardware, gets old enough which is
common for MANY linux systems, nvidia will stop fixing bugs completely
for old cards. planned obscelence and all that.

so having NVIDIA provide support is a good thing, but I think it's
perfectly ok to be bothered by the fact that source is not available.
don't forget you are discussing a video card.  why do companies keep
source "secret" for their old tech 10/100 cards.  why do old tech, been
around for 1000000 years cards have bugs in the first place ?  They
have bugs because they rev the silicon to save 0.005 on the price of
the chip and then don't tell anybody.  why don't they tell anybody ?
because you're getting a binary driver from them for windows.

lack of robustness is due to cost cutting and general ass-hattery on
the part of the mfrs.  it will always be thus unless source is
available, or even better, open hardware.


Brian