On 5/6/05, Daniel Phillips <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> On Friday 06 May 2005 09:16, Timothy Miller wrote:
> > On 5/6/05, Daniel Phillips <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > Was it decided whether to implement (a few) text modes only, vs vga
> > > graphics modes as well?  It would seem sensible to implement only
> > > text modes for the time being, in order to leave more room on the
> > > FPGA for our own (non-vga) graphics mode(s).
> > >
> > > If it is going to be text mode only, does that reduce the number of
> > > registers that need to be fully documented?  Or do we want to fully
> > > document the vga graphics-related registers anyway, and just mark
> > > the ones that are not involved in text modes?
> >
> > My opinion is that if we want to boot Windows, and we want to support
> > safe mode, we need to support some graphics modes.
> 
> How important is it that the very first FPGA release boot Windows?  How
> about just booting Linux for the first release, and spend some saved
> gates on more multipliers and memory control logic?

I suspect there will be lots of people who want to dual-boot.  I, for
one, will want to be able to play Age of Mythology on it.  :)

> 
> Maybe this is something we need to add to the survey:
> 
>   a) Would you buy this card _only_ if it boots Windows (where nobody
>      really needs an open graphics card anyway)
> 
>   b) Would you want this card even more if it _doesn't_ boot Windows :-)
> 
>   c) Do you dual boot?  Don't you have a working video card already,
>      that already has Windows drivers?  Why not keep using that one to
>      boot Windows?

I have a machine that I seldom boot into Windows, but on the occasions
that I do, I want it to work.  I also want Linux to work really well
with it.

> We can always follow up a few weeks later with a logic upgrade to boot
> Windows.  But I for one would not want to delay the Linux release by
> even a week to accommodate that.

I suspect there are operating systems other than Windows that would
want this.  Any embedded systems based on x86?  How about simple
point-of-sale systems that ONLY use VGA?  Mind you, you could use a
different card, but so what?

> And: will Windows drivers even be ready by then?  Is anybody really
> passionate enough to write those drivers, particularly given the extra
> level of pain they can expect for low-level Windows code?

ReactOS people expressed an interest.

> /me listens for a thundering herd of volunteers...

You make a good point, but dual-boot is still a very popular option.

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