On 5/24/05, Dennis SCP <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> And yes, on the PCI card I'm willing to pay extra for such a slot say > 15 dollar as it will make the card stand apart from 5200 type budget > cards. So far, our primary means of "standing out" is by promising full open source support for the indefinite future. This is something that other vendors won't do. Eventually, we'll be able to compete better on price, but right now, we're competing on compatibility and stability. So, no matter what, we simply cannot compete on price for the first generation. We don't want to make it worse by adding more cost to an already expensive board. One of the nice things about Linux is that it's great for recycling old machines. I'm one of those people who will go through graphics cards at exactly the same rate as I go through computers. So, say I build up a new machine and put an OGP card in it. In a year or two when I reappropriate it, that graphics card is going to stay with that machine, and I'll get the latest and greatest OGP card for the new box. (I'll be one of those lucky suckers who gets them for free, but that's called "eating your own dogfood.") I do know that a lot of people like to try to upgrade their existing machines, and I don't want everyone to have to buy a new card every time they decide to take a step up. I mean, that's one of the reasons for this project--old cards will continue to be useful and supported until you accidentally run over them with your truck. But here's the main thing to keep in mind: The first version of this product is not expected to be stellar in flexibility or performance or price. It's just supposed to WORK. Greater flexibility (which incurs development and production costs) is reserved for future generations when we've proven ourselves and our profitability. So, right now, where we are now, let's focus on making something that caters to 80% of FOSS users out there. Making that a success will open the door to all the nifty little add-ons that the remaining 20% of users want. (Also, I am aware that many people buy devices to get features they think they want but never end up using. Adding niche features will sell more cards to that 80%.) Someone should be updating the FAQ on this. _______________________________________________ Open-graphics mailing list [email protected] http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/listinfo/open-graphics List service provided by Duskglow Consulting, LLC (www.duskglow.com)
