I think I agree with this, in a big way.
You use the best tool for the job. Right now, I use Linux on the desktop, since it
provides me with a good development environment, and control over my computer.
However, if I need to send a complex document to someone else, I use Word.
Now, to do that, I've got to go into Windows, which is not adequate to my computing
needs. I would absolutely LOVE to be able to use relatively simple(ie: not 3-D games)
Windows programs on my Linux desktop, in a fashion that doesn't make me want to gnaw
off the nearest chair leg(so, that rules out WINE and VMWare). To get to that goal
quickly, supporting VESA is probably the best route.
There's another thing, too. If plex86 can run Windows and the majority of Office, it
will get a lot of attention. There's got to be a largish department of a largish
corporation out there dying for something like that(not that some alternatives arn't
available). If they see plex86 doing what they want, they might see fit to donate a
sum of money which could then, in turn, be put towards supporting 2-D and 3-D support
and acceleration.
Dave
To quote "Drew Northup" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
# I never said that we shouldn't do accelerated 2d/3d........, in fact I think
# that we should!!! However, not everyone will be using this to play QuakeIII
# either!!! It is more my belief that we, should focus first on having a
# working video structure that supports many plug-in options: VGA 3.0, VESA,
# fullscreen, a good emulated/virualized 2d/3d card...., etc. I mean, how
# many simple curses-based DOS apps are going to need fast 3D emulation? Not
# many so far as I know...... Therefore, it would make the most sense to me
# to try to implement all of the video options above--and give the end user
# some real ability to manage flexibility vs. clock cycles sucked up making a
# video implementation function. That way, if they just plan on using plex86
# as a safe DOS sandbox for their x86 assembly projects (like me) then they
# can do that. Also, by the same token, if Jay Gamer wants to run side-by
# side QuakeIII windows on his machine then he should be able to tell the
# machine to do so & also to run a good 2d/3d graphics virtualization to boot!
#
# Drew Northup, N1XIM
#
#
# > -----Original Message-----
# > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf
# > Of sdv-univ
# > Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2000 6:02 PM
# > To: Drew Northup
# > Subject: Re[2]: [Re: plex86 video proposal]
# >
# >
# > > Yes.., all of this is true...., but I think that, like the fullscreen
# > > proposal & standard VGA (which seems to be under control for just strict
# > > emulation), this is one area that might be worth a good hard look. One
# > > thing that I would like to know is how to set the V-scan rate on a VESA
# > > system so that I can have my high-res text modes back in
# > LINUX!!! I spent a
# > > large sum of money to get a flatscreen & it only does up to 75Hz!!! Oh
# > > well.., you get what you pay for ;^)!!
# >
# > Hmm... I believe that no acceleration (just VGA) for windowed mode is
# > perhaps a little bit too restrictive, and a strong 3d support is a
# > little bit non-trivial to implement for windowed mode, so maybe 2d
# > acceleration-only is a good balance for windowed mode. Fullscreen mode,
# > if that would be possible to implement, should of course provide
# > direct access to native features, including 3d as well..
# > I think VESA VBE 3.0 has the possibility of changing the rates,
# > however I haven't checked it. I think by the time V3 was out, the
# > importance of VESA has been sufficiently decreased (though VESA is
# > nice and worth to support but is not enough nowadays).
# > Uhus
# >
# >
# >
