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Kay Diederichs wrote:
"<Eric Karg>" <harvard...@yahoo.com>
Datum:
Sun, 14 Nov 2010 21:37:10 +0000
Dear all,
Thanks for your suggestions. From what I learned new GPUs from NVIDIA are using
the Optimus technology which does not support Linux, meaning that only the
dedicated graphics on the system will be used in Linux. Does it still make
sense to go for NVIDIA instead of ATI?
No, the right way is to contact NVIDIA and pressure them to support Linux.
Just sending a mail to customer support saying what you just wrote
before is enough.
Also, Eric suggest a smart way.
But even if it works, you should bother NVIDIA so that in the future
things will evolve in the right way.
Many people did this several years ago, so at some point, NVIDIA started
providing quality Linux drivers.
In fact, people should bother NVIDIA so much so it is even possible for
people outside of NVIDIA to support the Linux driver even when NVIDIA
will no more be interested into supporting it.
Eric
Eric,
Optimus is a technology for fast switching between the slow internal
graphics unit and a fast, but power-hungry, NVidia chip. Unfortunately,
it is currently only supported by Windows7. If the notebook's BIOS
offers to permanently disable, or permanently enable, the NVidia
graphics then, from the Linux view, this would be equivalent to a
conventional notebook with slow/fast graphics. If it just defaults to
one of those states then, using Linux, you are at the mercy of the
decision of the BIOS developers.
So I'd say: before you buy investigate what the BIOS offers.
HTH,
Kay
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