*BSD News Article 64112


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From: Thomas.Weihrich@Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE (Thomas Weihrich)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.os.linux.x,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Why to not buy Matrox Millennium
Date: 25 Mar 96 12:46:58 GMT
Organization: C. v. Ossietzky Universitaet Oldenburg - Fachbereich Informatik
Lines: 56
Message-ID: <4j64rj$ii@news.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE>
References: <4j21ph$crr@slappy.cs.utexas.edu>  <4j36ev$prl@news.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE> <stephenkDosrBD.D0@netcom.com>
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Keywords: Matrox Millennium
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stephenk@netcom.com (Stephen Knilans) writes:

>In article <4j36ev$prl@news.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE> Thomas.Weihrich@Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE (Thomas Weihrich) writes:
>>pmcdermo@cs.utexas.edu (Peter F. McDermott) writes:
>>

>Are matrox cards sold as VGA or SVGA compatible?  If they ARE, and this info
>is NEEDED to use them as such, then they are guilty of FRAUD!  They are
>honor bound to disseminate such info.  FURTHER, the card could be reverse 
>engineered WITHOUT knowledg of how it works!  The BIOS is even EASIER to 
>reverse engineer.

They do work as VGA cards and you don't need any further info internal
specs in order to use them as VGA cards. Accusing Matrox of fraud is
just a litte bit off the scale.

>As for adaptec?  They DID and DO give out driver info!  So WHAT if they don't
>give out schematics?  They arent' needed to use the card!

Read the license agreement that comes with Adaptec chipset
documentation. 

Matrox does hand out internal chipset information if you choose to sign
a non disclosure agreement and point out that Matrox will profit from
handing out the information.


>The Xinside server is WORTHLESS in this regard.  If you want to write 
>software that is able to run WITHOUT X, then the SVGA and VGA specs show
>how to do it.  If they don't work, it is NOT a VGA compliant card, and THAT is 
>what people thought and WERE TOLD that they were buying.  Like I said, FRAUD!

You are missing the point. The discussion is about whether Matrox should
hand out programming info on their 3d accelerator or not. No one ever
doubted that Matrox cards are usable as simple VGA cards.
Read before you post.

Thomas



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