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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.ysu.edu!news.cps.udayton.edu!news.engr.udayton.edu!blackbird.afit.af.mil!zombie.ncsc.mil!cs.umd.edu!mojo.eng.umd.edu!hecate.umd.edu!cville-srv.wam.umd.edu!NewsWatcher!user From: crb@eng.umd.edu (Christopher R. Bowman) 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: Fri, 29 Mar 1996 05:01:54 -0500 Organization: University of Maryland Lines: 40 Message-ID: <crb-2903960501540001@128.8.23.124> References: <4j21ph$crr@slappy.cs.utexas.edu> <slrn4lbb5r.ai.mark@hunter.mas.org> <4jdac1$edc@solaria.cc.gatech.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: annex8-46.dial.umd.edu Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.apps:13730 comp.os.linux.development.system:20112 comp.os.linux.x:27760 comp.os.linux.hardware:34527 comp.os.linux.setup:47487 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:311 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:2809 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:2587 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:16102 In article <4jdac1$edc@solaria.cc.gatech.edu>, byron@cc.gatech.edu (Byron A Jeff) wrote: > I fail to understand how releasing an interface specification for a piece > of hardware in any way enables a competitor to steal designs for the > underlaying hardware. It reeks of a half cocked argument. Explain how > Diamond or #9 will be able to steal and manufacture Matrox's chip from a > list of registers along with the values that make the chip do accelerated 3D? > I can't see it. I'm willing to listen to any arguments to the contrary. Speeking as someone who designs chips; it isn't any easier to STEAL chip designs, but if I was given the project of producing my own XYZ compatable chip set using my own design but compatable with XYZ's hardware interface. It will take me a lot less time to do it if you drop a copy of the hardware interface in my lap at the same time you assign the project, than if you drop XYZ's board in my lap and say 'oh by the way, you'll need to figure out the interface while you are at it.' In this regard Matrox has a point Having said that I am STILL gonna blast Matrox. Unless you give me mask layout's, it's gonna take me ATLEAST 9 month MINIMUM to clone your chip, build my board, ramp up production, write my own drivers (after all we all seem to agree that XYZ's driver is subject to copyright restriction) get marketing and advertising, and packaging all worked out. Mean while unless Matrox is a compelete bunch of idiot's (and this remains to be seen) they aren't standing still. I sure as hell wouldn't be, I'd be out making my own product useless by pushing the state of the art and the price performance curve as agressively as I could. Plain and simple: Matrox's position is stupid. Even if their worst fears came true they still out to be able to obsolete their own product before anyone else can copy and bring to market this year model. This is why companies like Intel, HP and Sun are as successfull as they are, they don't wait for other to catch up, they canabilize their own products. ----- Christopher R. Bowman crb@eng.umd.edu <A HREF="http://www.glue.umd.edu/~crb">My home page</A>