*BSD News Article 64910


Return to BSD News archive

Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!newshost.telstra.net!act.news.telstra.net!vic.news.telstra.net!news.mira.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!news.unimelb.EDU.AU!munnari.OZ.AU!hobyah.cc.uq.oz.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!student.uq.edu.au!s329750
From: s329750@student.uq.edu.au (Campbell Mclaren)
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: 2 Apr 1996 12:38:23 GMT
Organization: University of Queensland
Lines: 34
Message-ID: <4jr73v$ql5@hobyah.cc.uq.oz.au>
References: <4j6msk$ho@darkstar.my.lan> <DovMp4.765@cogsci.ed.ac.uk> <4jn4qp$6p@darkstar.my.lan> <stephenkDp5xr1.69v@netcom.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: student.uq.edu.au
X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #3 (NOV)
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.apps:14039 comp.os.linux.development.system:20542 comp.os.linux.x:28363 comp.os.linux.hardware:35235 comp.os.linux.setup:48696 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:423 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:2955 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:2722 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:16529

stephenk@netcom.com (Stephen Knilans) writes:
>>
>>Let's assume, that 10% of all linux users think about getting a matrox
>>card. Now assume, that _all_ those people boycott matrox (which won't
>>happen), because there is no free driver support. Even this scenario
>>won't be a great loss for matrox. 
>>
>>This sounds disappointing, but it's reality :-(
>>
>AH, the LIBERAL way of thinking!  NOW, let's add a little REALITY, shall we?
>Let's assume that many of those linux users are high end users(likely, given
>the nature of the beast), and that they have friends/acquaintances/business 
>associates/bosses/people under them.  ALL the above groups may decide NOT to
>buy matrox!  Also assume that they may spread the word through some means.
>Let's take an off the wall example, shall we?  maybe the INTERNET, and spread
>the word about MATROXes bad support.  I GUARANTEE, that if linux users were 10%
>of the market, that at LEAST 50% of the market will hear of it!  *I*, for 
>example, bought no such card, yet heard of it HERE!!!  Even if I DIDN'T use
>LINUX, I wouldn't touch their card!

Agreed, and I know of a CAD office (with a sizable hardware budget that 
gets spent every two years or so) who upon advise of staff have decided 
to buy only hardware that can run Linux/BSD because it is easier to sell 
used hardware when they upgrade.

>BTW MANY people have asked me regarding purchase of computer equipment.  I MUST
>recommend AGAINST any such product!

I probably wouldn't go that far, and really at the end of the day it is 
only fair to respect the business rights of MGA/Matrox, because if it is 
a bad business decision they will pay for it, not you or I.

cheers.